Where next for point-of-care diagnostics?

Pet owners' expectations of veterinary clinics are increasing, in part driven by the growing human-animal bond. Clients expect immediate answers – even on the toughest of cases – during their visit. Alongside ever-increasing caseloads, veterinary teams are under more pressure than ever to deliver fast, accurate results.

Historically, complete blood counts and cytology evaluations were largely confined to reference laboratories, handled by specialist clinical pathologists and often requiring days to process samples. In recent years, advances in diagnostic technology have brought many of these capabilities directly into the clinic, drastically cutting turnaround times and enabling on-site analysis and insights to inform patient treatment plans at the point of care.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is powering many of these advances, reshaping how veterinarians approach blood analysis and cytology – areas previously only handled by the reference lab – to bring expert level care to the general practice.

Technological innovations, such as Zoetis's Vetscan OptiCell™ hematology analyzer, enable advanced 3D cell imaging for optical analysis, to deliver highly accurate CBC insights in just minutes,[1] directly in clinic. The device uses AI image recognition technology trained with normal and abnormal clinical samples to classify and count blood cells instantly, based on hundreds of individual cell features.

For cytology, the latest indication to be added to Zoetis's Vetscan Imagyst® platform – AI Masses – can detect potentially neoplastic cells with accuracy^2,3, to deliver real-time, point-of-care identification and classification of skin/subcutaneous masses and lymph node lesions. These insights help inform clinical decisions and streamline diagnoses and workflows – while helping to reduce wait times for anxious pet owners in cases where a cancer diagnosis may be under consideration.

These tools are designed to be a reliable support to the veterinarian – not to replace their expertise. 'Human back up' will always be a critical part of the process, with the final decision on patient care resting with the clinician. For added diagnostic confidence, expert clinical pathologist reviews via Digital Cytology and Add-on Expert Review* are accessible within hours⁴ when clinically warranted.

The impact of these new technologies – on veterinarians, pets and their owners – is far-reaching. Fast diagnoses streamline workflows, facilitate earlier treatment and help to improve access to patient care, strengthening the vet-client bond.

Watch the video to hear from Abhay Nayak, President of Global Diagnostics at Zoetis, and Dr. Richard Goldstein, DVM, DACVIM, DECVIM-CA, Global Chief Medical Officer and Head of Medical Affairs at Zoetis, on how advances in point-of-care diagnostics are reducing the burdens on clinics, transforming the pet owner experience and adding further value to veterinary practice.

 

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1. Data on file, Study No. DHXMZ-US-24-235, 2024, Zoetis Inc.
2. Data on file, Study No. DHXMZ-US-25-286, 2025, Zoetis Inc.
3. Data on File, Study No. DHXMZ-US-25-285, 2025, Zoetic Inc.
4. Data on File. TI-11711, 2024, Zoetis Inc.

This Education Center article was underwritten by Zoetis Diagnostics US.