Pet Radiography

Radiology

Radiography is a valuable diagnostic tool in veterinary medicine. As we continually strive to offer the highest quality medicine and diagnostic testing, we are pleased to offer digital radiology services as a means of providing excellent care to our patients. We can rapidly produce X-rays for immediate diagnosis and provide follow-up care for your pets.

A radiograph (sometimes called an X-ray) is a type of photograph that can look inside the body and reveal information that may not be discernible from the outside. Radiography can be used to evaluate almost any organ in the body, including the heart, lungs, abdominal organs, and even the bones.

Radiography is painless, safe, and completely non-invasive, and it uses only very low doses of radiation. Because the level of radiation exposure needed to perform radiography is very low, even pregnant females and very young pets can undergo radiography.

The size of organs is important because some medical conditions—such as the kidney, heart, or liver—can alter the size of these organs. Tumors, depending on their size and location, can also sometimes be detected using radiography. Radiography can also be used to diagnose bladder stones, broken bones, chronic arthritis, certain spinal cord diseases, and a variety of other conditions.

Radiographs are an important tool that can help us make a correct diagnosis for your pet. Our radiology service is staffed by caring, skilled professionals who will provide state-of-the-art care with compassion and expertise.

Radiology services provided include:

• Abdominal
• Hips
• Thorax (chest)
• Limbs/spine
• Contrast Studies (for GI obstructions)

Ultrasound

For several years now, we have been providing cardiac and abdominal ultrasound for our patients. Ultrasound has helped us diagnose and more thoroughly understand the disease processes occurring in our veterinary patients.

With ultrasound we can see what the inside of an organ looks like and detect if there are any abnormalities like cysts or masses. These abnormalities can be measured for size and in some instances, an ultrasound guided fine needle aspirate can be performed on these abnormalities to obtain a diagnosis. This usually requires a light sedation versus an exploratory abdominal surgery.

So you can see that ultrasound has many applications. We can use it simply to get a sterile urine sample from your pet, or to help diagnose complicated diseases. It has been a great diagnostic addition to our practice. If necessary, we can send the images we have obtained during an ultrasound procedure and have them evaluated by a board certified veterinary radiologist for a small additional fee.