Advanced Pet Imaging Services in Clarkson, WA – X-Rays & Ultrasound
Radiography
Our hospital is fully equipped to take radiographs (often called x-rays) of your pet. Our veterinarians will discuss your pet’s case and conduct a thorough physical examination to determine if your pet requires radiographs. Radiographs are a very important tool to help us diagnose diseases in animals, particularly for conditions involving bones, the chest, or the abdomen.
What Happens to My Pet When It Is Booked In for Radiographs?
Most of our patients are admitted into the hospital for the day to have radiographs taken, unless it is an emergency, and we’ll take them immediately. We ask that you bring your pet in unfed on the morning of admission, as they will most likely be sedated or anaesthetised to allow us to take the best quality radiographs possible.
Once the radiographs have been taken, we will give you a call or book an appointment for our veterinarians to show you the images and to discuss the diagnosis and treatment plan for your pet.
Why Do Pets Need To Be Sedated or Anaesthetised To Have Radiographs Taken?
When we have radiographs taken, the radiographer asks us to keep perfectly still, often in unnatural positions. Most pets would never lie still enough, in the correct position, for us to take the good quality radiographs required to diagnose their condition. Sedation and anaesthesia allow us to get the most useful radiographs possible.
How Are Radiographs Made?
Taking a radiograph is very similar to taking a photo, except we use x-rays instead of light rays. Different tissues in the body absorb x-rays to differing degrees. Of all the tissues in the body, bone absorbs the most x-rays. This is the reason that bone appears white on a radiograph. Soft tissues, such as the heart, kidneys, or other organs, absorb some but not all of the x-rays, so they appear on a radiograph in different shades of grey. The air-filled lungs absorb relatively few x-rays so appear dark grey or black on a radiograph. We will demonstrate and explain the radiographs when your pet goes home.
Ultrasonography
Our hospital utilises specialist ultrasonographers to assist in the evaluation of your pet’s condition if required. Our veterinarians will discuss your pet’s case and conduct a thorough physical examination to determine if your pet requires an ultrasound examination. An ultrasound scan is a very important tool to help us diagnose diseases in animals, particularly for conditions involving soft tissues, such as those found in the abdomen or the heart.
What Is an Ultrasound Scan?
Ultrasound scanning is a painless procedure that uses high-frequency sound waves (inaudible to humans) to produce images of structures within the body. When sound waves are directed into the body, some are absorbed by body tissues and others bounce back. The sound waves that bounce back are measured by the ultrasound machine and are transformed into an image on a screen. The images can be printed or recorded. Extensive training is required in order to correctly use this equipment and interpret these images.
Ultrasound scans are most useful for looking at soft or fluid-filled organs, like the liver, kidney, bladder, and heart. It is less effective for examining bones or air-filled organs like the lungs.
What Happens to My Pet When It Is Booked In for an Ultrasound Scan?
Most of our patients are admitted into the hospital for the day to have an ultrasound scan done. We ask that you bring your pet in unfed on the morning of admission, as they may need to be sedated to allow us to do the best scan possible.
The area to be scanned will be shaved, so your pet may look different when they come home. No pain is felt during an ultrasound exam; however, discomfort from pressure may be experienced. Sedatives may be necessary for those animals that won’t stay still or are uncomfortable. During the scan, a water-soluble gel is applied over the clipped area to be examined, and a transducer (probe) is placed on the skin.
Once the scan has been completed, we will give you a call or book an appointment for our veterinarians to show you the images and to discuss the diagnosis and treatment plan for your pet.
For professional pet imaging and diagnostics, call The Veterinary Hospital North on 08 61851308 to make an appointment today.
