Radiography

Our clinic is fully equipped to take radiographs (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 mportant 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 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 of ourselves, the radiographer asks us to keep perfectly still, often in awkward and unnatural positions.  Most pets would never lie still enough, in the correct position, for us to take 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.

Are there any specific types of radiographs that your clinic offers?

We offer all routine diagnostic radiographs for chest, abdominal and musculoskeletal conditions.  We also offer Dogs Australia Canine Hip & Elbow Dysplasia Scheme (CHEDS) radiographs for scoring by approved radiologists.

Ultrasonography

Our clinic is equipped with an ultrasound machine to assist 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 chest.

Ultrasound is also used to confirm pregnancy, and can detect puppies and kittens from as early as 3 weeks post-mating.

Ultrasound is particularly useful in the diagnosis of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and urogenital system, such as foreign body obstructions, abdominal effusion, pyometra, and bladder stones.

What is an ultrasound?

An ultrasound 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.  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.

What happens to my pet when it is booked in for an ultrasound scan?

Most of our patients are admitted into hospital for the day to have an ultrasound done, unless it is to confirm pregnancy in which case it will be done during a consultation.  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 may 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.