How Modern X-rays, Scans and Ultrasounds Can Save Your Pet’s Life
Advanced medical imaging technology, such as x-rays, CT-scans and ultrasounds, plays an important role in modern veterinary clinics, allowing veterinarians to diagnose and treat medical conditions in animals.
These 3 forms of medical imagery are very popular in the vet industry, as they provide a very effective way to analyse and diagnose issues.
Just as radiography and imaging equipment allows doctors to see inside the human body, this equipment provides veterinarians with an accurate view of what is happening inside your pet. This helps vets to determine the best course of action and treatment options for your animal friend, giving them a better chance of recovery and survival.
Let’s take a look at these 3 popular and effective tools of the veterinarian’s trade and how they can help treat cats, dogs and other domestic animals.
X-Rays for Cats and Dogs
Radiography, known more commonly as x-rays, is one of the more common diagnostic techniques used.
X-rays are non-invasive, and can generally be performed with little or no sedation, making it a quick, pain-free and accurate diagnostic tool. They are routinely used by vets to examine an animal’s bones for any fractures, breaks or abnormalities. X-rays are also very useful when examining air-filled cavities such as lungs.
This makes x-rays an essential component of an emergency vet clinic, allowing vets to quickly gauge certain sorts of internal damage to your pet from a car accident, animal fight, fall or other traumatic event. We can also look for many other conditions not related to trauma using x-rays.
Scanning Technology for Your Pet
Another advanced imaging technology, commonly known as CT, is computed tomography imaging.
CT uses x-rays to create cross-section pictures of the body. In this way, CT scans can show bones, blood vessels and even soft tissue – making them very useful for veterinarians working with emergency cases.
Another form of scanning technology, magnetic resonance imaging, or simply MRI, provides us with 3D pictures of soft tissue and bone and is the a useful imaging technique for viewing the brain.
General anaesthesia is required to perform both CT and MRI scans. A CT scan is usually fast requiring only minutes to perform, while an MRI can take an hour or more to obtain the relevant images. A fully equipped animal hospital or vet clinic will be able to monitor your pet during their scan and after the anaesthetic to ensure a smooth recovery.
Ultrasounds for Animals
Like x-rays, ultrasounds are a relatively quick procedure that are performed on-site and is non-invasive and pain-free. Your pet will usually not need to undergo a general anaesthetic for an ultrasound.
Ultrasounds are very useful for examining the heart and internal organs. Your pet’s heart function can be measured by a veterinarian to provide the most accurate treatment and prognosis. Individual organs, such as the kidneys, liver, stomach and bladder, can also be viewed via ultrasound, and allow for biopsies to be taken for further testing.
24-Hour Emergency Vet Clinic for Sydney Pets
Sydney’s Eastside Veterinary Emergency and Specialists is equipped with services such as high quality digital x-ray system as well as ultrasound.
The clinic’s x-ray and ultrasound technology is available on site and can be accessed 24-hours a day, speeding up the diagnosis process and potentially saving your pet’s life. MRIs and CT scans are generally used on less urgent cases and can be performed in certain hours.
Eastside Veterinary clinic also works with vets who specialise in imaging, and can assist and interpret results for more complex cases. Book an appointment, or if your pet requires emergency care, please visit the clinic immediately.