Veterinary diagnostic imaging creates composites of the internal body used to discover disease or injury. Our veterinarians use advanced digital imaging technologies to provide the highest quality of imaging for our patients. Our pet hospital offers digital dental radiology, digital body radiology, in-house ultrasound and access to board-certified radiologists.
Digital Radiographs
- Digital radiographs, also known as x-ray images, are created by passing small amounts of focused electromagnetic rays through the area of interest and onto a digital detector. These electromagnetic rays pass through the different tissue densities, such as soft tissue, tooth structures and bone, with varying penetration levels to create an image of the internal structures. These images are used to assess the size, shape, density and structural patterns in the area of interest.
- Digital radiographs of the animal’s body are often used to assess traumatic injuries, plan orthopedic repairs, monitor heart disease, characterize lung disease, detect intestinal foreign bodies, detect evidence of cancer and help determine causes of lameness and discomfort. Dental digital radiology is used to assess the health of the entire tooth, from the crown to the root, periodontal space and surrounding bone. Dental procedures, such as tooth repair or extractions, are guided by these images.
- Our animal clinic is proud to offer advanced digital radiology for both body and dental imaging. Our digital radiology systems allow our veterinarians to obtain high quality images in a short amount of time and expose our patients to lower amounts of electromagnetic radiation compared to conventional radiology systems. The high quality images are immediately available for review by our veterinarians and may be sent instantly to specialists through our radiology consulting service or local specialty animal hospitals.
- Ultrasound is a method of imaging that uses high frequency soundwaves to create a computerized image of the internal structures of the body. Doppler ultrasound is a special type of ultrasound that allow veterinarians to evaluate blood flow. Ultrasound is ideal for providing a non-invasive view of abdominal organs, detecting diseased structures and assessing heart function.
- Our pet hospital has its own in-house ultrasound machine for basic procedures and urgent trauma assessment. Our veterinarians may use our ultrasound to detect pregnancy, guide sample collection of sterile urine (cystocentesis) or cells from a mass, check for bladder stones (uroliths), or confirm intestinal obstructions. Urgent in-house ultrasound scans may be performed to check for certain types of masses or fluid in inappropriate places that indicate internal bleeding. More advanced diagnostics are scheduled with a board certified traveling radiologist. These advanced ultrasounds are usually available within one week. Referral to our local specialty animal hospital will be provided if your pet needs an advanced ultrasound immediately.