When it comes to arriving at a fast, accurate diagnosis for your pet, Stone Ridge Veterinary Medical Center can’t be beat. We use state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging, as well as other diagnostic tests, so we can help our four-legged patients as efficiently as possible. Diagnostic imaging in pets is an important part of what we do.
Diagnostic Imaging in Pets
While a good physical examination by one of our talented doctors holds a lot of valuable information, further testing is integral to arriving at a diagnosis. Blood work, urine testing, and diagnostic imaging can be invaluable in the journey to finding the best course of action for an individual patient.
Diagnostic imaging is the process of creating images of internal organ structures in order to gain more information about an animal’s condition. While this can include advanced modalities as MRI and CT scans, we utilize more accessible techniques, such as radiography and ultrasound, every day.
Radiography – Radiographs, more commonly referred to as x-rays, use gamma rays in order to create a two-dimensional black and white image or internal organ structures. We might use radiographs to visualize the bones, chest cavity, or abdomen in a patient. Using radiographs, we can often assess the size, shape, and positioning of many internal organ and bony structures.
Ultrasound – Ultrasound is a technique that utilizes sound waves in order to produce a real-time image of the organs being visualized. Using ultrasound we can see more details about the composition of the organs, visualize movement, and even see the flow of fluids like blood using color Doppler technology.
The Value of a Picture
Diagnostic imaging in pets is essential to our ability to help them get well. A fast and accurate diagnosis helps us do a better job initiating treatment.
We rely on this technology each day for things like:
- Accurately sampling fluid
- Quickly evaluating the chest or abdomen for abnormalities, such as fluid or masses, using ultrasound FAST scan techniques
- Assessing for pregnancy/fetal viability
- Obtaining non-invasive biopsies of various organs
- Diagnosing stones in the urinary tract
- Staging cancer
- Evaluating for the presence of foreign objects in the intestinal tract
- Determining cardiac function
- Assessing the integrity of bones and joints
Diagnostic imaging allows us to obtain a lot of information about our pet patients in a relatively non-invasive manner. We are so thankful to have this tool at our disposal, so that we can be even better at what’s important – returning your pet to good health!
If you have concerns about your furry family member, we hope that you will make an appointment right away. We want you to know that you are in very good hands by choosing the team at Stone Ridge Veterinary Medical Center.
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