Diagnostic Imaging Radiography (X-rays) has the ability to "look through" tissues, and this makes a great diagnostic aid for many parts of the body that we could not normally see. Radiography: X-rays give us a 2-dimensional view of a specific part of an animal's body, and are particularly good for imaging bones, outlines of soft tissue structures, and air-filled spaces (such as lungs). The Hospital owns a modern, powerful, X-ray machine which creates very high quality radiographs and minimises radiation exposure to staff and animals. An automatic processor helps to improve the consistency of developing, and also reduces the amount of time our staff have to spend in the darkroom. We would routinely take X-rays of an animal with chest and abdominal problems, and in certain lamenesses to confirm or rule out fractures and bone malalignments. Sometimes there may not be a fracture as such, but by taking X-rays, we can see that bones may be out of position due to ligament injuries. The procedure relies on the fact that the number of X-rays passing through the tissues is different for the different densities of each tissue. Bone doesn't allow as many X-rays through to the X-ray plate beneath the patient, and thus bone will show up as a white structure on the X-ray film. Air is far less dense than bone, and allows far more X-rays to pass through, thus air shows up as black areas on an X-ray film. All other tissues have densities between these two, and show up as various grey tones. Endoscopy: Endoscopy involves using a small camera to gain a view of the inside of an animal's gastrointestinal tract (oesophagus/stomach/small intestine). Before the advent of endoscopy, gaining such a view would require invasive exploratory surgery. We can also use endoscopy to collect biopsies of abnormal tissue. Ultrasonography: Ultrasound (not just for pregnant women!) is a very good way of viewing internal organs (bladder, liver, heart etc). Of course, it is also useful to detect pregnancy! Advanced Imaging: As with human medicine, Computed Tomography (CT scans) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can provide us with detailed and accurate images, and both are available in Veterinary Medicine. If the case requires, we can organise referral to our Specialist collegues for these imaging modalities. We also sometimes refer patients to have ultrasound examination done. Currently, the use of Computerised Tomography (C.T. scans) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (M.R.I.) in animals is not yet routine. However under certain circumstances, we will refer our patients for these procedures.
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