x-Rays & Ultrasounds

X-Rays & Ultrasounds

X-RAYS & ULTRASOUNDS

Part of treating your pet or farm animal is accurately diagnosing their injury or illness. Whether it is a sprained ligament, broken bone or internal disease or injury that we cannot immediately identify, x-rays and ultrasounds help us gain an accurate perspective of what is going on inside your animal's body.

RADIOGRAPHY (X-RAYS)

Our hospital is fully equipped to take x-rays as needed. Our veterinarians will discuss your pet’s case and conduct a thorough physical examination to determine if the situation requires radiographs. Radiographs are an essential tool to help us diagnose diseases in animals, particularly for conditions involving bones, the chest or abdomen.

X-RAYS & ULTRASOUNDS

Part of treating your pet or farm animal is accurately diagnosing their injury or illness. Whether it is a sprained ligament, broken bone or internal disease or injury that we cannot immediately identify, x-rays and ultrasounds help us gain an accurate perspective of what is going on inside your animal's body.

RADIOGRAPHY (X-RAYS)

Our hospital is fully equipped to take x-rays as needed. Our veterinarians will discuss your pet’s case and conduct a thorough physical examination to determine if the situation requires radiographs. Radiographs are an essential tool to help us diagnose diseases in animals, particularly for conditions involving bones, the chest or abdomen.

WHAT HAPPENS TO MY PET WHEN IT IS BOOKED IN FOR RADIOGRAPHS?

Most of our furry patients are admitted into the hospital for the day to have radiographs taken unless it is an emergency where we take them immediately.

We ask that you bring your little friend 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 we take the radiographs, 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 (X-rays) taken, the radiographer asks us to keep perfectly still, often in unnatural positions. Most pets would never lie still enough, in the correct position, for us to take high-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. The usefulness of radiography as a diagnostic tool is based upon the ability of X-rays to penetrate matter. Different tissues in the body absorb X-rays to differing degrees.

Of all the tissues in the body, bone absorbs the most X-rays. It is the reason that bone appears white on a radiograph. Soft tissues, such as lungs or organs, absorb some but not all of the X-rays, so soft tissues appear on a radiograph in different shades of grey. We will demonstrate and explain the radiographs when your pet goes home.

ULTRASONOGRAPHY

Our hospital is fully equipped with an ultrasound scanner 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 an essential tool to help us diagnose diseases in animals, particularly for conditions involving soft tissues, such as those found in the abdomen or the heart.

WHAT IS AN ULTRASOUND SCAN?

Ultrasound scanning 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. The images can be printed or recorded.

Extensive training is required to use this equipment and interpret these images correctly. Ultrasound scans are most useful for looking at soft or fluid-filled organs; like the liver, kidney, bladder and heart. It is less useful for examining bones or air-filled organs, like the lungs.

WHAT HAPPENS TO MY PET WHEN IT IS BOOKED IN FOR AN ULTRASOUND SCAN?

Most of our patients are admitted into the hospital for the day to have an ultrasound scan done unless it is an emergency where we do it immediately. 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 will be shaved, so your pet may look different when they come home. No pain is felt during an ultrasound exam. However, your pet may experience discomfort from the pressure.

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.

Once the scan is complete, 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.

WHAT IS AN ULTRASOUND SCAN?

Ultrasound scanning 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. The images can be printed or recorded.

Extensive training is required to use this equipment and interpret these images correctly. Ultrasound scans are most useful for looking at soft or fluid-filled organs; like the liver, kidney, bladder and heart. It is less useful for examining bones or air-filled organs, like the lungs.

WHAT HAPPENS TO MY PET WHEN IT IS BOOKED IN FOR AN ULTRASOUND SCAN?

Most of our patients are admitted into the hospital for the day to have an ultrasound scan done unless it is an emergency where we do it immediately. 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 will be shaved, so your pet may look different when they come home. No pain is felt during an ultrasound exam. However, your pet may experience discomfort from the pressure.


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.


Once the scan is complete, 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.

WHAT HAPPENS TO MY PET WHEN IT IS BOOKED IN FOR AN ULTRASOUND SCAN?

Most of our patients are admitted into the hospital for the day to have an ultrasound scan done unless it is an emergency where we do it immediately. 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 will be shaved, so your pet may look different when they come home. No pain is felt during an ultrasound exam. However, your pet may experience discomfort from the pressure.

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.

Once the scan is complete, 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.

A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and injected under your pet’s skin. It can be done right after their birth or during a regular consultation. The microchip is embedded with a code unique to your pet and is the most effective form of permanent identification. This code is placed onto a national computer database, so it is particularly useful in the return of lost pets. They can also assist where the ownership of an animal is in dispute. In some states of Australia, microchipping your pets is compulsory.


If a pet is ever lost and is handed in at a veterinary clinic or animal shelter, a microchip scanner is passed over the animal to reveal the unique code. The vet or animal shelter can then refer to the database to identify the name, address and phone number of the owner so that they can be reunited.