Radiographs are an important part of any veterinarian’s diagnostic tool set. With radiographs, our veterinarians can not only examine the outside of your pet, but also the internal organs and structures of your pet! This lets us get a complete picture of your pet’s overall physical state and when combined with routine blood work allows us to get a great picture of overall health.
One of the biggest benefits of radiographs is that they’re 100% non-invasive. In other words, we can evaluate internal organs and other structures that would normally require surgery to examine by simply taking a few pictures! Additionally, x-rays use very mild doses of radiation to produce an image which means it’s safe for all pets, even the very small or very young.
When it comes to the structure of bones you can learn a lot through good imaging. Broken bones and other significantly damaged structures can be clearly seen on radiographs. But more subtle changes can be seen too. Our veterinarians can evaluate joints for arthritis and manage pain that your dog or cat may not be showing.
Radiographs can also tell you a lot about organ function. Larger or smaller organs can be an indicator of an underlying disease. Tumors, depending on size and location, can often be appreciated via x-rays. Conditions like bladder stones can be observed via radiographs which we recently covered in a blog post about Nikki the adorable little dog from Denver Daschund and Rescue. We have some great pictures of a normal bladder and Nikki’s stone filled bladder!
In line with our Aurora vet clinic’s core value of education and science, our x-ray equipment is modern and state of the art. Our veterinarians are able to use our digital x-ray equipment to carefully analyze and adjust any image. Our technicians are skilled at getting your pet into the perfect position for the ideal image all while keeping your pet comfortable and content.
Contact us today to set up an appointment!