Canine Services

Dog Diagnostic Imaging

How is diagnostic imaging used in diagnosing my dog?

Diagnostic imaging is used to give you a better, more clear diagnosis for a suspected problem. For example, the dog comes in limping. You think they may have a fracture. You need diagnostic imaging to know that for sure. Maybe you feel a lump in their belly. You might want to use either x-rays or ultrasound to determine whether that lump is a bad thing or a baby thing. But still, you could use either x-rays or ultrasound to get a better look at what’s going on, and to ultimately help you get an answer or a diagnosis.

What does a veterinary radiologist do?

Well, they’re identical to human radiologists. Their job is to read and interpret images. A lot of times in veterinary medicine, we don’t quite have the staffing that some of the larger facilities on the human side may have. So sometimes radiologists may take their own images, or have assistants taking their own images. Certainly with ultrasound, I know a lot of radiologists that actually do the ultrasounds themselves. But primarily their job is to interpret those images regardless of what study they have performed, and to help the clinician or the internist to make a definitive diagnosis.

What are the different types of diagnostic imaging?

There’s a wide array. The most common ones that we use on a day-to-day basis in veterinary medicine would be radiology or x-rays and ultrasonography. I think those are the two big ones. There are facilities in the state and certainly in the nation that can use more advanced studies, such as MRI, CT, even things like nuclear scintigraphy, where you might give some sort of a radioactive contrast agent that will pick up the issue better. Those types of things are often used for thyroid and things like that.

I do not have those last three at my disposal, as very few facilities do. But they are some of the more advanced methods and, when you use one versus the other, it really depends on what you’re trying to diagnose. Bone is great for x-rays, soft tissue is good for ultrasound. But MRI and CT technicians are really looking at soft tissue that maybe is encased in bone, like ligaments and joints or tumors that might be like brain tumors, things like that. So there’s a different place and time for all of those different modalities.

What are some of the things that the veterinarian will look for with diagnostic imaging?

Again, it depends on what we’re looking for. So, if I have a dog that comes in with a limp and I do an x-ray, what am I looking for? Of course, I’m looking for a broken bone or a dislocation or something like that. Very straightforward. Sometimes with ultrasound, maybe you have a dog that you think is pregnant or maybe has an abdominal tumor. So what are you looking for? You’re basically looking for anything abnormal.

I had somebody a long time ago tell me when it came to medicine in general that you can’t recognize abnormality until you know what normal looks like. And to me, I feel like that’s never been truer than when you’re talking about diagnostic imaging, especially x-rays and ultrasound. You have to know what normal looks like so, that way, when you do get that abnormal image, you can say, “Oh, there’s the liver, kidneys. Oh my goodness, what is this thing?” So that’s what you’re looking for. Is anything out of the norm compared to what you’re accustomed to seeing?

Does my dog need to be sedated for diagnostic imaging?

That’s a good question. Sometimes, yes. It depends on what the issue is and on the temperament of the dog. Like today, I’ve done two or three x-rays on dogs already and one ultrasound and none of those animals had to be sedated. They were all very good patients. They sat perfectly still and we got really good, straight images and each dog was fine with it.

I think where it comes in is if you have a very fractious, potentially aggressive dog, or maybe a very painful dog—sedation is usually necessary for these types of scenarios. Also, for the more advanced things like CT, MRI—those are big machines and the dog has to be on a table and sit perfectly still for a good long period of time. That won’t happen when you have a dog that’s awake. It just won’t happen. The best of dogs won’t do that. So that’s when the sedation comes in.

Is diagnostic imaging safe for my dog?

Yes. I would say very safe because most of the things we’re mentioning, most if not all of them are very non-invasive. We’re talking about taking an image or using ultrasound where you’re seeing through the skin and or bone. But there’s nothing invasive. There are no punctures, there’s no cutting, or anything like that. So yes, I would say that they would be very safe.

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