Digital Radiology

Radiographs (X-rays) are useful in evaluating a number of areas of your pet's body including musculo-skeletal, cardiovascular (cardiopulmonary), gastrointestinal, reproductive and urinary systems. Our hospital is able to take high-quality, digital x-rays of your pet. Silverlake Animal Hospital is equipped with a state-of-the-art digital radiograph unit. Digital radiographs are extremely helpful for diagnosing and monitoring many medical and surgical problems.

The advantages of digital radiology are many. The time spent taking your pets' radiographs is reduced and fewer x-rays are needed to achieve diagnostic-quality results -this means less stress for your pet. If a second opinion is necessary, digital radiographs can be e-mailed to a veterinary radiology specialist, making consults much easier and faster. In addition, the diagnostic quality of digital images is much better than traditional radiographs.

Ultrasound

An ultrasound is a non-invasive imaging procedure that enables an in-depth view of your pet's organs. Many times x-rays, which reveal the size, dimensions and position of the organ, will be utilized in combination with an ultrasound. The ultrasound allows for the evaluation of internal organs and is a highly useful in evaluating heart conditions (referred to as echocardiogram), detecting alterations in abdominal organs and assisting in the recognition of cysts and tumors. With the ability for real-time monitoring, ultrasounds are also utilized for pregnancy diagnosis and development monitoring.

Anesthesia or sedation is not usually necessary to perform an ultrasound on the heart or abdomen. With the ability to obtain real time information, outcomes can often be determined immediately.