Your vet may recommend x-ray to investigate orthopaedic, cardiac, respiratory or abdominal issues. Radiographs are taken by a registered veterinary nurse and interpreted by a veterinary surgeon on the same day. At your pet’s discharge appointment, a vet will show you your pet’s x-rays and discuss the findings with you.

In order to achieve good quality images and achieve an accurate diagnosis, your pet will be sedated for their x-rays. Sedation is achieved using injectable sedative medications selected for your individual pet and your pet is monitored continuously during this sedation by a registered veterinary nurse.

While x-rays provide crucial information and an excellent overview of the size and shape of organs, ultrasound can provide more detailed information on individual organs. Ultrasound can be used to examine the chambers of the heart, and the size and structure of different abdominal organs. Sometimes one test is selected over the other and sometimes both are used in conjunction to provide an overall picture that can be used to make a treatment plan.