The imaging services provided at Brighton Veterinary Hospital include x-rays, ultrasound and endoscopy.
Each of these modalities enables us to see inside your pet’s body and can provide our veterinarians with vital information regarding your pet’s health allowing us to make an accurate diagnosis.
On occasion some of the imaging services we provide will require your pet to be sedated or to have a general anaesthetic.
X-rays make it possible for us to look at many of the internal structures of your pet, including the bones, lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, bladder and gastrointestinal tract. At BVH we have a digital x-ray system, which means we can take high-resolution images in a relatively short time frame. This ability to capture images quickly benefits your pet because the length of their anaesthetic or sedation is shorter and we can provide a diagnosis sooner.
Some conditions we commonly diagnose with digital x-ray include bone fractures, spinal lesions, arthritis, gastrointestinal obstructions, bladder stones and heart failure.
Ultrasound is a safe test that produces detailed images of the body in real time. It is performed by a veterinarian who uses a hand held device called a transducer that is placed onto your pet’s skin over the area of interest. This device emits high-frequency sound waves into the body. These sound waves are reflected by the different types of tissues and organs in your pet’s body and these echoes are converted into an image by the ultrasound machine.
Ultrasound provides us with high quality images and we can look at things that are not so visible on x-rays, such as the intestinal walls, gallbladder, kidney and liver structure, heart chambers and blood vessels.
When your pet undergoes an ultrasound, the area of interest will need to be shaved with all hair removed as the transducer does require clear skin contact. Sedation may be required in some circumstances.
Conditions we diagnose using ultrasound include bleeding (from trauma), abnormal fluid accumulation, kidney and liver disease, pregnancy, bladder stones and tumours.
Ultrasounds can also assist us to take samples, such as using a needle to take a urine sample from your pet’s bladder.
An endoscope is a tiny camera that is on the end of a flexible fibre scope that we use to see inside your pet’s oesophagus, stomach, colon and nose. It provides us with real time colour video of these structures. Endoscopy is conducted under general anaesthetic and can help us to detect and potentially removal foreign bodies, tumours and ulcerations.
