Advanced Imaging for Your Pet's Diagnosis
At Caring Hands Animal Hospital in Ashburn, VA, we use special imaging tools like radiology (x-rays) and ultrasound to help us figure out what's wrong when your pet is sick or hurt. These tools give us important pictures of the inside of their body.
An ultrasound uses sound waves, kind of like the ones used to see a baby before it's born. A small handheld device sends out these sound waves, and they bounce back to create a picture on a screen. This gives our vets a clear view of your pet's organs.
X-rays let the vets see bones, organs, and soft tissues. Sometimes, using both x-rays and ultrasound together gives us the best understanding of what's going on. X-rays show us the size and location of organs, while ultrasound lets us see the details inside those organs. Ultrasound is a very gentle procedure that most pets are comfortable with. These advanced images help us make the right diagnosis and start the best treatment for your furry friend.
Complete Health Checks with Advanced Imaging
We have lots of ways and diagnostic services to figure out exactly what's going on with your pet's health. Our state-of-the-art imaging tools, including digital radiology and ultrasound, help us find health problems quickly. This means we can start the right treatment for your furry friend right away.
Ultrasound
An ultrasound, also called a sonogram, uses sound waves to create pictures of your pet's insides. A small tool sends out sound waves, and these waves bounce back to make a moving image on a screen. This gives our vets a clear, two-dimensional "picture" of organs like the heart, liver, gallbladder, spleen, kidneys, pancreas, and bladder.
Often, the doctors might use both digital x-rays and ultrasound together to get the best look at what's going on with your pet. X-rays show us the size and shape of organs, while ultrasound lets us see the details inside them. Ultrasound is a very gentle procedure that doesn't hurt, and most pets are very comfortable during it.
Sometimes, we might need to trim a little hair on your pet's belly so we can get the clearest pictures. Then, we'll put some gel on their skin and gently move the ultrasound tool over the area to see each organ.
Because we can see the images right away during the ultrasound, we usually know the results quickly. If needed, we can also send the ultrasound pictures to a veterinary radiologist for a second opinion. If we do this, it might take a few days to get the full report.
Most of the time, pets don't need any anesthesia for an ultrasound. It's completely painless, and dogs and cats usually just lie down comfortably on a soft blanket while we do the scan. In case a pet is scared or won't stay still, we might need to give them a mild sedative to help them relax.
Ultrasound is a helpful and safe way to check for pregnancy, look at internal organs, and see how well the heart is working.
Radiology
Radiology, or x-rays, is an essential diagnostic tool that helps us see your pet's soft tissues, internal organs, and bones. X-ray technology for pets has improved a lot in recent years, and we're happy to have the latest digital x-ray system at Caring Hands Animal Hospital.
Our digital x-ray system has some great advantages:
- Clearer Pictures: We can get detailed images and even adjust them on the computer. This means we usually don't have to take as many x-rays to get a good view.
- Safer for Everyone: Your pet and our team are exposed to less radiation.
- Faster Process: Taking x-rays is quicker, which means less waiting time and less need for sedation for pets who need it to stay still.
- Easy Sharing: We get high-quality images that we can quickly email to specialists if needed. We can also put them on a CD for you to take home.
- Quicker Results: Because the process is faster, we can diagnose problems sooner and start treating your pet as quickly as possible.
- Better for the Environment: We don't use film or harmful chemicals for processing.