We have dedicated X-ray suite and we are particularly proud of our recently acquired X-ray machine, which is one of the best available. It has many advanced technical features enabling high quality radiographs to be produced from even the largest of dogs!
Like any photographic film it has to be developed to allow the image to be seen. This can be done manually with tanks of chemicals or with an automatic processor. Our processor will develop X-rays, producing a dry film ready to be viewed in less than 5 minutes.
Ultrasound machine
An ultrasound machine is another way of looking inside our patients. In this case the picture is built up from how solid the tissues are in terms of sound waves. As an example of its use, consider the heart. Conventional X-rays of the heart only show the general outline, shape and its size. However an ultrasound scan can show the thickness of the heart muscle walls and the actual movement of the heart valves. Many of us will be familiar with ultrasound images of babies in the womb - ultrasound can also be used in veterinary medicine for pregnancy diagnosis.
Flexible and rigid endoscopy
We are particularly proud of our endoscopy equipment. These instruments allow us to look directly into different parts of the body which can sometimes avoid the need for invasive surgery. The endoscopes we use are the same as used in human medicine and we use a special video camera to enable us to view and record the images on a television monitor.
We are fully equipped to undertake flexible endoscopy of the gastro-intestinal tract, useful for detecting foreign bodies, identifying pathological lesions and obtaining biopsies. We can also carry out bronchoscopy (examination of the airways and lung). This equipment can be used to look into the bladders of larger breeds of dogs. The orthopaedic side of the practice is equipped to look into certain joints in dogs (shoulder, elbow, hip, stifle and hock) using very fine expensive rigid arthroscopes. These instruments can also be used to examine the nasal passages of dogs.
ECG (electrocardiogram)
An ECG looks at the electrical activity of the heart. This gives an indication as to how well the heart is working – but also can help diagnose any problems with heart rhythm, such as heart blocks or extra beats. ECG’s can also be used as part of anesthetic monitoring.
Please click on the links below to learn more about our equipment:
