Radiography Services
Ruckersville Animal Hospital is proud to offer Digital Radiology services to your pets. Digital radiography offers the following over conventional radiography:
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Ultrasound & Echocardiogram Services
What is an Ultrasound?
Ultrasound imaging is a procedure used to view internal structures by employing high-frequency sound waves. The sound waves (produced by a transducer) work similarly to sonar imaging. The transducer sends out the sound waves, which "echo" or bounce off of the internal structures and return to the receiver. The echoes are then converted into electrical impulses which are transformed by the ultrasound machine into the images that appear on the screen. What are Ultrasounds used for? An ultrasound is a diagnostic tool used to examine a patient's internal organs and structures. Some examples include:
Commonly referred to as an "echo," echocardiograms use the same technology as ultrasounds to gather images and information about the functionality of the heart. With an echo, we can asses the following aspects of a patient's heart:
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What does the procedure involve?
Ultrasounds and echocardiograms are noninvasive, painless procedures, however they do require that the patient stay very still and may require sedation in some cases. The patient's fur will need to be clipped and some procedures (such as a complete abdominal ultrasound or echocardiogram) need a larger area to be clipped than others (such as bladder-only or single-organ ultrasounds). Ultrasounds are safe, and do not involve any form of ionizing radiation as is the case with x-rays. |