Digital Radiography

What Are X-Rays (Radiographs)

American Pet Hospital uses a DR computerized radiography machine. Computerized X-Rays give veterinarians quick results, as the advanced configuration takes out handling and advancement time needed with conventional X-Rays. X-Rays are a type of electromagnetic radiation, much the same as visible light. In a medical setting, X-Rays are emitted by a machine as individual “particles” (photons) that pass through the body and afterward get recognized by a sensitive film.

At the point when your veterinarian takes a look at a radiograph (X-Ray), he or she searches for diverse shades of dark and light. Air allows the most X-Rays through the animal, resulting in a dark image. Fat is next, creating a picture that appears lighter than air. Lighter still is liquid or delicate tissue. Structures that are extremely thick, (for example, bone) block a large portion of the photons, and appear white on film. Metal and contrast media (intravenous and oral differentiation) block almost all the photons and appear bright white.

X-rays are very useful for diagnosing medical problems. If your veterinarian feels a lump or mass in your pet’s abdomen, an X-ray can determine where the mass is located. X-rays can very often pinpoint the organ where the problem is occurring. A mass or foreign object in the stomach is often easily seen in an X-ray. If your pet is vomiting and an X-ray reveals irregular gas patterns and bunching of the small intestine, this could mean that your pet has eaten string or Christmas tree tinsel.

How X-Rays Are Performed

X-rays are performed in an area of the hospital specially designated for taking x-rays. Multiple individual views may be required for an accurate radiographic diagnosis.

Much like conventional photography, motion causes blurry images on the radiographic film. In order to obtain quality x-rays, the animal needs to be perfectly still during the brief (approximately 1 second) exposure. Taking X-rays of an animal is different than for humans. You can ask a human to hold still. Pets sometimes are not as cooperative and need sedation. When complete muscle relaxation is required (hip x-rays) or when the pet is uncomfortable (traumatic injury or bone fracture), short-acting general anesthesia may be required.

How Your Pet Will Feel

There is no discomfort from x-ray exposure.

Our modern X-ray equipment provides excellent diagnostic quality radiographic films. In addition, we perform many specialty procedures, including GI series and urinary bladder contrast studies. These special procedures are necessary for identifying difficult or chronic problems.

Full Service Dental Treatments for your Dog and Cat’s Good Health

Dental disease is one of the most common problems in dogs and cats. Untreated dental disease compromises the quality of an animal’s life and leads to pain, infection, tooth loss and potential infection to other organ systems. Pet owners can make a big difference in the longevity and quality of life of their pets with daily dental care and complete veterinary dental assessment and treatment.

Advanced Dental Equipment

American Pet Hospital utilizes advanced dental equipment including digital radiographs, high speed ultrasonic scaler and fiber optic high speed drill. This equipment allows us to provide thorough dental care including preventative cleaning, extractions and minor oral surgery. After performing a thorough oral examination and reviewing the radiographs, an individualized dental treatment plan will be discussed with owners.

Routine, Preventative Dental Care

Our routine dental care includes complete ultrasonic scaling, root planning and polishing. We place your pet under safe anesthesia and perform a comprehensive oral examination. We examine individual teeth for mobility, fractures, malocclusion and periodontal disease. We remove plaque and tartar using hand instruments and power scaling equipment. We give your pet’s teeth a thorough ultrasonic cleaning and polishing.

If you have any questions about your pet’s dental health or dental care, please ask us how we can assist you in providing oral care for your pet. Also, we have provided some of the signs of dental disease below. If your pet is experiencing any of these signs or you have concerns about your dog or cat’s oral health, please contact us to schedule an appointment with our veterinarian.

Signs of Dental Disease in your Dog or Cat:

In-house Laboratory

At American Pet Hospital, our goal is to provide your pet with the best possible veterinary health care. Since your pet cannot tell us in words if something is wrong, we rely on:

• Medical history that you tell us
• Physical examination
• Laboratory testing

Veterinary laboratory testing is used for health screenings, pre-anesthetic evaluations, as an aid in diagnosing pets with illnesses, and evaluating the success of treatments.

American Pet Hospital has an on-site clinical laboratory that provides us with the ability to perform complete blood counts, blood chemistry panels (including thyroid, cortisol [ACTH stimulation], and bile acids liver tests), urinalysis, blood coagulation tests, and several feline and canine viral tests.

Because we are able to obtain results within minutes, this is particularly valuable for immediate pre-anesthetic testing if your pet is about to undergo surgery, as well as for timely evaluation of your pet in an emergency.

Pre-anesthetic testing gives you peace of mind and provides us with important physiological information on your pet immediately prior to anesthesia.

We also work extensively with outside laboratories when more comprehensive or specialized veterinary testing is required.

In-House Pharmacy

Our convenient in-clinic pharmacy is well stocked with a multitude of medications that we can use to help provide your pet family member with the best care and treatment possible. We keep in-stock routine medications (for use from pain control to parasite control) to specialized medications (for the treatment of very specific medical conditions such as Thyroid disease) to keep your pet healthy and happy. This means you’ll be able to fill and refill your pet’s prescriptions during your visits, making it that much easier to pick up the essentials. Keeping our own pharmacy open also ensures that your pet family member will always have quick access to the most effective medications on the market whenever he or she is in our care. In the event that your pet becomes ill, having these medications on-hand can be critical to your loved one’s treatment and care. Ingersoll Animal Hospital is pleased to keep more than 300 medications in-stock for just those kinds of situations.

Pet Prescriptions

Whenever your pet needs prescriptions made by our veterinarians, our pharmacy will be able to meet your needs. Your pet’s prescription will be kept on file in the event refills are necessary, and our veterinarians and technicians will easily be able to reference all the different medications he or she is taking to ensure no drug interactions occur.

Over-the-Counter Pet Health Products

American Pet Hospital offers many health products for pets, including:

• Dental chews
• Dental rinses
• Pet toothpastes
• Flea and tick prevention
• Vitamins
• Nutritional supplements

Pet Retail Products

We are also pleased to offer general pet supplies and training aids for your convenience:

• Gentle leaders (for dogs who pull)
• Pheromone therapy
• Soft paws (alternatives to declawing)
• Nail clippers
• Shampoos
• Brushes
• Thunder shirts (for pets with noise phobias)
• Behavior modification tools
• Dental products
• Maintenance diets
• Collars and leashes