SERVICES - DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING

Ashland Animal Hospital has made significant investments in
Diagnostic Imaging Technology
to provide state of the art care for our patients.

Radiology (X-Ray)
Our X-ray equipment allows us to diagnose a wide variety of problems. They are very useful in diagnosing orthopedic diseases such as bone fractures; hip, elbow, shoulder and other joint injuries; and anterior cruciate ligament disease. X-rays are frequently used to help diagnose foreign body ingestion, such as rocks, tennis balls, oven mitts and other pieces of clothing. On occasion a barium series is performed to examine the entire gastrointestinal tract.

X-rays can be used to help diagnose certain types of cancers as well.

Digital Dental X-ray
We also have a digital dental x-ray machine that enables us to take oral x-rays and see the results in 5 seconds. It used to take 8 minutes for each film to be developed by hand.

We now get better x-rays in less time, which means a shorter anesthesia time for your pet. We are able to diagnose root abscesses and cervical neck lesions in cats using these new diagnostic tools.




Ultrasound
In the last several years, ultrasound has become a standard part of any medical work-up. We use it to diagnose a wide variety of heart and other ailments as well as pregnancy exams. Ultrasound is a non-invasive procedure often needing no sedation and minimal restraint while yielding a tremendous amount of information very quickly.

Our ultrasound machine cost over $50,000, and allows us to examine structures and blood flow both inside the heart and in other vessels in 2 dimensions. We can watch the heart beat in real time and take measurements to diagnose heart disease. It allows us to see the pancreas, parathyroid, and adrenal glands. These small structures are often more difficult to find with machines of lesser quality.

Endoscopy
The endoscope is a small camera placed on the end of a long flexible tube, which is inserted through the mouth to view the intestinal tract. Our flexible endoscopy equipment allows us to examine the inner surfaces of the gastrointestinal tract, from the esophagus to the stomach and into the intestines.

We can look for foreign bodies, cancer and other disease conditions.