X-ray

It is one of the oldest imaging techniques. This does not mean that it is no longer relevant today. The digital sensor system available to the clinic makes it possible to directly obtain high-quality computer images and improve them if necessary (variation of contrast, sharpness, etc.) without taking additional photographs, which makes it possible to limit the doses of rays emitted. .

Carrying out the radiographic examination

The images are taken without anesthesia. This may, however, prove necessary if the animal is too agitated, very painful or for certain indications (e.g. hip x-ray). This anesthesia is generally short-lived and poses a low risk to the animal.
Radiographie chat

Indications for radiography

Thorax examination: search for pulmonary, pleural, mediastinal and cardiac lesions, extension assessments for tumors or cancer, post-traumatic assessment, etc. Skeletal examination: (thoracic and pelvic limbs) or (skull, spine) : during lameness, painful limbs, nervous disorders, oncological or posttraumatic extension assessments... Examination of the abdomen: search for effusion, organ hypertrophy, digestive obstruction, 'radiopaque urolithiasis, diagnosis of gestation looking for the number of fetuses...

The difference between x-ray and ultrasound

X-ray

The X-ray machine emits X-rays, while the sensor receives them. The rays will then pass through the body and print an image of the latter on the sensor.


The image is fixed here, we can correctly observe the bone structures which is not the case with ultrasound but on the contrary we cannot see the movement of the organs.


Ultrasound

Ultrasound uses a probe that emits short pulses of ultrasound into the body and, within a fraction of a second, receives multiple echoes back from the part of the body being examined.

These echoes are converted into detailed images of internal organs and tissues, visible on the screen. The application of a gel amplifies the transmission of ultrasound and improves the quality of the images thus obtained.


The big difference between the two techniques is that ultrasound is a dynamic examination where we can see the movements of certain organs or blood flows, unlike x-rays which are a fixed image.

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