One of the most widely used diagnostic tools at our clinic is the radiograph machine. This technology uses x-rays or gamma rays to produce a picture on a special film. Bones or dense material shows up the best on x-ray.

Radiographs are most often taken of limbs to assist with the diagnosis of lameness. X-rays of the feet have also proven very beneficial in assisting with proper shoeing. Besides extremities, we can also view the skull, vertebrae, and teeth of horses with our machine. Unlike dogs and cats, we are unable to x-ray the chest and abdomen of horses, except in a few cases of small foals, due to the shear amount of tissue for the beams to pass through.

In small animals we use x-rays to get a picture of joints, bones, and even soft tissue organs like the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and uterus looking for pregnancy.  OFA's are also a common procedure at the clinic.

The x-rays are processed at our clinic with an automatic processor. This device allows us to drastically reduce the time it takes to get x-rays finished along with improved quality of the finished product. Our staff is qualified to take quality x-rays, process, and interpret them in order to provide appropriate care for your animal. Experience is important when using this diagnostic tool, as poor x-rays are as good as no x-rays.