Digital Radiography

Starkville Veterinary Hospital uses the latest digital radiography technology to diagnose your pet. Diagnostic tools such as x-rays are critical for veterinary hospitals for the simple reason that our pets can’t talk to us and tell us that something is wrong. Sometimes, an external exam does not provide all the information a veterinarian needs to determine the overall health of your pet.

Starkville Veterinary Hospital’s in-house digital radiography capability enables us to safely and quickly assess the status of injuries or diseases that may be affecting your pet. It can be extremely beneficial in helping Dr. Shy diagnose fractures, determine the location and size of tumors, objects that your pet may have swallowed, measure organ size for disease, diagnose pneumonia, discover pregnancies, bladder stones, chronic arthritis, certain spinal cord diseases, and gastrointestinal issues among other problems.

Digital radiography is painless, safe, completely non-invasive, and it uses only very low doses of radiation. Because the level of radiation exposure is so low, even pregnant females and very young pets can undergo radiography.

Another advantage of digital radiography is that it uses x-ray sensors instead of traditional photographic film, allowing us to access images much faster. Additionally, these images have greater clarity than traditional x-rays, and they can be manipulated, enhanced, and contrasted, as well as viewed from different angles. This manipulation capability aids in diagnostic procedures since it allows our doctor to see exactly what he needs to see. It also lessens the need for retakes, and cuts down on the time between diagnosis and treatment. Digital images may also be easily transferred and shared electronically with board certified veterinary radiologists for consultation if required.