Imaging
X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, CT, and endoscopy are available for diagnosis. We have all these different forms of imaging available because not every technique can be used to look at every tissue in the body.
For instance, ultrasound is very good for heart and abdominal examinations; X-ray and CT for bones and chests, MRI for spines and brains, endoscopy for looking inside the gastrointestinal tract and arthroscopy for joints.
Digital X-ray
There are digital X-ray machines located at all of our sites. They provide us with images within a matter of minutes.
X-rays are passed through the area of the patient and an image is captured and displayed on a screen.
Ultrasound
There are ultrasound machines at all of our sites.
The various machines are capable of producing great images of internal organs and soft tissue.
The majority of our machines have colour doppler.
Endoscopy
The endoscope is used to visualise those hard to reach areas such as the GI or respiratory tract.
They can also be used to collect samples of tissue or remove foreign bodies from these areas.
Arthroscopy
Arthroscopy is a small camera used to view the joint to aid diagnosis and/or surgery.
CT
Located at our veterinary hospital in Nantwich is our very own 64 slice CT scanner.
Computed Tomography or CT is a clinical imaging procedure which uses X-rays to produce a cross-sectional, or ‘slice’ image of the inside of the body.
The process can show bones, as well as surrounding soft tissues such as muscle and blood vessels with great clarity.
Our CT system can scan large areas of the body in one continuous operation and deliver large numbers of images to aid in the diagnosis of many conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, trauma and bone and disorders.
MRI
Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI is an imaging process, which has established itself as the dominant diagnostic investigation process in human medicine.
It is unparalleled in the investigation of soft tissues due to it’s superior contrast sensitivity and tissue discrimination.
This, combined with imaging in any plane and without the associated x-radiation, makes MRI the optimum method of investigation in the majority of clinical cases.
For accurate diagnosis and lesion localisation, MRI is now the investigation of choice in all neurological, joint and spinal disease processes.
We have a visiting MRI most weeks at our hospital in Nantwich.
