Frequently Asked Questions About Our Troutdale and Gresham Pet Radiology Services

When your Troutdale or Gresham pet is suffering a health crisis, you may be grateful for the diagnostic technologies we maintain here at Paws & Claws Medical Center. But at the same time, you might be puzzled or even concerned about techniques such as veterinary radiology. That's why our veterinary team has taken the opportunity to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about how radiology works, how it can help pets like yours, and how our digital radiology service beats traditional radiology methods.

What exactly is radiology?

Radiology is the branch of medicine concerned with taking internal images for diagnosis or injury/disease monitoring purposes. X-ray imaging is the most common method for achieving this goal. By seeing the internal tissues of an animal in detail, we can understand exactly where the problem lies and how best to approach it through treatment.

How does x-ray imaging work?

X-rays are light rays whose frequency range is below the visible spectrum. We can't see x-rays with the naked eye, but we know they can penetrate some objects but not others. A brief burst of x-rays passes through your pet and onto a photographic plate -- except for those that bounce off of harder objects such as bones or foreign objects. This gives us a detailed image revealing the internal structures and their relative densities.

What can x-rays reveal to the veterinarian?

Your veterinarian (Dr. DeRemer, Dr. Huntsinger or Dr. Pollock) can see details such as broken bones, swallowed objects, surgical hardware and teeth quite clearly. We can also examine most internal soft tissues, except for certain types such as lung tissue and tendons.

Will the radiation harm my pet?

While the use of radiation to take x-ray images is unavoidable, we take every possible precaution as far as shielding other parts of the body and using the minimal amount of radiation necessary.

What are digital x-rays?

Digital x-rays employ the same basic principles as traditional film-based photography. But instead of capturing the images on film, which must then be developed and processed, the images are instantly available as digital files on a computer monitor.

Why do you use digital x-ray equipment?

Not only are digital x-ray images ready to view immediately (a major plus in an emergency situation), but they're also much sharper and more detailed. They require much less radiation than film-based x-rays, which is good news for your pet. Digital x-rays can even be emailed for instant sharing and viewing by other veterinary specialists.

Can I have copies of the digital x-rays?

Absolutely! We're happy to provide you with the image files so you can keep them on your own home computer or storage media.

Learn More from Your Gresham and Troutdale Veterinarian

If you still have questions, your Gresham and Troutdale Veterinarian has the answers! Call 503-661-1833 to learn more about our radiology services.