Your pet cannot describe his or her symptoms. Therefore it is essential to have a broad range of imaging and diagnostic techniques in the practice, so the vet can quickly diagnose the medical problem that your pet has.

 

Radiography is the most common form of imaging, which allows us to shape, size and locate the organs in your pet's body for medical evaluation. Radiography (X-rays) is very useful for a diagnosis and monitoring of many medical, surgical and orthopaedic problems. X-rays are useful in examining the bones, lungs, heart, intestine, mouth and other parts of your pet's body. The X-rays, allows us to see if there is something broken or your pet has a tumor and / or heart problem or a blockage by a foreign object in his stomach or intestines. Sometimes we need to inject a contrast material to make the organs more visible. To enable us to take the best X-ray image, your pet must be placed in a certain position and should also be kept still. This is not always easy because the position in which he or she need to be in is not always comfortable. When there is a broken bone this position can be painful for your pet. Therefore, it is sometimes necessary to sedate your pet with tranquilizer or possibly even place them under general anaesthesia.

Since repeated exposure to X-rays can be harmful to our health, when we take an X-ray we wear a lead apron, lead gloves, thyroid shield and a we carry a roentgen dose meter. The amount of radiation that your pet receives during an x-ray is negligible as it is often only a few photos.

Given our experience and using our state of the art equipment, we at Het Zicht Clinic are also able to make official X-rays for hip dysplasia (HD) and elbow dysplasia (ED). These photos are taken under standard conditions and must meet high quality standards. The photos are sent to special assessment / diagnostic institutes

 

Endoscopy allows the veterinary doctor to look inside the body of your pet and to see organs that cannot be seen normally. The advantage of endoscopy is that no incision needs to be made like in a surgical operation. As the procedure for your pet is small, they recover much faster and get back on their feet faster. Endoscopy helps us diagnose and is also used for treating a variety of intestinal disorders. Depending on the symptoms, endoscopy can be used in the nose (nasal passages and sinus cavities), throat (larynx and trachea), oesophagus, stomach, intestines, abdomen and chest cavity. Endoscopic biopsies can be taken from the stomach and intestines and can help in finding cancer in the oesophagus and stomach. There are customised endoscopes for each area or organ. However, all types of endoscopes use a cold light source and a fibre optic cable between the area under examination and the picture that has to be taken. Pets sometimes swallow objects. These objects can sometimes be removed through the endoscope.

 

ECG (electrocardiogram or ECG) is used to check the function of your pet's heart. The heart pumps blood around the body by the heart muscle as it contracts and relaxes. The heart muscle is controlled by an electrical signal. We can monitor this electrical signal with the ECG equipment. If there is something wrong with the heart function of your pet, there is an incorrect transmission of the electrical signal in the heart. Making an ECG does not hurt your pet, but he or she must be able to remain calm during the measurements. If your pet is laid on its side, the veterinarian or assistant will attach clamps to each paw. These are connected with wires to the ECG. Making an ECG usually takes much less than five minutes.

In some cases, further research is needed to determine what heart disease your pet has. This can be done by a vet using an ultrasound or X-rays. Often, after we assess the ECG we prescribe medications to support your pet's heart and ensure that the heart continues to function properly. Even if your pet is taking medication, it is wise to occasionally re-check with the ECG that this medicine is working properly for your pet.

 

Het Zicht Veterinary Clinic has an advanced ultrasound machine so we can work with this imaging technique to diagnose or identify any pregnancy. Echo is a painless, non-invasive technique that uses high frequency sound waves from a moving picture of the internal organs of your pet. Sound waves are not harmful to your pet. Ultrasound is used for a wide range of diagnoses. It is mainly useful for investigating the gut, kidney, liver and a pregnancy examination. Also, the ultrasound is used to check heart function and scan capture of the bladder in bladder symptoms. Through the use of an ultrasound, the veterinarian can determine the form, structure and location of various organs. Also, the ultrasound help us better prepare for possible surgery.