An ECG is a simple test to check the heart’s health. It is painless and no electricity is sent through the body.
To understand this test, let’s see how the heart works:
1) The heart is the centre of the circulatory system (a network of blood vessels that goes through all the body, carrying oxygenated blood to all the organs and bringing carbon dioxide back to be oxygenated again).The heart is the muscular organ in charge of pumping blood to the body.
2) The heart uses electricity to contract its walls so as to pump the blood through the blood vessels.
3) The ECG records that electrical activity.
The information collected through an ECG (EKG) helps to find:
- any heart damage
- how fast the heart is beating
- if the beating rhythm is normal
- size and position of the heart chambers
At Sitara Animal Hospital we have an electrocardiogram which measures the electrical impulses of the heart. This in conjunction with knowledge from cardiac X-rays and sometimes ultrasound allows us to diagnose and treat heart conditions as accurately as possible.
Radiography is a valuable diagnostic tool in veterinary medicine. As we continually strive to offer the highest quality medicine and diagnostic testing, we are pleased to offer digital radiology services as a means of providing excellent care to our patients.
A radiograph (sometimes called an x-ray) is a type of photograph that can look inside the body and reveal information that may not be discernable from the outside. Radiography can be used to evaluate almost any organ in the body, including the heart, lungs, and abdominal organs, as well as the bones.
Radiography is painless, safe, and completely non-invasive, and it uses only very low doses of radiation. Because the level of radiation exposure needed to perform radiography is very low, even pregnant females and very young pets can undergo radiography. Radiographs can be used to evaluate bones as well as the size, shape, and position of many of the body’s organs. The size of organs is important because some medical conditions—such as kidney, heart, or liver disease—can alter the size of these organs. The shape and position of organs can be altered or distorted by certain medical conditions, including intestinal blockage or cancer. Tumors, depending on their size and location, can also be detected using radiography. Radiography can also be used to diagnose bladder stones, broken bones, chronic arthritis, certain spinal cord diseases, and a variety of other conditions.
Radiographs are an important tool that can help us make a correct diagnosis for your pet.
Although humans and animals are different in many ways, some advances in human medicine are also very useful for veterinary patients. One of these advances, diagnostic ultrasound, has proven to be a powerful tool in veterinary medicine. As a practice, one of our goals is to offer state-of-the-art medicine and diagnostic testing; so we are pleased to offer ultrasound services as a means of providing a higher level of quality care to our patients.
Ultrasonography is a type of diagnostic technique that uses ultrasound waves to produce an imaging study. This means that when we perform ultrasonography, we can see internal images of the patient’s body. Unlike some other imaging studies, like x-rays, ultrasonography does not use radiation. Instead, ultrasonography uses high-frequency sound (ultrasound) waves to create a picture of what is inside your pet’s body. Ultrasonography is a completely non-invasive, painless way to diagnose and evaluate many common diseases.
An ultrasound machine generates ultrasound waves. The machine is connected to a small probe that is held gently against your pet’s skin. The probe sends out painless ultrasound waves that bounce off of structures (for example, organs) in your pet’s body and return to a sensor inside the ultrasound machine. The ultrasound equipment collects these reflected “echoes” and uses them to generate images that are viewable on a screen. Ultrasound waves can generate excellent images of abdominal organs, including the liver, spleen, gallbladder, and kidneys. It can also help us diagnose and stage (determine the severity of) some forms of cancer.
Because ultrasound images are produced in real time, this technology can be used to evaluate the heart as it beats. This can help us detect abnormalities in the motion of heart valves, blood flow through the heart, and contractions of the heart muscle. It can also be used to assess the heart for defects. As we strive to provide our patients with the highest quality medicine and diagnostic testing, we are pleased to offer ultrasound as one of our diagnostic capabilities.
As an addition to our expertise, we can provide additional expertise by engaging referral practitioners such as Dr. Darcy Rae. Dr. Rae is board certified in internal medicine and is a very skilled ultrasonographer. He is available on an as needed basis for both internal medicine consultations and to perform full, in-depth ultrasounds.
NOTE: For Veterinary professionals only, please see our referral forms if you would like to refer a patient for ultrasound.
At Sitara Animal Hospital we understand that sometimes lab results are needed immediately. This is why we have an in-house lab to ensure we can diagnose and treat your pet’s medical issues in a timely manner. In most cases we refer to the experts at True North Veterinary Laboratories for access to their extensive laboratory equipment and a host of experts in the laboratory fields. We receive results back on tests the next day; so they assist us in our process of properly assessing your pet’s condition.
