MVDr. Radka DVOŘÁKOVÁ
MVDr. Hana MOSEROVÁ
MVDr. Michaela PANINÁROVÁ, Ph.D.
MVDr. Ivana PÍRKOVÁ
The Department of Imaging Methods provides imaging diagnostics services, including X-ray, ultrasound, and CT scans, on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. On weekends, holidays, afternoons, and nights, the department operates in the form of emergency services. On-call examinations are available exclusively for patients of internal medicine, surgery, orthopaedics, and reproductive departments of the Dog and Cat Clinic and the Clinic for Birds, Reptiles and Small Mammals. An emergency surcharge of CZK 200 to 500 is applied to on-call services in addition to the regular price."
Radiological examination is one of the basic diagnostic imaging methods. It is used to clearly view the thoracic cavity, abdominal cavity and skeleton.
Instrumentation:
Proteus XR/a, CR, Capsula XL
X-ray examinations of patients for private veterinarians are carried out by a prior telephone agreement with the owner of the animal or the veterinarian, based on a written request specifying the desired area of examination. This service is available on working days from 8 am to 3 pm.
Appointments can be made Monday to Friday between 8 am and 3 pm by calling +420 541 562 343. Before a scheduled abdominal X-ray examination or an X-ray examination under sedation or general anaesthesia, adults are required to observe a fasting period of 12–18 hours before the examination and to restrict fluid intake 30 minutes before the examination.
X-ray examinations performed without sedation
Chest X-ray
Native (non-contrast) X-ray examination of the abdominal cavity
X-ray examinations usually performed under sedation
X-ray examination of the skeleton
Contrast X-ray examination of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and excretory system
X-ray examinations performed under general anaesthesia
X-ray contrast examination of the spine
X-ray examination of the head
X-ray examination of patients for breeders
X-ray examination of hip and elbow dysplasia for preservation reasons:
Where and how to make an appointment?
You can make an appointment Mon–Fri between 8 am–3 pm by calling +420 541 562 343 (Dr. Proks, Dr. Dvořáková, Dr. Morávek).
What will you need?
The actual dog
A legible tattoo number or a chip matching the pedigree card
Original pedigree certificate, for imported dogs additionally a Czech attachment to the pedigree certificate
The X-ray examination is performed, without exception, under intravenous sedation or general intravenous anaesthesia after a prior clinical examination. Please note that it is necessary to shave a small area on the patient's forelimb where the intravenous cannula will be inserted. Positioning of the dog and any fixation is carried out by the staff of the Department of Imaging Methods. The radiographs taken are described to the owner in terms of exposure and positioning. The radiographs, provided by the department, are sent together with the completed forms to the address of the assessor who has a contract with the kennel club for the assessment. The total time for the examination and recovery from anaesthesia is approximately 45 minutes.
Examination for the presence of ectopic ureters due to breeding (Entlebucher Mountain Dog)
Where and how to book?
Appointments can be made Monday to Friday between 8 am and 3 pm by calling +420 541 562 343 (Dr. Proks, Dr. Dvořáková, Dr. Morávek).
What will you need?
The actual dog
A legible tattoo number or a chip matching the pedigree card
Original pedigree certificate; for imported dogs, additionally, a Czech attachment to the pedigree certificate is required.
Preparation of the patient for the procedure:
Fasting for 12 to 18 hours
Limiting drinking approximately 30 minutes before the examination
How is the examination performed?
The screening examination of the ureters for breeding purposes is conducted using computed tomography (CT) under deep sedation or general anaesthesia. Intravenous administration of an iodine contrast agent is necessary for the examination. The total examination time, including sedation and awakening, is approximately 30 minutes. The examination involves a 10 ml blood collection. The examination results and blood samples are sent to Switzerland for official assessment. The ureteral examination can be combined with an X-ray examination of the hip (HH) and elbow (EW) joints for breeding purposes.
Computed tomography examination
Computed Tomography (CT)
Computed tomography belongs to the category of "transverse imaging modalities" (tomos, Gr. = cut). This means that it produces images of the animal in the transverse (transversal) plane.
Examination using this modality provides a view of the patient in a different plane compared to radiography and allows for better spatial orientation within the body.
Principles of the examination – X-rays are used to create the image, as in conventional radiography, and the principle is to attenuate the beam passing through the patient's body. The difference is that the X-ray tube of the CT machine rotates 360° around the patient in a given section. Using a computer, the data is processed, and the resulting "slice", an image of a certain level of the patient, is created. Consequently, it is then possible to reconstruct an image of the animal in any plane or to create a three-dimensional image of the site/organ in question.
For reasons of time and accurate positioning, the patient must be put under general anaesthesia or sedation. This depends on the length and difficulty of the examination. The examination typically takes several minutes to tens of minutes.
Instrumentation
LightSpeed (16 Slice)
Advantages of CT
3D reconstruction can be used to specify the spatial location in the body and the relationship to surrounding structures and organs; it can determine operability or optimize access to a given organ.
Disadvantages of CT
Poorer contrast in soft tissue imaging compared to MRI
Appointment scheduling
To schedule an examination, an appointment must be made at least one working day in advance. The examination requires a request from a private veterinarian or an initial examination at our clinic.
Ultrasonographic examination
Ultrasonography (USG, sonography, sono, ultrasound) is one of the basic diagnostic imaging methods. It can examine all soft tissues. So far, no adverse effects of diagnostic ultrasound have been demonstrated, so it is possible to repeatedly examine even pregnant animals.
The principle is that ultrasound waves are transmitted into the body of the patient under examination, originating from a piezoelectric crystal in the ultrasound probe. As the ultrasound wave travels through the body, it encounters tissue interfaces formed between tissues of different densities (e.g., the renal cortex and surrounding fat). At these tissue interfaces, part of the wave is reflected, while the rest passes to the next tissue interface. The ultrasound probe receives the reflected waves, and after processing, the resulting image of the organs is displayed on a monitor.
Since ultrasound waves do not propagate through air, it is necessary to ensure that the waves only pass through a water environment. Therefore, it is usually necessary to cut the patient's hair and cover the skin surface with gel at the examination site.
Instrumentation:
Vivid7 (GE)
Aloka ProSound SSD 5000
The following organs can be examined by ultrasound:
Abdominal organs: liver, gallbladder, bile ducts, pancreas, spleen, kidneys, adrenal glands, bladder, abdominal vessels, uterus, ovaries, lymph nodes
Pelvic and genital area: prostate, testicles
Eyeball and retrobulbar space
Soft tissues: skin, subcutaneous tissue, tumours
Neck: thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, lymph nodes
Musculoskeletal system: tendons, muscles
Heart
The following organs cannot be examined by ultrasound:
Lungs: However, if the lung tissue is non-aerated, ultrasound imaging can be used to take tissue samples (biopsy)
Bone: Only the surface of the bone can be examined.
Examination Procedure and Patient Preparation:
For examination of the digestive tract, it is advisable not to feed patients for at least 12 hours before the examination.
During the examination of the urinary tract, the bladder should be partially filled.
The hair of the animal is clipped in the area to be examined, and the skin is covered with a layer of gel.
The examination itself is carried out with the patient fully conscious in the supine or standing position, depending on the organ to be examined.
Anaesthesia is required for organ biopsy guided by ultrasound.
Advantages of USG
The results are available immediately after the examination. Sonography is painless and has no contraindications. To date, no harmful effects or complications associated with the examination have been reported. Real-time imaging allows for biopsies and punctures to be performed under visual control.
Disadvantages of USG
The greater amount of subcutaneous fat in obese patients may also prevent the assessment of deeper structures. Assessment may also be hampered by the presence of gas in the stomach or intestine. Other problems include unfavourable anatomical conditions of some organs and an uncooperative patient.
Types of animals that can be examined:
All animals can be examined.
Small mammals should be examined under general anaesthesia.
Dogs and cats should be anaesthetized during the biopsy procedure.
Appointment scheduling
For patients without a referral from the referring veterinarian – i.e., without a referral form – consultation with a radiologist is required to decide whether and how the examination will be carried out.
