VCA Animal Referral and Emergency Center of Arizona
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VCA Animal Referral and Emergency Center of Arizona
480-898-0001
Computed Tomography (CT) is a diagnostic tool that uses x-rays to obtain cross-sectional images of the body. CT is commonly used to image:
CT can also be used to guide a biopsy of an abnormality within the body less invasively than with surgery. Veterinary patients need to be sedated for CT scans, so that they will hold still long enough for the examination. Some instances do require full general anesthesia for surgical planning or procedures. Every patient that presents for a CT scan will receive a thorough physical exam, and will have a review of recent bloodwork and other testing done prior to sedation or anesthesia to ensure they are good candidates for the procedure. Every patient sedated or anesthetized at our hospital is closely monitored during the procedure by a veterinarian and a veterinary technician.
Sometimes we are unable to determine from a physical examination what may be troubling your pet. This can be frustrating to you and uncomfortable for your pet. When this happens, VCA Animal Referral and Emergency Center of Arizona uses state-of-the-art noninvasive imaging practices to help diagnose many pet illnesses and injuries. Our specialists work with off site radiologists to correlate diagnostic imaging findings with other examinations and tests to help in the diagnosis of many disease conditions. We are committed to providing optimal care to our patients using state of the art veterinary diagnostic imaging. We can provide outpatient imaging services for veterinarians through our emergency department.
Our specialists work with board certified radiologists available through telemedicine. A board-certified radiologist reads all radiographs taken.
CT scans allow visualizations of internal organs and soft tissues that are often not detectable with routine X-rays. X-ray computed tomography (CT) is a medical imaging method employing tomography created by computer processing. Digital geometry processing is used to generate a three-dimensional image of the inside of your pet's body from a large series of two-dimensional X-ray images taken around a single axis of rotation. CT gives tremendous insight and accuracy into the diagnosis of nasal and pulmonary disease, as well as helping us to plan surgery.
X-rays and CT scans help our veterinarians evaluate: