Chest X-ray

A chest x-ray is an imaging examination that visualizes the structures in your dog's chest. This includes the lungs, heart, blood vessels, ribs and diaphragm. A chest x-ray can detect or rule out various diseases of the chest, such as

• Pneumonia
• heart enlargement
• heart failure
• lung cancer
• rib fractures
• foreign body
• Fluid accumulation

How is a chest x-ray performed?

To take a chest x-ray, your dog must lie still on a special couch. He is usually given a light anesthetic so that he does not move and the images are not blurred. The vet will position your dog so that it is either lying on its back or on its side. An X-ray machine is then placed over the chest and an X-ray beam is sent through the body. This beam is absorbed differently by the various tissues, creating a shadow image on a film or digital storage medium.

How is a chest X-ray analyzed?

The evaluation of a chest X-ray is carried out by a veterinarian who is specially trained for this. He or she looks at the images and compares them with normal reference images. He or she pays attention to the size, shape, position and density of the various structures in the thorax. He or she may also take measurements to determine certain parameters, such as the heart-to-chest ratio or the lung fields. Based on these findings, he or she can make a diagnosis or recommend further examinations.

What are the benefits and risks of a chest X-ray?

The advantages of a chest X-ray are:

• It is non-invasive, meaning no incision needs to be made.
• It is relatively quick and inexpensive.
• It provides important information about the condition of your dog's chest.
• It can detect or rule out several diseases at the same time.

The risks of a chest x-ray are:

• It usually requires anesthesia, which is always associated with some risk.
• It exposes your dog to a small dose of radiation, but this usually has no harmful consequences.
• It cannot show all diseases of the chest, such as small tumors or blood clots.