There was a time when taking an X-ray meant films, chemicals, darkrooms, and waiting for images to develop.
At Greenwoods Pet Hospital, that era has been gone for years.
Our X-ray room has been using a Digital Radiography or DR system since 2018, and the original digital detector panel is still functioning today.
Everything about image processing is digital. Once the radiograph is taken, the image appears directly on the computer for immediate viewing. There is no film to develop and no chemical processing. Images can be reviewed, enlarged, adjusted, stored, and incorporated into the patient’s medical record electronically.
And sometimes, I have to admit, our veterinary patients get their X-ray images faster than we humans do.
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Within minutes, the veterinarian can already examine the radiograph and correlate it with the patient’s clinical findings. In emergencies involving trauma, fractures, respiratory problems, urinary stones, abdominal disease, or other conditions, that speed can make a real difference.
The Room Itself Is Built for Radiation Protection
What may not be obvious from photographs is that the X-ray room is not simply an ordinary room containing an X-ray machine.
The walls and doors are lead-lined.
This shielding is an important part of radiation protection because it helps limit the transmission of scattered radiation outside the imaging room. Even the large sliding door is constructed as part of the room’s protective barrier.
We also maintain the necessary radiation-protective apparel for personnel, particularly when staff participation is required during patient positioning.
Radiography may be something we perform routinely, but radiation safety should never become routine in the sense of becoming careless.
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The room is therefore designed around three things: diagnostic efficiency, patient handling, and radiation protection.
Eight years after installing the system, our DR panel continues to do its job.
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And that remains one of the most valuable things about digital radiography: when an animal cannot tell us where it hurts, sometimes a single image can reveal what words never could.
Dr. Geoff Carullo is a Fellow and the current President of the Philippine College of Canine Practitioners.
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