Our Diagnostic Equipment

The x-ray machine one of our most useful pieces of diagnostic equipment. Long gone are the days of the dark room and developing tanks. Our state of the art digital developer and viewer allows us to process an x-ray in just 30 seconds. The viewer has a touch screen and we can enhance and magnify each image to give us the best possible view.

We also have a portable x-ray machine which we use to take x-rays of horses.

This is not just for pregnancy diagnosis. Ultrasound can be used alongside xrays to provide detailed images of internal organs including the heart, liver, spleen, kidney, prostate, uterus and bladder. It is very useful for looking at the internal structure of these organs and the presence of any abnormal fluid accumulations.

An endoscope is a tiny camera used to look inside the body. We have two types of endoscope at the practice. Our gastroscope is long and flexible and most useful for looking down the oesophagus or windpipe to check for abnormalities. It can be used to take biopsy samples, perform a lungwash or retrieve foreign bodies. Our second endoscope is short, narrow and rigid and is used for looking into nasal cavities. With this endoscope we can also take biopsies, retrieve foreign bodies and perform diagnostic washes.

We have in house blood analysers which allow us to perform a whole range of blood tests without sending them to an external laboratory. This means we can get most results within 30 minutes and there are no postal delays or lost samples. This also enables us to reach a diagnosis faster and administer the most appropriate treatment without delay.

We also have a microscope which we use to look for external parasites on skin scrapes. It is also useful to check urine samples for abnormal cells and crystals and can be used to check blood smears.

Electrocardiography is the process of recording the rhythm and electrical activity of the heart. Electrodes are attached to the skin with small clips. This provides us with a reading of the heart rate and rhythm which can help us in the diagnosis of heart disease.