Do vets always sedate dogs for a chest x-ray?

[stevish74]

My 12 F overweight (75lbs/34kg) labrador needs a chest x-ray and I’m nervous about the sedation part.

She has been coughing every time she wakes up from a nap, gets excited, or just very randomly.

She can sit and lay on the table very still, however she does breathe rapidly. Is it possible to get her chest x-ray without being sedated? And am I allowed to enter the room while the vets get her scanned?

 

[ernestcop]

@stevish74 Vet professional here:

Not every clinic requires sedation for X-rays, but utilizing it is gold standard. It not only protects your dog, but protects the technicians performing the X-rays. They’re able to better utilize hands free techniques and are exposed to less radiation. Your dog will be safer and more relaxed instead of being forced into strange positions by strange people. Sedation also allows for better images since you can position the dog exactly how you need them without stress.

You will not be allowed to help with X-rays, as it is extremely dangerous for you and a huge liability for the clinic. You can definitely ask to be with your dog until she falls asleep though!

 

[tke129]

@ernestcop My dog was TRAUMATIZED after an awake xr being held down by techs. I didn’t even know sedation was an option at the time because it wasn’t offered. Now we need sedation for all vet visits because he’s so terrified he panics and it becomes a dangerous situation (we’ve since changed vets- he’s awake for happy visits only these days and we’re making progress but it’s very hard for him to trust.)

 

[junobet]

@ernestcop I'd also add on that mild sedation is often part of the approach to respiratory distress anyway and can help them breathe easier AND get better quality rads

 

[kevint]

@ernestcop Some states also require hands free techniques therefore requiring sedation.

 

[anthonynelson]

@ernestcop Genuine questions - I am not a vet -

Is is actually extremely dangerous for an owner to be exposed to a veterinary xray? I have ever had to consider it, but I have a (human) son who has (sadly) had around 30. Each time, I have the opportunity to gown up and hold him if required.

Surely the exposure to one xray is overall low-risk? Especially if you factor in the risk of general anaesthesia to the dog and let the owner make am informed decision?

 

[ernestcop]

@anthonynelson Extremely dangerous, no. But radiation is of course a risk. The clinic will not have PPE or dosimeters for clients, hence the liability. Positioning animals is much more than just holding them. With animals, it’s also not just one x-ray, especially on one that’s not sedated. They don’t understand they have to stay still for multiple pictures and can become even more stressed, even with the owner present. I’ve seen pets bite their own owners in times of stress, so that’s another risk. I’m not sure where you are getting general anesthesia from?

In the end, it’s going to be much safer for everyone have an animal sedate.

 

[nora1986]

@anthonynelson I’m studying to be an X-ray tech. I don’t believe the liability issue is to do with the exposure to the X-rays themselves. It’s generally fine for someone to be leaded up and in the room if needed, from a radiation perspective. Liability is more about the person being present in the room. For humans, we want the parent in the room with the child because unfortunately, parents worry that the tech is doing something bad to their kid, and we want them to witness the entire thing. For example, sometimes we may want a kid to roll their waistband down a bit to get a better picture of their tummy, and the kid goes out and tells their parent that the tech made them take their pants off. The kid may also react better to having a parent in the room (though sometimes it’s the opposite). If the kid falls or passes out, we want the parent to be there to catch them, or at least witness that we didn’t drop them.

I don’t work at a vet, but I can imagine that it’s the opposite with pets and pet parents. Pet parents would probably be upset at how their pet is being handled, even when it’s perfectly normal. The rooms likely aren’t as big as the ones for humans, so the pet parent may get in the way. Having the pet parent fuss over the pet probably isn’t going to help the procedure in any way. Like someone else said, the pet could also lash out and injure the pet parent. Or the pet parent could simply get injured from holding the pet, etc etc.

 

[lilnyaks]

@anthonynelson Definitely not actually dangerous. A few xrays provides an absolutely negligible dose of radiation. A chest xray for a human provides about the same dose of radiation as about 10 days of background radiation, so really negligible. You'd need to start worrying if you were being exposed to multiple xrays every day.

Not letting you be in there with your dog during the xray will be to protect the clinic from any possible litigation.

 

[robertnduati]

@anthonynelson One x ray is not dangerous.

Repeated occupational exposure to x ray can increase cancer risk.

 

[stevish74]

@ernestcop Thank you for explaining! It makes sense for the dog’s position for better images, and less stress for everyone.

I’m curious with the chances of my dog not waking up from sedation? I am obviously overthinking this because of her age and weight. She has been sedated before for a pyometra surgery though

 

[ernestcop]

@stevish74 Sedation is less of a risk than general anesthesia, which is what was used for the surgery. Still a risk, but your vet will utilize appropriate sedatives to mitigate that, plus avoid possible complications with the breathing issues. Age and being overweight shouldn’t affect much.

 

[stevish74]

@ernestcop Will be keeping this in mind. Thanks so much for the info! Really appreciate it

 

[andyb7777777]

@ernestcop Seconding this.

Sedating a dog, especially a large dog, is definitely necessary, in order to get accurate radiographs. It's not even a discussion, to be honest.

Have you expressed to your vet the issues around her coughing?

 

[dewayne777]

@ernestcop I helped our vet do an X-ray on my old dog twice. Just had me put on a lead outfit. Also, our pup was not sedated or under general anesthetic either time. However, this dog was very calm with our vet. She was a rottie and our vet trusted her so much that she was able to draw blood from her neck rather than the legs...so she was certainly more calm than most dogs.

I'm not saying what you said is wrong, I'm just saying that the real answer here is 'it depends', which is not super helpful.

 

[ernestcop]

@dewayne777 That’s unsafe and illegal in most areas. It’s also not uncommon for us to draw blood from the jugular vein on all patients. It doesn’t depend, it’s better care.

 

[dewayne777]

@ernestcop Ill be sure to tell my vet that Snoo-47921 on reddit thinks they're not doing their job properly.

 

[ernestcop]

@dewayne777 Again, it’s literally unsafe and illegal.

 

[dewayne777]

@ernestcop So, I should call the cops then?

I am not arguing anything with you, I'm telling you my very literal experience. This isn't up for debate.

 

[ernestcop]

@dewayne777 You should definitely report a clinic promoting unsafe practices and continue to advocate for better care of animals.