Why am I talking about sedation, when you only want a few X rays done for your pet?
As probably the first method of diagnostic imaging ever performed, radiography has it's limitations. However, since doctors and veterinarians have been doing them for a very long time, the reference library and possibility to compare one case to another are vast and can give a lot of information.
The biggest difference you, as a pet owner, will experience, when it comes to pet X rays compared to human X rays, is the fact we (vets) often need your animal to be at least sedated, if not fully anesthetized.
Unless we are talking about a portable X ray and farm animals, but that is not the focus of this article.
Let's talk cats, dogs, ferrets, parrots, gerbils etc...many of them would normally be cooperative enough to handle the X rays without sedation. However, your animal will often have a painful process or injury which led us to doing the X rays in the first place.
Maneuvering a broken limb, or a dislocated hip, assessing the juxtaposition of vertebrae and determination whether the hips are displastic or not - all of those, and many more, require an often awkward and sometimes painful stretching of the animal's body. Not to mention the animal is in an unfamiliar room with strangers, being restrained by strangers and already in pain and possibly shock.
Sedation is very helpful, as all of the positions that are needed for a few good X rays, can be done quicker, with less to no pain at all. A sedated animal is not as stressed and the people performing the X ray don't necessarily have to be in the room at the time of exposure.
Sedating your animal for X rays benefits everyone. Sometimes, when an underlying condition, injury or the risk of sedation itself don't allow us to use the medication safely, and the risk of it exceeds the benefits, we will advise to do the X rays without it.
For example, the patients that would not be ideal candidates for sedation are animals with severe heart or lung disease, liver failure, thoracic trauma, pregnant females etc.
It is important you give as much information on your animal's current condition as you can. From it's last visit to the vet and the reason for it, to when the animal last ate, which medication your pet is currently on, including the preventatives, vaccinations, dewormers etc.
And if you can, plan to stay with your pet during this process. Even when sedated, they can still smell you and hear your voice, and I truly believe their owner's presence benefits them a lot. Losing consciousness is no fun, when you don't understand what is going on, you feel pain, everybody is touching you, your broken leg is being stretched out and you have no idea if this will ever stop, or this is your life from now on.
Pain and stress management are crucial in every recovery, and the more we can cooperate, between professionals and the owners, the better it is for your fur baby.
So sedating your beloved pet for a simple X ray is not only recommended, but often necessary.
Feel comfortable enough with your vet to ask as many questions as you need prior to making the decision for this procedure. They should include the information on how to prepare your animal and yourself for the procedure, how to prepare the house for a potential injury that might be discovered, recovery period and the next step in diagnostics.
Radiography can sometimes give the answers we are looking for, but often it is not the only diagnostic procedure necessary for a final diagnose.
I advise you to be very patient during this sensitive time, and to do some research regarding the animals recovery once you have reached the diagnose. There will be plenty videos on youtube talking about the alterations you might need to make to your home, and the recovery is often the time which will ask the most time, work and patience from you as an owner.