Is Sedation During X-Rays Standard Practice?

[Guest knowimagination]

So Rush has come up with a limp in one of her hind legs and it has been getting progressively worse. I don't remember her coming in limping after doing zoomies or anything so it has me a little concerned (she is 8 1/2). We went to see the vet yesterday and she couldn't be certain but she said that it seemed like a ligament tear/strain in her knee. She offered to send her home with just some pain relievers and prescribed rest, but I really wanted to get x-rays done to be able to completely rule out bone cancer. She had us schedule the x-rays for tomorrow morning and plans on sedating her but I am just wondering if that is a typical way to handle x-rays or if I should request/insist doing them without it.

 

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

[cleptogrey]

as far as i know- from what i've been told by numerous vets- the dogs do need to be sedated since the limb really needs to be manipulated and it's the least painful way for a dog in pain and they need to get the best image possible. rush will be fine- don't worry. good luck

[Potomacpupsmom]

That's what I have been told by my dog's vet when I needed to get Breeze x-rayed for a limp. Because it was her hip in question, the vet needed to manipulate the joint to get the best picture.

[macoduck]

Mikey did not need sedation for his chest and abdomen films. He was very unhappy with them holding him down.

Sedation for your girl should be very brief.

[Tracey]

Some dogs are cooperative and don't need to be sedated. Some won't lie still or even lie down and do need to be sedated. Personally, if I have to have a Grey sedated for xrays again I'm going to ask that they be completely knocked out. We had two Greys sedated since the first of the year and neither one of them did well on the drugs at all. It took one about 10 hours to come out of it and other about 13 hours and they were both a distressed panting mess until the drugs wore off. One of the drugs they gave them was butorphanol. The other was acepromazine. I've since heard people say they've had dogs have bad reactions to either one or both of those drugs. I won't let them use either of them again.

[Guest Houston1219]

When Houston had his hips xrayed he was not sedated. He did fine being held still, the vet had an extra tech give him lots of loving while he did what he needed to do and his attention was on the girls swooning over him instead of the vet taking the xrays. Houston normally has no issue with space or being held, though. If your girl is the kind of dog you can lay on top of/move around and just goes with the flow, maybe she will be fine without? Just my personal experience, I know little compared to other posters!

 

This reminds me of when I had to have a tooth extracted. The oral surgeon did NOT want to do it with me awake. I was NOT about to let them put me under. The solution? She agreed to turn up the laughing gas and cranked up the music in the room so I wouldn't hear what was happening. It went just fine, and I went straight to work!

 

Best of luck to you!

[Batmom]

We've never sedated. I'd encourage you and your vet to see if you can get the views you need without sedating.

[45MPHK9]

Bee Wiseman had her X-rays without sedation when she started limping.

 

Thinking good thoughts for Rush.

[Guest D_MansMommy]

TC has had several x-rays for broken toes &/or fractures. he has never been sedated. he did fine. hope Rush is ok.

[Hubcitypam]

I think it depends on the dog both the dog and the x-ray. I've had very calm dogs x-rayed without sedation and hyper ones that needed it. Some shots require more manipulation than others and that might factor in.

[Guest knowimagination]

Thanks for all the replies so far. Rush is very easy to deal with once she is already laying down she will literally just sit there and let you do anything to her, but if she isn't already laying down trying to get her too is a bit of a chore and then puts her on edge so I can see how it might be necessary.

 

Is there a preferred drug for greyhounds when it comes to sedatives?

[Guest Dancer]

No sedation required here...all three times

 

The big BUT....my dog loves the vet. I swear he has health issues so he can visit the vet 😩

Edited March 13, 2015 by Dancer

[greysmom]

I've not ever had a dog sedated for xrays, but as said, it depends.

 

Lilly does not do well with sedation, but she needed to be quiet for something last year (I've even forgotten what it was!). My vet gave her propofol for a very short term sedation and she was up and around without any issues in a short amount of time. I would stay away from acepromazine and butorphanol if your dog is sensitive.

[Houndtime]

Fuzzy had some problems with his back and needed x-rays. I was waiting out in the reception area and heard him screaming out there. They came out and said he was having too much pain and they need to turn him to x-ray the other side and couldn't turn him. So, they gave him a light sedation. He came out of it right away, but, was exhausted afterwards.

[Guest AimeeBee]

George was not sedated when he had his back and hips x-rayed recently.

 

However, like Dancer, my dog loves the vet (loves everyone really) and is pretty tolerant of being held/moved.

[NeylasMom]

I would not do any sedation unless I absolutely knew for sure multiple angles of hip x-rays or something equally difficult was required. For a first look for bone cancer, a couple of easy views should be fine and should not require sedation. One tip - often specialists (orthopedists) have a LOT more experience and have no trouble at all getting x-rays without sedation. I've been able to compare one versus the other with the same dog and the difference in stress levels (this was with my former spook who was quite afraid at the vet) was obvious. Once we had diagnosed her osteo, there was never a question that all of our follow-up x-rays would be done by the specialist.

 

I hope that's not what you're facing. Please see if you can get hte x-rays without the sedation.

[tbhounds]

I wouldn't sed for that. Sure there are some shots that may be very difficult to get or a painful dog that it wouldn't be fair to try to position without seds. I'm sure your vet is recommending seds as she/he is not sure what images they will need to take. A gh with a painful knee I would first shoot a lateral pic-that doesn't need sedation-you may have your answer with that.

[Guest FloridaGirl]

In the vet clinic, you can run the gamut of broken bone dogs who give no response when moved, and minor soft tissue injury dogs who act like you're coming at them with a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. It really just depends on the dog. I've only seen sedations after first attempts failed, however. We always like to do as little sedating as possible. Sometimes it's necessary, though.

 

I agree with Neylasmom and tbhounds - get the rads you can before sedation, maybe something is there that a lateral would catch before moving onto doggy yoga.

 

Either way, good luck!

[TheFullHouse]

None of the dogs we've had over the years have ever been sedated.

[Guest normaandburrell]

I think it depends in part on the skill of the vet. For films of a paw, I have had two vets sedate. My vet, in the same office, did not sedate.

[GeorgeofNE]

It depends on the vet, but I find it worrisome that your vet didn't even suggest x-rays given that you brought in a Greyhound with a limp of unexplained origin.

 

For the hips, the dog has to be sedated or they can't get all the right angles. For the lower leg? Shouldn't need it, but some vets just insist.

[MaryJane]

My dogs have gotten x-rays without being sedated. Reconsider a different vet if you cannot get the x-rays without sedation. Also, bring one of your muzzles as it will be less stressful.

[XTRAWLD]

I'm going through this right now. One vet years ago (at the same location) said they won't do x-rays without sedation......I called to ask the other day since I want them for Kasey and the vet called me back and said "I don't know who told you we don't, the majority of our x-rays are done without sedation". So go figure, my same vet even gave me two differing trains of thought over the years. It's of course easier for them to manipulate the dog into position for xrays when they are sedated, and I'm sure not all x-rays can be taken if they aren't sedated, but I've certainly heard both ideas of have to be sedated and don't have to be sedated.

[Neighsayer]

Depends on the vet, the fog, and the location of the injury. Good luck!

A clean X-ray does not always completely rule out bone cancer. Hope it does in your case! I wasn't that lucky!

[Guest knowimagination]

Thanks again everyone I dropped her off this morning and they are going to attempt to get a good one without but they also explained their reasoning for potentially needing to. Part of it is to look at the hip in that leg as well so I'm feeling a little more comfortable with it now and hoping for good results.