Our veterinary team provides digital radiology and ultrasound services for dogs and cats in Madison Heights, Royal Oak, Warren, Troy, Hazel Park, Ferndale, Berkley, Sterling Heights, and nearby Michigan communities.
Clear Images. Faster Answers. Better Care.
When something is wrong with your pet, answers matter. Madison Veterinary Hospital, AAHA accredited and named one of Newsweek’s Best Veterinary Hospitals in America in both 2025 and 2026, offers advanced veterinary diagnostic imaging, including digital radiography and ultrasound, right here in Madison Heights.
Our in-house imaging capabilities allow our veterinarians to see what is happening inside your pet’s body quickly and accurately, without the stress of an outside referral or unnecessary delays in care.
Whether we are evaluating a persistent cough, investigating unexplained weight loss, checking for an injury, or following up on a health concern, our diagnostic imaging tools give us a clearer picture of your pet’s health so we can move forward with the right treatment plan faster.
Digital Radiology
Seeing the Full Picture
Digital radiography, also known as X-ray imaging, is one of the most valuable tools in veterinary medicine. X-rays allow our veterinary team to view your pet’s bones, joints, chest, and abdomen in a matter of minutes.
Compared to traditional film X-rays, digital radiography produces sharper, higher-resolution images that can be enhanced, shared, and reviewed quickly. This helps your pet spend less time waiting and more time getting the care they need.
Our digital X-ray system is used to help diagnose a wide range of conditions, including:
Broken or fractured bones
Joint disease and arthritis
Spinal abnormalities
Heart and lung conditions, including pneumonia and heart enlargement
Bladder and kidney stones
Intestinal obstructions and foreign body ingestion
Cancer and abnormal masses
Pregnancy confirmation and fetal counts
X-rays are safe, non-invasive, and typically completed during your pet’s appointment. Digital dental X-rays are also a standard part of our professional dental cleanings, where they reveal root and bone disease that cannot be seen during a visual exam.
In many cases, we are able to share our findings and discuss a care plan with you the same day.
Veterinary Ultrasound
A Deeper Look Without Surgery
Ultrasound imaging uses sound waves to create real-time moving images of your pet’s internal organs and soft tissues. Where an X-ray shows structure and density, ultrasound shows texture, movement, and blood flow.
Together, X-rays and ultrasound give our veterinarians a more complete view of what is happening inside your pet’s body.
Ultrasound is non-invasive and does not involve radiation. Most pets tolerate the procedure well, and in many cases, sedation is not required.
We use veterinary ultrasound to evaluate:
The liver, spleen, kidneys, adrenal glands, and pancreas
The bladder and urinary tract
The gastrointestinal tract
Abdominal fluid or abnormal masses
Cardiac function and structure
Pregnancy monitoring and fetal viability
Lymph node size and appearance
Guided sample collection, including fine needle aspirates and biopsies
Why In-House Imaging Matters
For pet owners across Madison Heights, Royal Oak, Warren, Troy, Hazel Park, Ferndale, Berkley, and Sterling Heights, having access to on-site diagnostic imaging at your primary care veterinarian is a major advantage.
It means fewer trips, less stress on your pet, and faster answers for your family.
When imaging needs to be outsourced to a specialty center, the process can add days to your pet’s diagnosis. At Madison Veterinary Hospital, our team can often perform and interpret imaging during the same visit, allowing us to begin treatment sooner and keep your pet more comfortable along the way.
We believe that strong diagnostic medicine and genuine compassion go hand in hand. Our goal is not just to find an answer. It is to find the right answer as quickly as possible so your pet can get back to feeling like themselves.
What to Expect During Diagnostic Imaging
Most imaging appointments follow a simple process.
Your veterinarian will first perform a physical exam and discuss your pet’s symptoms and health history. Based on that conversation, they will recommend the appropriate imaging study.
For X-rays, your pet will be gently positioned by our veterinary technicians to capture the necessary views.
For ultrasound, a small area of fur may be shaved to allow better contact with the probe, and a water-based gel is applied to the skin. The procedure itself is usually quick and well tolerated.
In some cases, especially for abdominal ultrasound, we may ask that your pet fast for a few hours beforehand to improve image quality. Our team will let you know in advance if any preparation is needed.
After imaging is complete, your veterinarian will review the results with you, answer your questions, and discuss next steps. If additional evaluation by a board certified veterinary radiologist or specialist is needed, we will coordinate that referral and make the process as clear as possible.
Imaging and Specific Conditions
Diagnostic imaging plays an important role in evaluating many common and serious conditions. Here is how we use imaging in the workup of some conditions we see often.
Cancer and Abnormal Masses
When a mass is discovered during a physical exam or through cytology, chest X rays are often the first step in checking whether disease has spread to the lungs or lymph nodes.
Abdominal ultrasound allows us to assess organ involvement, identify internal masses that cannot be felt during an exam, and guide fine needle aspirates for sample collection.
Accurate staging of a cancer diagnosis helps shape treatment options and prognosis conversations.
Heart Disease
Chest radiographs are useful for evaluating heart size, heart shape, and the presence of fluid or changes in the lungs in pets with suspected or confirmed heart disease.
Echocardiography, also called cardiac ultrasound, provides real time evaluation of heart wall motion, valve function, and chamber size.
For pets in our community managing heart disease, in house imaging allows us to monitor progression and adjust treatment without requiring a specialty referral for every recheck.
Gastrointestinal Disease and Foreign Bodies
Abdominal X-rays are often the first step when a pet has vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort, or suspected foreign body ingestion.
Objects such as metal or bone fragments may be visible on X ray. For materials that are harder to see, ultrasound can provide another layer of evaluation and may help identify intestinal wall thickening, abnormal movement, or free abdominal fluid.
This information helps guide the urgency and direction of treatment.
Urinary Tract Disease
Bladder stones, kidney changes, and urinary tract abnormalities may be evaluated with a combination of radiography and ultrasound.
Knowing the type, number, and location of urinary stones before treatment helps guide whether medical management or surgery may be the better option.
Musculoskeletal and Orthopedic Conditions
X-rays are essential for evaluating fractures, joint disease, bone tumors, luxations, and developmental conditions such as hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia.
Our digital radiography system provides the high-resolution images our veterinarians need to make more confident orthopedic assessments and surgical planning decisions.
Imaging for Senior Pets
As pets age, diagnostic imaging becomes even more valuable. Senior dogs and cats are at higher risk for cancer, organ disease, heart conditions, and musculoskeletal changes. Many of these concerns are best detected and monitored with imaging along with bloodwork and physical exams.
At Madison Veterinary Hospital, we may incorporate chest and abdominal radiographs or abdominal ultrasound into senior wellness evaluations for pets around seven years and older.
Imaging a senior pet who appears stable can give us baseline images to compare against in future visits. This helps detect subtle changes over time. It may also reveal findings before they create obvious symptoms, allowing us to intervene earlier.
If your senior dog or cat is due for a wellness exam and has not had imaging in the past one to two years, ask our team whether it should be part of their next evaluation.
The Experience Behind the Images
Diagnostic imaging is only as valuable as the clinical judgment used to interpret it. Our veterinary team brings decades of experience reading radiographs and ultrasound studies across a wide range of species, breeds, and conditions.
We look at each image with the full context of your pet’s history, physical exam findings, symptoms, and lab results. Images do not exist in a vacuum, and that full picture matters.
For cases where specialist input adds value, we have established relationships with board-certified veterinary radiologists who can review digital images remotely and provide expert interpretation.
Committed to Answers and Committed to Your Pet
For more than 50 years, Madison Veterinary Hospital has served as a trusted partner in the health of pets throughout the metro Detroit area.
Our diagnostic imaging services reflect the same commitment to quality and compassion that has defined our practice since 1970. Whether your pet is a longtime patient or you are visiting us for the first time from Ferndale, Sterling Heights, or anywhere nearby, our team is here to help.
If your pet is showing symptoms that require a closer look, do not wait. Early and accurate diagnosis is one of the most important things we can do for your pet’s long-term health and quality of life.
Have questions before scheduling? Give us a call at 248-399-5225. Our team is happy to talk through your pet’s symptoms and help you decide on next steps.
Related Veterinary Services
Radiology and ultrasound often connect with other diagnostic, surgical, and treatment services. Based on your pet’s symptoms and imaging results, our team may also discuss related care options.
