X-rays are types of radiation that are called electromagnetic waves. The cat X-ray image creates a picture of the inside of the cat’s body, and it shows it in various shades of black and white.
If you plan to get an X-ray taken of your cat, make sure you consult your vet first, especially since you might have questions about it.
What Does The Cost Of a Cat X-ray Depend On?
A cat X-ray cost or the average cost of the cat X-ray depends on many factors. You need to factor in many things to estimate the cat X-ray cost. Some of these factors include the following:
- If you live within the rural or the urban community
- The size and age of the cat
- If a full-body scan of the cat has been done already or not
- If the cat needs sedation or any other anesthesia
The Average Cat X-ray Cost
There are a few different types of X-rays, and the kind you need to get done depends on what the vet has suggested. The dental X-rays tend to cost around $75 to $150, whereas the cat X-ray imaging of the cat’s chest or the abdomen cost’s more than $250. The cat X-ray of the forelimb, hind limbs, or even the hands might cost around $70.
However, it is important to know that the cat X-ray cost is not the only cost you would have to cover. Medical fees, including blood work, vet visit fees, and medications, increase the overall cost of getting the cat X-ray done.
Hence, if you’re a cat parent, make sure you have extra funds kept aside for the sake of your cat, or the best option is to get pet insurance. Pet insurance will help keep the cat X-ray cost as low as possible.
Common Areas Where Cat X-ray Is Performed
Cat X-ray is radiation known as electromagnetic waves, and it tends to create images of the inside of the cat’s body. These images show us what is wrong and where there is damage. Before getting into how a cat X-ray is performed, let us understand what a cat X-ray is.
Various types of tissues tend to absorb different amounts of radiation, and the bones tend to absorb a lot because they look white. Other soft tissues and the fat tend to look less white and greyer, absorbing less radiation. The lungs look black because air absorbs the least amount of radiation.
A cat X-ray might be needed as part of an annual examination. It might be asked by the vet to diagnose broken bone issues, any other illness or diseases as well. The most common areas where the X-ray is done include the abdomen, the mouth, chest, and the cat’s extremities.
The cat X-ray of the chest is used to help diagnose issues like asthma, bronchitis, or even tumors and broken ribs. It can also be used to check for heart disease. Moreover, the cat X-ray of the abdominal area is used to diagnose kidney or bladder issues and urethral obstructions. Furthermore, the cat X-ray of the dental area helps diagnose periodontal diseases or oral masses.
The cat X-ray prices mostly depend on the vet and the type of X-ray he suggests.
How Does a Cat X-ray Work?
The standard method of a cat X-ray includes imaging the inside of the cat’s body that helps the vet and the clinicians see what is wrong and helps them identify the main issues.
If the vet recommends a cat X-ray, make sure you take your cat for it because it might help you get many of its problems identified before it progresses into a disease. There are chances that your vet might analyze and make accurate diagnoses of your cat’s issues based on the cat X-ray.
- The X-ray is high-energy electromagnetic radiation, and it is also considered light. It has a short wavelength because it isn’t visible to the naked eye. It also has a very high frequency.
- As this cat X-ray has very high energy, it can pass through non-metallic objects. This includes the organs, muscles, and other soft tissues in the body.
- If the tissue inside the cat’s body is dense, including the bones and teeth, it will absorb high X-ray radiation.
- An X-ray machine which looks like a large camera, is used to take a photo of the inside of the cat’s body, and this machine then sends powerful X-ray beams that tend to pass through the soft tissues and are absorbed by the dense ones. This then leads to the production of the picture on a specialized film.
- Vets can take pictures of any part of the cat’s body and get a cat X-ray.
Why Do Vets Suggest Getting a Cat X-ray?
Here are a few examples of when vets ask for cat X-rays and why.
- Skeletal deformities
- Bone fractures
- Possibility of cancerous tumors
- Cysts or kidney stones
- Locating the gastrointestinal obstructions
- Locating the ingested foreign bodies
- These are conditions that might affect the lungs, liver, or other large body cavities.
- Dental issues
Conclusion
In conclusion, when you add up the cost of getting a cat X-ray done along with the extra charges on top, you’ll be able to determine how much the cat X-ray might cost you. The procedure of getting an X-ray done for a cat is almost the same as it is for a human.
However, one can always avoid the high cost of an X-ray if one has pet insurance. Moreover, a cat X-ray tends to be a great way to find any issues your cat might have, which can help avoid the progression of the disease or the health problem.
