Hello, my name is MaKenzie, and I am a first-year radiography student at Lansing Community College. If working in the medical field sounds exciting but you don’t want to work with humans, veterinary medicine or radiology might be for you! Follow along with me as I discuss the importance of veterinary radiology in veterinary medicine. Topics discussed will be the occupation, exams frequently performed, the cost of exams, education routes, the different types of work environments available, job projections, and the unfortunate shortages of veterinarians within this field.
November 27, 2022
Taryn Clapsaddle
November 27, 2022 — 5:13 pm
Hello there MaKenzie. Your presentation of veterinary medicine is very interesting.
I do like how you brought up the normal modalities that you would use in veterinary radiology. I did not know that it’s a gentleman you mentioned was the first person to do radiography on military dogs. I do appreciate that you brought up the difference between the computed radiography and digital radiography. It is interesting that you can actually see the hook that you mentioned in the sea turtle on the radiographic image. The fact that you gave about the air gaps is actually very fascinating. Interesting and I didn’t know that existed. I do appreciate that you did bring up that veterinary. Radiology is on a decline because of the amount of people who are retiring. I do appreciate that you did bring up the facts about the different cost and how it’s different than what humans can have, but how they’re also not really funded as well.
I do have a few questions for you. Would you want to go into this field of work? What surprised you the most about veterinary radiology? Is there anything from the topic that you learned that you wish everyone would take away? Do you think that more people would want to go into this field percentage wise, and have more jobs available?
MaKenzie Lytle
December 1, 2022 — 12:04 pm
Hello Taryn,
I’m glad you found veterinary radiology to be interesting. There are so many different opportunities available while pursuing a career in veterinary medicine, which is perfect because individuals can pick what works for them. To answer one of your questions, I would love to work with animals all day! Especially in veterinary radiology, working with small and large animals is so exciting and would never get boring, in my opinion. Unfortunately, as I stated in my presentation, most individuals working in this field are veterinary technicians, technologists, and veterinarians. I’m not sure what doors may open for me after graduation, and even if I could be selected to work with animals, it would lead to further training in this field. I found a lot of things to be surprising or exciting throughout researching this topic. However, the one thing I found to be fascinating was how x-rays are done on horses! It seems silly, but it was cool that they packed a horse’s shoe with soap or playdough to decrease the number of gas shadows present. As current students in the radiologic technologist program, we are constantly told that sometimes you must be creative and use critical thinking skills to get the needed image. Veterinary radiology is the same way, and I’m sure it took years for individuals to fully understand what could or could not be done to get an optimal image. I loved researching this topic because I learned so many different things.
The biggest takeaway I want others to know is that to pursue a career in this field, individuals must love animals and have an interest in medicine. Unfortunately, as I stated in the presentation, there is a decrease in the number of individuals working within this field due to being overworked and underpaid, but that shouldn’t shy individuals away from pursuing a career they are not only passionate about but love. Animals need a veterinary team to feel better, and with all the fantastic individuals signing up to work in this field, it’s able to be accomplished. Currently, there are a lot of individuals wanting to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Still, many individuals are waiting not only to be accepted to an accredited program but also for spots to open up. There are jobs available for individuals wanting to jump into this career due to Covid-19, retiring individuals, and other factors mentioned in my presentation. It’s a great career to choose, and there are always pros and cons with any job, and an individual has to decide what’s best for them based on that list. But many individuals find this career to be rewarding and fun! Thank you for your questions and interest.
Sarah Sandborn
December 1, 2022 — 8:00 am
Hi MaKenzie,
I love your presentation! It was incredibly informative from start to finish. I thought that it was fascinating that 1926 was the first x-rays of dogs with hip dysplasia. I also thought it was interesting that the first ultrasound on an animal wasn’t until 1960. Do you know what the first ultrasound was? I love the image you used of the poor sea turtle with the hook and the fetal count of the puppies!
I thought the air-gap technique was very interesting. Do you know if horse farriers (the person who trims and shoes horses) use any type of x-rays? I could see it being useful for corrective trimming and shoeing, especially if trying to compensate for injured limbs of the horse.
It was very informative that you included the cost of different exams, do you know how the cost of exams for animals compare to the cost of exams for humans?
I was shocked by how poorly Vet-techs and Veterinarians are paid. Its not surprising that there is such a shortage, especially with the amount of school required to become a veterinarian and the school debt.
Do you have any interest in Veterinary radiology? And if you did, would you prefer working with large or small animals?
Great Work!!!
Sarah
MaKenzie Lytle
December 1, 2022 — 12:57 pm
Hello Sarah,
You have great questions, and I’ll try to answer everything to the best of my ability. At the beginning of my presentation, I mentioned that ultrasonography (US) was first used in the 1960s just on small animals. This modality became quite popular due to its ability to provide information on various diseases and pathology. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you the exact ultrasound veterinarians performed that year. Still, I know that US was and is still great for looking at small animals’ abdomen, chest, and musculoskeletal disorders. Unfortunately, while covering this topic, my research didn’t include specific information on whether horse farriers used x-rays. Still, when x-rays are taken on horses, it is typically done by a veterinarian or veterinary tech. However, you did spark some interest with the question you had for me, so I did some additional research. X-rays will periodically be taken to ensure the right action is taken for the horse’s shoe and health when the horse farrier does their job! So, the answer to your question is yes, they do, but they are not the ones performing the imaging exam.
Unfortunately, my modality didn’t entail information on how much exams cost for humans but for animals. However, I did a little digging and found that individuals with insurance usually pay $100-$1,000 until reaching their deductible. Whereas, individuals who don’t have insurance could pay again $100-$1,000 for an x-ray exam, but this would all be out of pocket, seeing as there’s no deductible plan to reach with them not having insurance. To give you an idea of how much a chest x-ray would cost for an individual without insurance, it would be $420. But, like veterinary radiology, some factors come into play when deciding how much the exam will cost. Veterinary radiology is quite interesting, and if I ever pursue a career in this field, it’ll be because I love animals! However, I would need additional training or schooling to enter this field upon graduation. I would love to work with both small and large animals! I love the idea of working in a clinic but also being able to travel to farms or any location to help diagnose and treat an animal’s condition. With veterinary radiology, individuals are always able to stay busy! Overall, these are great questions. I have attached the sites below, where I found the information for your questions; thank you!
1. https://proequinegrooms.com/tips/legs-and-hooves/does-your-farrier-need-x-rays-to-trim-your-horse/
2. https://khealth.com/learn/healthcare/how-much-does-an-x-ray-cost/
Sarah Sandborn
December 1, 2022 — 5:47 pm
Thank you for going above and beyond doing more research to answer my questions!!!!
Sarah Sandborn
December 1, 2022 — 8:02 am
Hi MaKenzie,
I love your presentation! It was incredibly informative from start to finish. I thought that it was fascinating that 1926 was the first x-rays of dogs with hip dysplasia. I also thought it was interesting that the first ultrasound on an animal wasn’t until 1960. Do you know what the first ultrasound was? I love the image you used of the poor sea turtle with the hook and the fetal count of the puppies!
I thought the air-gap technique was very interesting. Do you know if horse farriers (the person who trims and shoes horses) use any type of x-rays? I could see it being useful for corrective trimming and shoeing, especially if trying to compensate for injured limbs of the horse.
It was very informative that you included the cost of different exams, do you know how the cost of exams for animals compare to the cost of exams for humans?
I was shocked by how poorly Vet-techs and Veterinarians are paid. Its not surprising that there is such a shortage, especially with the amount of school required to become a veterinarian and the school debt.
Do you have any interest in Veterinary radiology? And if you did, would you prefer working with large or small animals?
Great Work!!!
Sarah
Tammy DePottey
December 1, 2022 — 6:33 pm
Hi MaKenzie,
Wow, you have so much interesting information in your presentation! I like how you started out with historical information; and tied it into images done for Hip Dysplasia on dogs. What views do you think they did to diagnose that type of pathology? Through out your presentation there are so many similarities to human x-ray, including lack of technologist’s, physicians, radiologist’s and the high costs related to the care for animals. It was interesting to see the images and pathology you pointed out. Neat fun facts, and looking at the photographs in your presentation I see a lot of similar items we use in human imaging. Did you know that some of our Radiographer’s in Training here at LCC have worked in the Veterinary School at MSU as students? Maybe we can take a fieldtrip to MSU next semester and see what they do first hand. This would be a great opportunity to make some extra cash, learn about the profession and see if this is something you would like to peruse. A Veterinary Radiologist sounds really cool! I found it interesting too how similar the educational path is to what you are doing in x-ray right now, and the Continuing Education Credits require similar to Radiography. Great job and very informative!
MaKenzie Lytle
December 3, 2022 — 4:22 pm
Professor DePottey,
Thank you so much for taking the time to view my presentation. This modality has opened my eyes and has sparked my interest in working with animals later in life. Based on my research, it looks like veterinarians would order a ventrodorsal hip extended radiograph to help diagnose hip dysplasia. However, I’m sure there are other radiographs veterinarians would order to help diagnose this condition, but while conducting my research, I did not find any additional information. As you stated, there are a lot of similarities between human x-rays and care for animals, and it’s neat that a lot of what we practice can be done on animals! I had no idea that as a radiographer in training that there would be career opportunities available at MSU as students! I would love to take a field trip, as you stated, it would be a great experience and I could earn some extra cash, which would be nice. I’m glad you found my presentation informative, and I’ll definitely be speaking with you about what MSU veterinary school has to offer for students like me!