ABSTRACT
Radiology is a valuable diagnostic tool in avian medicine, but is surprisingly under-utilised. This may reflect the clinician’s ‘comfort level’ with avian radiology; a lack of training and experience; the apparent difficulty in obtaining good quality images, or a reluctance to use radiography in such a small patient. Good avian radiography requires short exposure times and a combination of high detail screens and films. Digital radiography is becoming more obtainable in many private practices. With ability to obtain and manipulate high definition images as well as storing them electronically, high definition digital radiography offers major advancements in avian radiology. Gastrointestinal contrast studies utilising iohexol or diatrizoate are often comparable to those using more routinely recommended barium sulphate. Barium and iohexol can be used undiluted, or diluted 1:1 with water. The proximal trachea can be readily visualised. The distal trachea, within rib cage, and the syrinx can be difficult to evaluate due to the overlying ribs, soft tissues and great vessels.
