ABSTRACT
There is an increasing need for using various modes of diagnostic imaging to obtain further detailed images in dogs and cats. The most commonly used of these diagnostic imaging modes are radiography, ultrasound, computed axial tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Some of these diagnostic imaging modes require absolute immobilization for the patient to remain still for a long period of time (MRI, ultrasound-guided biopsy, and possibly some of the slow CT), while others only need a short duration of immobilization (radiography, 64-slice and higher slice CT). For ultrasound, most of the imaging can tolerate slight movements of these patients without sacrificing a lot of detail and quality of the images. In addition to these motion-still demands, each patient has a unique disease state that needs to be considered when selecting a sedative or anesthetic protocol. This chapter describes sedative and anesthetic protocols for using with each of these diagnostic imaging modes.
