Skull Radiograph

For this task you will need to position the dog in sternal recumbency to obtain a dorso-ventral view in the crouched position.

Have the skull in the centre of the collimation beam, move all forelimbs out of the way of the x-ray plate, secure the limbs with sandbags/ties (depending on whether the patient is sedated or under general anaesthesia). Place wedges or sandbags either side of the sternum to keep the patient stable and place a wedge under the mandible.

Make sure the head is straight, remember your left/right marker and verbalise the health and safety information.

It is important that you verbalise what your collimation points are. For a skull, they are:

• Centrally on the centre of the cranium, midway between the eyes
• Rostrally to the tip of the nose
• Caudally to the occipital crest
• Laterally to the skin edges