Which imaging modality should I use? Does ultrasound always trump radiology for investigating the gastrointestinal tract?

Ultrasound is a brilliant tool for evaluating the gastrointestinal tract, but don't forget radiographs! Radiology remains an essential, often underused, first step in veterinary practice. In the acutely vomiting dog, radiographs can provide the "answer" quickly and cheaply. This session introduces a practical green/red/grey framework for interpreting abdominal radiographs in the vomiting patient: green for the clearly normal abdomen, red for the clearly surgical abdomen, and grey for the genuinely uncertain cases that cause the most clinical anxiety. For each category, a clear plan for "what to do next" will be discussed, including when repeat radiographs are the answer, and when ultrasound is the better next step.

• By the end of this session, delegates will be able to:
• 1.Describe correct radiographic positioning for abdominal studies and apply normal small intestinal diameter criteria to assess for mechanical obstruction in dogs and cats.
• 2.Apply a structured, risk-based approach (“green/red/grey”) to decision-making in the vomiting patient, including when to repeat radiographs versus proceed to ultrasound or surgery.
• 3.Recognise the key sonographic features of the normal and abnormal gastrointestinal wall, and describe the features that help differentiate neoplastic from non-neoplastic disease.