What is it?
Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry
Okay, but what does that mean?
Two X-ray beams, each with a different energy peak, are emitted by the machine. One beam is absorbed mainly by soft tissue, the other mainly by bone. The computer then subtracts the soft tissue amount from the total, calculating the patient’s bone density and body fat percentage. The radiation emitted by a DXA scan is 1/10th that of a standard chest X-Ray, and less than one day of normal environmental exposure.
What is DXA used for?
DXA scans are commonly used in human medicine to assess bone density and those at risk of decreased bone density are likely to receive regular scans to track these changes. It can also be used to assess whole body composition. DXA scans can quickly, accurately and safely differentiate and measure lean body mass, fat, and bone. A growing area of use for DXA scans in humans medicine is sports medicine and rehabilitation. In veterinary medicine, DXA scans are more commonly used in research, although we have applied the technology to select clinical cases.
This technology has led to the development of existing tools used by your veterinary healthcare team, such as body condition scoring, body fat index charts, morphometric measurements and muscle condition scoring.
What are the limitations of current tools?
There are few tools available in veterinary medicine to help your veterinary team assess your pet’s body composition. Body condition scoring and muscle condition scoring are the standard of care in pet weight management in clinical practice. Although they can be very accurate and are validated by scientific research, they are a subjective tool based on an average pet population. There are a wide range of body types in dogs and cats, and some individuals may be challenging to assess.
What is the benefit of a DXA scan for my pet?
Accuracy!
The DXA scanner is a diagnostic tool, allowing your team to accurately assess your pet’s body composition. The scan provides your team with images and information on the amount of muscle and fat your pet carries. Your team can:
- Calculate a more accurate healthy body weight for your pet, based on their individual structure
- Greater accuracy in determining energy needs for weight loss
- Monitor muscle mass for targeted fat loss
This will lead to a more initialized weight management plan, improving the safety and efficiency of your pet’s weight management plan.
What are the health risks associated with DXA scans?
Sedation: Your pet must be still for the duration of the scan. As a standard of care, our patients are therefore sedated for this procedure. During your initial consultation, we will discuss if sedation is a good option for your pet. In instances of elevated risk, your pet may not be eligible for a DXA scan. During the scan, one of our veterinarians and a registered veterinary technician are present at all times. The patient is closely monitored during and after the scan until they are recovered from the sedation.
Radiation: the levels of radiation from the DXA scan are very low, less than a standard x-ray.
Does my pet have to do this?
No! We will discuss this option for your pet’s care but is not a requirement for our programs.
Can my veterinarian refer my pet for a DXA scan?
Yes! We respect that some veterinary healthcare teams would like to utilize this tool for their patients and existing weight management plans. Please contact us for more information.