Perhaps the most important piece of equipment you will find in The Raptor Center clinic is a radiograph machine. Every patient that enters our doors gets between two and four radiographs (x-rays) taken upon admission. This is part of our complete diagnostic workup to ensure we don’t miss something during our physical exam. 

The images help us determine the presence and details of injuries, such as fractures or internal trauma, and even if a bird had a recent meal. Sometimes, the findings are quite unexpected! From an egg about to be laid, to a fishhook lodged in the gastrointestinal tract, the surprising information discovered greatly helps us set the best course of treatment. 

Thanks to a generous gift by longtime supporters Tom and Ann Schwalen, we will soon upgrade our critical radiograph machine from a CR unit (computed radiology) to a DR unit (digital radiography). Images will be delivered directly to a computer; i.e., no processing of cassettes is required. This is a more efficient system that provides higher quality images. Not only will this allow us to provide even better care to our raptor patients, but it will also enhance our teaching efforts.