Aren’t vets required to give pet x-rays to pet owners, as doctors are for humans?
My cat got x-rays a few months back and even though the vets explained the results, they never even showed me the x-rays, nor did they give them to me.
Thanks
Ask A Pet Pro
Helping pet owners get health help For their pets
In most states, radiographs (X-rays) are part of the medical record. You can request to check the radiographs out to go to another vet such as a second opinion or copies of the radiographs. If they are the film type, there is usually a fee & it will often take time to copy because they have to go to another facility to copy. If they are digital, then a copy can be burned to CD in a matter of minutes. In human facilities most offices (esp. radiology centers) can make copies on the spot as they are already in a digital format. So when you take a copy the facility has a copy as well.
If you want to just see the radiographs, then I would recommend setting up a consultation with the vet to go over them (tell them you want to see the radiographs). Not all owners want to see the radiographs, so you need to communicate to the Dr. that you want to see them. There may be a fee for this additional consultation.
Hope this clarifies things for you.
Linda Register, DVM
Relief Veterinarian
Land O Lakes, FL
MDs are not required to give patients x-rays and neither are DVMs. The x-ray is part of the patient’s medical record and must be kept by the doctor.
Most vets should offer to show you the x-rays and they certainly must show them to you if your request it.
If they can easily copy the x-rays (i.e.digital films), there should be no problem with you getting a copy, although a small fee may be charged.
Phillip McHugh, DVM
Park Veterinary Hospital
Durham, NC
Actually, they canNOT just give you THE xrays. We are required by law to keep the original xrays for a period of years (set by each state) as part of the medical record. The law does state you can ask for COPIES of the xrays, and you would pay the fee towards the copying and film costs. However, very few of us have xray copiers, so we have to take the time to take them to a human hospital/ radiology center to do it, which adds to the cost. Another method is to take a digital photo of the xray and put it on a cd for you. Unfortunately, copies and digital photo copies lose some detail compared to the original. If your vet has a digital xray machine, they can easily make a cd for you without losing any detail. If you are going somewhere for referral or second opinion, most of us will send the original xrays to that doctor and that doctor sends them back (this is where digital xray machines are nice, as we just email them back and forth and no physical picture can get lost)..
Most human radiologists do not show you the xrays. Maybe the ordering doctor would at an appointment with them later, maybe not. Even as a fellow doctor that can read xrays myself, I can’t always get to see them. They don’t like you seeing the xrays before they’ve read them and don’t always want to explain everything you see on the film. Most vets do show the xrays, as it is part of the explanation of what problem we are dealing with with that patient. Sometimes we are rushed, sometimes the owner is rushed to get somewhere else and there just isn’t time. Ask if you can make an appointment to see them and have someone go over them with you.
Laurie S. Swanson, DVM
Waukegan Pet Clinic
Waukegan, IL
My M.D. never gives me copies of my radiographs, even if they are sent to a radiologist for review. Radiographs are considered part of the medical record and must remain within access for the veterinarian for review or future review of the case. You can request a copy of the radiographs for which there may be a charge for copying radiographs. There should never be a problem for you to request to review the radiographs with your veterinarian. They may have simply been really busy that day and simply forgot to review those with you.
Hope that helps!
Joc Rawls, DVM
Banfield Pet Hospital
Peoria, AZ
1) Veterinarians retain the radiographs as part of their work product on that particular case. The owner of the animal has no right to the original radiograph. The owner however does have the right in most states to receive a copy of the radiograph for a reasonable fee ( to take to a specialist for example). With many practices moving toward storing radiographic images on a computer burned CD, producing a copy of the radiograph is now easier than 15 years ago when specialized equipment was sometimes necessary.
2) You may be mistaken on your assertion that physicians give radiographs out to their patients. In many cases, especially in radiographic imaging centers, the radiographs are checked out and the patient or the referral doctor must return the radiographs to the radiologist when they are done using them for reference.
3) Request that your veterinarian show you the radiographs and explain the findings while viewing the images. That is a reasonable request. Ask if you can check out the radiographs from the practice (by signing a release) so that you can take them to a boarded specialist for evaluation. This is also a reasonable request.
Mark Logan, DVM
Baysea Veterinary Hospital
Cape May, NJ
Although x-rays are of your pet and you pay for them, they are legally a part of the pet’s medical record and as such, must remain with the veterinarian, who must keep your pet’s medical record for some time after the last time (s)he sees your pet. In NY state, that’s at least 3 years, and 5 years if controlled drugs were used on your pet, such as some anesthetics.
You have the right to have your veterinarian show you the x-rays and review them with you. You also have a right to a copy of them, but you will probably have to pay to have a copy made. Your x-rays can also be sent to a specialist for consultation but must then be returned to your veterinarian.
Melinda R. Burgwardt, DVM
Melinda R. Burgwardt, DVM
Lancaster, NY
The answer is yes and no. I would ask to make copies with a digital camera and save them on a disc for viewing or a second opinion.
I would change vets if this happened to me. There is no law that I know of that requires a vet to give copies of the xrays to clients except the law of common decency.
Ihor Basko, DVM
All Creatures Great & Small
Kapaa, HI
Right on !! Damn I’m getting addicted to your blog 🙂
IN ARIZONA, CAN A VETERINARIAN CLINIC REFUSE TO COPY YOUR PETS’ MEDICAL RECORDS IN THEIR POSSESSION, AT THE OWNERS REQUEST ?
Can someone state the specific law ? I x ray dogs that are for sale, and need the x ray to go with that dog. I have vets that give me the x rays, and other vets state this law.
I have always been curious about this, as it is a pain in the behind to find this out AFTER you have had them done.