Advanced PET-CT imaging for pets

Veterinary medicine is experiencing increased recognition. With pet ownership soaring, the industry is seeing heightened demand for services and higher expectations from pet owners for better patient outcomes. This is a good thing for our industry. Demanding more of ourselves, improving our skills, and accessing and utilising advanced technology to enhance patient care reinforces the value of veterinary medicine in today’s society.

Pet Theranostics is helping vets and veterinary specialists meet the needs of modern veterinary medicine. Our team now offers access to advanced diagnostic tools, which are essential for delivering gold-standard care. PET Theranostics is Australia’s first and only dedicated PET-CT imaging service for companion animals, offering vets, specialist clinicians and pet owners an unprecedented view inside the body of dogs and cats to guide diagnosis, staging and treatment planning.

Located in Sydney, New South Wales, we partner with referring veterinarians and specialist clinicians to provide world-class imaging backed by decades of combined expertise in oncology, nuclear medicine and veterinary care.

PET-CT is an advanced imaging technique that combines positron emission tomography (PET) with computed tomography (CT) in a single examination. PET delivers insights into metabolic and functional activity within tissues, while CT provides detailed anatomical images, together producing a highly comprehensive diagnostic picture.

In veterinary medicine, PET-CT is most commonly used to assess cancer, but its value extends further. By capturing both functional and structural data, PET-CT can support diagnosis and staging, reveal metastases, differentiate scar tissue from active disease, and assist in planning and monitoring treatments.

At PET Theranostics, every scan is performed in a specialised facility with expert oversight, including sedation or anaesthesia tailored to each patient’s safety and comfort. Detailed reports support referring vets in making confident decisions about treatment pathways.

PET-CT excels at identifying the true extent of disease, showing where a tumour is and how it behaves metabolically. This level of clarity can dramatically influence decisions about surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, helping avoid under- or over-treatment.

Detailed imaging allows specialists to tailor therapies to each patient’s condition. Whether planning a complex surgical approach or targeting radiation therapy, PET-CT provides vets with a roadmap for greater accuracy and better outcomes.

PET-CT enables clinicians to track how a tumour responds to treatment over time, a capability that’s especially valuable for evaluating the effectiveness of chemo- or immunotherapy protocols. Adjusting treatment based on real-time data can improve patient outcomes.

For complex, equivocal or aggressive cases, PET-CT provides definitive insights that help vets counsel owners and plan care with confidence. This can be important when routine imaging doesn’t tell the whole story.

For pet parents, learning that advanced imaging is available can be both reassuring and empowering. PET-CT offers:

• A deeper look inside the body can answer questions that standard X-rays or ultrasound might miss.
• Early and accurate detection often leads to better treatment choices and outcomes.
• PET Theranostics’ protocols ensure pets are cared for under specialist supervision, often returning home the same day.

By working with your veterinary team to consider PET-CT when needed, pet owners can be assured that every effort is being made to understand and address serious health concerns.

PET Theranostics operates on a referral-only model, working closely with the treating veterinarian to maintain continuity of care and preserve the client–vet relationship.

• Treating vets submit a referral with the patient’s details to the PET Theranostics team.
• Pet owners receive detailed instructions on preparing their pets for their scan.
• The scan is conducted under safe sedation with expert oversight.
• The treating vet receives a comprehensive report with annotated images to support treatment planning.

By enabling vets and specialists with cutting-edge imaging, the clinic helps elevate standards of care, supports complex clinical decisions and contributes to ongoing research that benefits the wider veterinary community.

Whether you’re treating challenging oncology cases or curious about how advanced imaging could help a difficult diagnostic problem, PET-CT opens doors to better understanding and better care for companion animals.

We are currently accepting referrals. Pet owners can contact their vet directly and request a referral to Pet Theranostics.