Comparative Evaluation of Radiographic Versus Ultrasonographic Diagnosis of Abdominal Organ Injuries in Traumatized Dogs in Kaduna State

Abdominal organ trauma in dogs frequently occurs as a sequela to road traffic accidents and blunt trauma, and timely accurate diagnosis is essential for surgical decision-making. This study comparatively evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of abdominal radiography versus point-of-care abdominal ultrasonography in detecting organ injuries in traumatized dogs at veterinary hospitals in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria, between April 2022 and March 2024. Sixty-eight traumatized dogs underwent both lateral abdominal radiography and focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) protocol ultrasonography on presentation. Surgical and necropsy findings were used as the reference standard for diagnostic accuracy calculation. Radiographic sensitivity for detecting hemoperitoneum was 61%, compared to 88% for FAST ultrasonography. Splenic laceration detection was significantly more accurate by ultrasound at 86% versus 54% by radiography. Hepatic and mesenteric injuries showed similar accuracy between modalities. Combined radiographic and ultrasonographic assessment achieved a sensitivity of 94% for detecting surgically relevant abdominal injuries, substantially outperforming either modality alone. FAST ultrasonography was feasible in 97% of trauma cases without the need for sedation, unlike radiography which required chemical restraint in 34% of dogs. These findings provide empirical justification for the adoption of point-of-care abdominal ultrasonography as a first-line trauma assessment tool in Nigerian veterinary emergency settings, complementing radiographic evaluation for comprehensive injury identification. Keywords: abdominal trauma, FAST ultrasound, radiography, canine trauma diagnosis, Kaduna.