FAQ:
1) Why is my veterinarian performing an ultrasound on my pet?
– Ultrasounds can be a handy tool for diagnosing and confirming your pet’s condition in hospital, it can be used for routine screening, commonly used after a blood test or radiographs of your pet indicate a possible problem. Not only does ultrasound provide more specific details compared to an xray, you can also obtain samples via a needle for growths and fluids in your pet’s body cavity.
2) What are the common conditions routinely diagnosed using ultrasound?
– We routinely use ultrasounds in hospital to diagnose conditions such as pancreatitis, foreign bodies, growths/tumours on the liver or spleen, pregnancy, abnormal kidneys, congenital issues such a liver shunts, bladder stones and several types of cancer in organs…the list goes on. Ultrasound can be very handy in allowing us to see if there is any fluid in your pet’s body cavity in case of a suspected bleed in emergency situations, obtaining a urine sample for culture and sensitivity or obtaining samples from a growth to send off to the lab for further analysis. We can perform ultrasounds on your pet’s chest, abdomen and heart. Individual organs can be assessed one at a time with ultrasound unlike xrays.
3)How does my pet prepare for an ultrasound?
– We recommend using a pinch of sedation during this procedure in hospital as it avoids excessive movement, stress and pain for your pet. This ensures a calm and less invasive process, getting a good view and diagnosis is important. We also sometimes recommend fasting your pet on the day of ultrasound, this avoids having contents in the stomach or gas which can prevent a more accurate image.
4) What will happen to my pet during the ultrasound?
– Your pet will be laid on a padded table on either its back or its side. The location of interest on your pet will be shaved because the sound waves emitted through the ultrasound probe do not travel well through fur thus obscuring images. The average exam can take around 15-30 minutes.
5)What happens after my pet’s ultrasound exam?
– Once we are able to review the images, we will discuss the findings with you and any necessary follow up care. Upon request, the images or results can be saved and sent to you via mobile or email.
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