What is an Ultrasound scan?

Ultrasound scanning uses high frequency sound waves to produce images of organs

within the body.  The sound waves are directed into the body through a probe held

against the skin – some waves are absorbed and some waves bounce back.  

 

The waves that bounce back are captured and processed by the ultrasound machine and transformed into an image on the screen.

 

Ultrasound scans are most useful for looking at soft and fluid-filled organs such as the liver, kidney, uterus (especially for pregnancy scans) and urinary bladder.  

 

Specialist ultrasonographers can also use ultrasound scans to examine the heart.  Hard structures such as bones and air filled structures such as the lungs are better looked at using radiographs.

 

 

What happens when my pet is booked in for an ultrasound scan?

Most of our patients are admitted into hospital for the day to have an ultrasound scan done, except for emergencies where we will admit them and do the scan immediately. Please bring your pet in without being fed on the morning of their appointment, as they may need to be sedated to allow us to do the best scan possible.

 

In order to get the best quality ultrasound image, we will need to shave the area to be scanned so your pet will look a little different when they go home.  

 

Ultrasound exams are not painful but your pet may feel some minor discomfort from the pressure of the scanner.  The procedure is not invasive – a water-soluble gel is applied over the clipped area and the probe is placed against the pet’s skin to produce the image on our ultrasound screen.

 

After the ultrasound scan has been done and your pet is ready to go home, one of our veterinarians will discuss our findings and the treatment plan