Ultrasound

Starting in the early 1980’s, ultrasound and scanning were used to diagnose many disease processes in small animal veterinary medicine. Ultrasound is a non-invasive, non-painful diagnostic method used to evaluate and stage many diseases. It is the best modality to evaluate fluid filled and soft tissue organs. Because ultrasound cannot penetrate through air, it is not useful to evaluate abnormalities if they are surrounded by gas

Why Ultrasound?

Put simply, ultrasound allows us to visualize the internal architecture of many organs. Radiographically inapparent internal abnormalities such as nodules, masses, cysts and abscesses cannot only be seen, but can also be counted and measured. Although the ultrasound examination alone is in many cases non-specific for a particular disease, in conjunction with the animal's age, sex, breed, history, physical exam, radiographic findings and lab work, as well as ultrasound guided fine needle aspirates or true-cut biopsies, the specificity for disease can be high. Many organs that are difficult to see on plain film radiographs (prostate) can be easily seen with ultrasound.

Real-time echocardiography (ultrasound examination of the heart) also allows us to see the heart in motion. From these images, measurements of cardiac contractility, areas of abnormal wall motion, chamber dilatation and wall thickening are made and compared to normal values. The typical ultrasound examination requires no tranquilization or anesthesia and is easily performed on animals that are awake. The only patient preparation necessary is clipping of the hair overlying the area to be scanned (the ultrasound will not penetrate through hair) and placing coupling gel on the skin surface just prior to the exam process. The entire scanning process takes 30-40 minutes. Images are acquired on the monitor of the ultrasound machine as well as on film for later viewing.

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