4 Reasons Why Your Pet May Need an Ultrasound

Ultrasounds are useful in veterinary medicine for diagnosing various health issues. Ultrasounds are diagnostic tools that use sound waves to create images of body parts. The safe, noninvasive imaging technology helps examine the pet’s organs. 

The veterinarian uses a probe, moving it across the patient’s skin over the interest site and creating live images on a screen. The sound waves are not painful to the animal and help evaluate the organ tissue. 

• Your Pet Has a Heart Condition

Your pet may need an ultrasound if they have a heart condition. Also known as an echocardiogram, a heart ultrasound can help determine if the pet requires heart medication. A veterinary cardiologist or an experienced general practitioner performs the procedure. 

The diagnostic tool looks inside and around the heart, creating live images. The vet can get an idea of the condition of the heart by examining its shape and size.

·      Abnormal Lab Results 

An abdominal ultrasound may be ideal if the veterinarian detects abnormalities while testing your pet’s blood or urine. The ultrasound will help accurately examine internal organs, including the kidneys, liver, spleen, bladder, and lymph nodes. 

Visualization helps determine the cause of the abnormal results. The vet can gain information about organ function, the health of red blood cells, and the presence of infection.

• Trauma After Accidents 

If your pet is attacked by another animal, hit by a car, or falls, they are likely to experience injuries. This emergency will require an ultrasound to determine whether the animal has organ damage or internal bleeding. 

The exam will help evaluate the pet’s condition by checking for signs of blood, fluid, or organ trauma. The assessment takes a few minutes, which helps in determining the best action or treatment. 

• Detecting Foreign Objects

Your pet may need an ultrasound if you or the vet suspect they have ingested a foreign object. An ultrasound can detect objects in the gastrointestinal tract that may be undetected on an X-ray. 

With ultrasound, it is possible to find objects such as thin plastic, plant material, cloth, or paper. The exam can help determine whether the pet requires immediate surgery or can be treated with medication. 

Emergency Ultrasound 

Emergency ultrasounds help in diagnosing severe health issues. The vet can obtain valuable information through a focused evaluation of the chest and abdomen. The vet can determine whether the animal has an internal hemorrhage, allowing for the development of prompt treatment. Ultrasound examination has various benefits, including:

• Allowing real-time diagnosis of medical issues

• Most pets do not require anesthesia during the examination

• The procedure is low-stress for most pets

• It can be conducted with minimal restraint

• Allows vets to come up with prompt treatment

Ultrasounds examine soft tissues and evaluate eyes, ligaments, tendons, thyroid glands, and fetal development or viability. The vet may collect samples for further testing if the ultrasound detects abnormal tissue. 

For more information, call the Animal Care Experts Veterinary Hospital at (860) 935-0304 to reach our Thompson, Connecticut office.