Here at Taconic Veterinary Center, we offer ultrasound as a means to help diagnose your pet’s condition. Ultrasound is a non-invasive, pain-free imaging technique that uses high-frequency soundwaves instead of radiation to provide us with a visual of your pet’s organ systems. It gives us information that a physical examination and X-rays cannot, making it highly valuable for detecting and treating conditions affecting the abdominal organs and heart.
How Does Pet Ultrasound Work?
Because ultrasounds are neither invasive nor uncomfortable, the procedure should go relatively quickly and cause minimal stress to your pet. Our ultrasound machine includes a handheld device that emits high-frequency soundwaves. These soundwaves safely penetrate through the skin and bounce off the internal organs, creating echoes that can be converted into a moving, real-time image on a screen.
Due to the real-time visualization ultrasound achieves, we can see not only the size and shape of the organs, but also their function and texture. We can assess their blood supply and notice if anything is abnormal.
What Can Be Viewed with Ultrasound?
Pet ultrasound provides our team with a visual of various organ systems, of the body, including:
- Abdominal cavity/organs
- Thoracic cavity (heart and lungs)
- Cardiovascular system
- Musculoskeletal system
What Conditions Can Be Detected?
Furthermore, pet ultrasound can help us detect a wide range of conditions, including:
- Cysts/tumors
- Abnormalities of the heart
- Abdominal and thoracic fluid
- Pancreatitis
- Pregnancies
Do Pets Need to be Sedated for Ultrasounds?
For many pets, sedation is not necessary during an ultrasound procedure. However, if we need to position your pet a certain way that they are not entirely comfortable with, we might administer light sedation to make the procedure easier for them. This would also allow for our team to get the clearest image we can.
