As a pet owner, if your pet has been scheduled for an ultrasound, you can feel a little disoriented but it’s always helpful if you know what to expect to be prepared. Ultrasounds have become a very important part of keeping our pets healthy, they are the best way to approach many health issues and even to practice surgical procedures since early diagnosis can save pets' lives. Veterinarians use them to get better diagnoses, detection of diseases, and a good understanding of the health and well-being of animals, plus is the most common type of scan to examine pets.
WHAT IS AN ULTRASOUND?
Ultrasounds, also known as ultrasonography, use a very similar technology used for sonograms during human pregnancies by obstetricians, they utilize sound waves to create an image that allows internal body structures to be seen. There are no side effects and are considered a non-invasive imaging test. Ultrasounds have many advantages in veterinary medicine because it offers a look at internal organs on real-time and greater precision, it’s non-invasive and very affordable.
There are a lot of different issues that an ultrasound can detect, like pregnancy and the number of fetuses in utero, foreign bodies, cardiac function, whether or not an organ is enlarged including liver, kidneys, bowel, spleen, bladder, prostate, uterus, and heart; and tumors or ingested something, such as a pet toy, a piece of clothing, or something else that it shouldn’t have ingested, and other internal injuries or conditions that might otherwise require surgery to view properly.
There is almost no discomfort for your pet during these examinations, but for some of them, a light sedative may be required during an ultrasound, which is not very common unless biopsies are to be taken, but only if they become too anxious and frightened during the procedure. This is totally painless and it helps to ensure that a clear picture is taken in order to properly diagnose and provide accurate treatment. Also in most cases, it’s necessary to shave your pet's hair, because is important to make complete contact with the skin. Sometimes the hair can be moistened with alcohol, but most studies require hair removal
Thanks to the use of ultrasounds information can be gathered through them at a more cheap cost than others imaging procedures. For animal hospitals, clinics, and emergency care centers all across the country, it has become very valuable for diagnostics.
When your furry friend is sick, our team uses the newest technology, such as digital ultrasound, to put your mind at ease. If you’d like to learn more about ultrasounds or want additional information about how they can help your pet and schedule an appointment, please call Salazar Veterinary Hospital at Orlando today!
