Abdominal
Ultrasound
An
abdominal ultrasound examination (sonogram) is a full examination
of all or most of the liver, gall bladder, pancreas, stomach,
kidneys, adrenal glands, intestines, urinary bladder, uterus,
ovaries, prostate, testicles and abdominal lymph nodes.
Ultrasound examination of these organs is especially critical
when the diagnosis depends on seeing inside the organs or
seeing them function in real-time. Using sound wave energy,
ultrasound allows all this to be done without resorting
to anesthesia and surgery.
An abdominal sonogram is
painless and can generally be completed in about an hour
without any sedation or anesthesia. Squirmy little critters
such as cats, ferrets, rabbits, hamsters and others are
occasional exceptions to that rule – it’s still painless
for them, but a little light sedation or anesthesia actually
results in a sonogram that is faster and less stressful
for them.
When abnormalities are found
on abdominal ultrasound, an ultrasound-guided biopsy or
ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration can often lead
to an immediate diagnosis with far less risk to the patient
than exploratory surgery. This capability has proven extremely
useful in many of our patients with cancer and liver disease.
In some cases, surgical treatment can be completely avoided.
Cardiac
Ultrasound
The
heart is one of nature’s most marvelous and complex creations.
It is a self contained, self-powered, self-regulating blood
pump that contains internal walls, four internal chambers,
four one-way valves and an independent electrical system.
Each of these components must function perfectly and in
concert with all the others in order to produce the reliable
blood output that the rest of the body depends on.
Sometimes our pet’s hearts
can be become damaged or diseased which, of course, could
be fatal if left untreated.
Companion animals, just like
humans, can experience a wide range of different types of
heart disease. Some are acquired with age or as a result
of injury and still others are actually congenital birth
defects.
A Cardiac ultrasound examination
(echocardiogram) is an examination of the heart, generally
without any sedation or anesthesia.
Visualizing the functioning
of the heart is just as important as measuring its size,
shape, blood pressure and electrical conduction in assessing
its state of health or disease. This is where cardiac ultrasound
becomes indispensable. Using nothing more than sound waves,
a cardiac ultrasound examination can tell us the size of
the heart, its shape, the thickness of the walls, the diameters
of the internal chambers, which directions and how fast
the blood inside is moving, how well the valves are functioning
and what kind of output the heart is producing.
We can also make before and
after measurements of the heart, to help determine if a
heart medication is working and/or how much we should adjust
the dosage to help maintain optimum cardiac function.
Please don’t panic at the
mention of heart disease. Most forms of small
animal heart disease are readily treatable
– just as they are in people. Many animals with heart disease
can expect to live out normal life spans with proper medication
and monitoring. So if your vet recommends an echocardiogram
or a “heart work up,” relax, you’re in good hands and your
pet will be safer for it.
Special
Studies
Ultrasound can also be every helpful in evaluating the reproductive
system and in cases of disease of the eye or surrounding
ocular tissues. We also use low-cost limited ultrasound
exams frequently to rule in or out specific conditions such
as bladder stones, pregnancy, urinary tract infection, prostatic
disease, spleen enlargement, liver enlargement, kidney disease,
adrenal gland disease, abnormal fluid accumulations in the
chest, abdomen or around the heart, and so on.
Ultrasound has also helped
us solve several mysterious cases involving limping!
