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!
