WHAT ARE SOME OF THE REASONS AN ULTRASOUND MAY BE RECOMMENDED?

Pregnancy, including an estimate of the number of puppies/kittens present
Ingested foreign material
Abnormal organ size or shape
Stones in the urinary bladder or kidneys
Fluid in abdomen (including the ability to safely obtain a sample of it)
Tumors/masses, including certain cancers (including the ability to obtain a biopsy of some areas)
Quality of blood flow through the arteries

THE ADVANTAGES OF ULTRASOUND IN VETERINARY MEDICINE

An ultrasound offers a “real-time” look at internal organs. This is most often utilized with pets who are pregnant and to gauge the health of puppies and kittens as they develop. We can also use the ultrasound to view blood flow in arteries/veins or through organs.
It’s noninvasive. Many pets will need some mild sedation for a complete scan, but emergency or brief scans can usually be performed without sedation.
It is repeatable, such as with each new stage of a pregnancy or to monitor progression of disease.
It allows us to view the internal organs with greater precision than an x-ray would allow.
There are no side effects of an ultrasound. The sound waves noted above are not harmful to your pet (or any potential puppies/kittens), even if repeated.
As we can usually get you scheduled within a week of your initial visit, an ultrasound is often more timely than waiting for a CT or MRI at a local referral center.