Ultrasound is a diagnostic tool used in many medical situations.  The most common way people see this used is for pregnancy screening at the OBGYN office.  We in the veterinary field also use ultrasound every day!  The technology and science behind an ultrasound is simple; the ultrasound machine produces ultrasonic waves that move through tissue and reflect waves back to the wand of the machine.  These reflections create a 2D image real time in the patient.   This is how a basic ultrasound image is created. 

The testing choices vary from patient to patient and doctor to doctor.  However, the ultrasound testing is never the first test ran by a vet.  Typically basic screening is performed to find the most common problems.  If those results lead the vet to need more information they may tell you an ultrasound is your next step.

Above you can see an ultrasound keyboard that includes all the buttons and knobs that a vet would use while performing an ultrasound.  

When your dog or cat needs an ultrasound we would like you to do the following to make the most of the imaging.

1.  Coordinate with  the front desk to ensure that one of our vet's is ready for the ultrasound.  
Call 248-851-6645

2.  No food or water prior to the ultrasound that day.  Ideally we would like 12 hours of fasting prior to the ultrasound.  For convenience we can perform these scans as early as 7 am.

3.  Expect a 40 minute scan.  You can wait and even observe the scans depending on the hospital happenings at that time.  

When an ultrasound is performed patients are typically not sedated or anesthetized.  Patients need to be still and laying on their back for an ultrasound to be performed of the abdomen.  Luckily we have a soft cushion to help with the patient's comfort during this positioning. 

Depending on the findings of the ultrasound with the vet you can have answers at the time of the scan.  There are cases where videos and still images from the ultrasound will be sent to a radiologist for review.  These reviews take 3 days prior to a report being given back to the vet clinic. 

Please call use at 248-851-6645

Or you can make an appointment request online using this link.