Ultrasound

Why would my pet need an emergency ultrasound?

Veterinarians can use ultrasound in pet emergencies for a wide variety of reasons:

• Diagnostic Imaging: Ultrasound provides real-time images of internal organs, allowing our veterinarians to quickly assess the condition of your pet's organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys, and bladder. In emergency situations, quick and accurate diagnosis is crucial for determining the appropriate course of treatment.
• Trauma Assessment: In cases of trauma, such as being hit by a car or steep falls, ultrasound can help our doctors assess the extent of unseen damage or internal injuries. Determining if internal bleeding or organ damage is present is vital for making quick decisions about the urgency and type of veterinary treatment is needed.
• Abdominal Issues: Pets presenting with acute abdominal pain or distress may require emergency ultrasound to identify conditions like ingested foreign bodies, intestinal blockages, torsion (twisting) of organs, or gastrointestinal issues. Early detection with ultrasound can lead to prompt intervention and better outcomes.
• Cardiac Evaluations: Ultrasound can be used to evaluate the heart's function in cases of cardiac emergencies, such as arrhythmias, heart failure, or congenital heart defects. This leads our veterinarians to appropriate treatment strategies or performing emergency procedures.
• Pregnancy Complications: In cases of pregnancy complications, such as difficult birth (dystocia), ultrasound can help determine the number of fetuses, their position, and whether intervention is necessary with Cesarean section (C-section) to assist with delivery.
• Fluid Accumulation: Ultrasound is useful for detecting fluid accumulation in the chest or abdomen, which could indicate conditions like fluid around the lungs (pleural effusion) or fluid in the abdomen (ascites). Identifying these conditions promptly is important for appropriate emergency management.

Other conditions that our medical team can diagnose with ultrasound are:

• Non–cancerous tumors
• Cancerous tumors
• Cysts
• Liver conditions
• Kidney conditions
• Urinary conditions
• Heart conditions
• Mitral value disease
• Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
• Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)

In an emergency situation, ultrasound allows veterinarians to rapidly gather critical information about a patient's condition, aiding in quick decision-making and improving the chances of a positive outcome.