Ultrasonography, commonly referred to as ultrasound, is the second most commonly used imaging in veterinary medicine. But, I will go ahead and tell you that at Shelley Drive Animal Clinic, it is probably the first! Ultrasound uses sound waves to bounce off different tissues in the body. Different tissues show different patterns, textures, and colors known as echogenicity. And while flat x-rays are good for showing bones and other solid things, the ultrasound is superior for seeing tissue, including masses, intestinal abnormalities, or even babies to confirm pregnancy in dogs or cats. Another test that we can do with ultrasound is echocardiography, also called an echo. Echocardiograpgy is used to diagnose or rule out many different heart diseases like valve abnormalities, heart dilation, muscle thickening, congenital diseases, and even heart tumors. Fine needle aspirates of some tumors maybe obtained using guidance with the ultrasound. This can help determine what disease your pet has and help in creating a treatment plan based on their needs without doing surgery for a biopsy. As with flat x-rays, ultrasound is noninvasive and sedation is usually not needed.
Dr. Twomey, Dr. Carlson, and Dr. Maris are all skilled in performing ultrasounds to identify different diseases and tumors.