Ultrasound is a veterinary internal medicine tool that, like digital X-rays, is used to examine a pet’s internal organs without having to resort to exploratory veterinary surgery. Ultrasound is a safe procedure that is both painless and stress free for the pet.
Unlike X-rays, which consist of still photographs of an organ, ultrasound enables a veterinarian to examine and photograph internal processes in real time. With ultrasound, the veterinarian can observe and study an organ or process and how it is functioning rather than relying on a single point in time picture. The functioning of things like blood flow and the operation of various organs can be observed to determine if they are malfunctioning.
The images appearing on the monitor can be saved and replayed for later study by another veterinarian if necessary. Because ultrasound is painless, there is generally no need to anesthetize a dog or cat in order to perform an ultrasound scan.
Ultrasound is just one of many high-tech tools that veterinarians use to diagnose health problems in pets early in order to treat them before they become a serious threat to you dog or cat’s health and well-being.