Ultrasonography

We have two high-quality ultrasound machines with an array of probes allowing us to perform, amongst over things, detailed cardiac (heart) and abdominal ultrasonography.

Cardiac Ultrasound

We use cardiac ultrasonography to diagnose heart disease by identifying both structural and functional abnormalities of the heart. Ultrasonography is the gold standard in diagnosing heart disease and due to the capability of our machine we can take detailed measurements and look at blood flow patterns within the heart to determine the cause and extent of the majority of heart problems your pet maybe suffering from. This includes congenital problems, such as, foramen ovale (hole in the heart), and acquired problems, such as, pulmonary hypertension.

In addition, we use our ultrasound machine to detect early changes within the heart to identify the likelihood of your pet developing heart failure later in life. This is particularly important in certain breeds of dogs, such as the Doberman, Boxer and Great Dane which are prone to dilated cardiomyopathy; and cats which are prone to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Abdominal Ultrasound

We use abdominal ultrasound, often in combination with radiography, to look at the internal structure of the organs found within the abdominal cavity including the liver, spleen, gall, bladder, intestines and kidneys. We can look for changes in the size and thickness of an organ; identify abnormality of shape of an organ; look for tumours, cysts or other masses within organs or within the abdominal cavity itself and identify an blockages within the biliary (bile duct) or urinary tract.

Other Uses

We can also use our ultrasound machine for the following investigations and or procedures:

• Pregnancy diagnosis
• Pregnancy complications
• Eye examinations
• Ultrasound assisted biopsies, for example, of the liver or masses found with the chest
• Sterile urine collection
• Pericardiocentesis – drainage of fluid from around the heart