Ultrasound
Description of Service and Procedures
The ultrasound imaging service provides abdominal, non-cardiac thoracic, musculoskeletal and ocular ultrasound; US-guided aspiration and biopsy procedures.
Estimated Time for Completion of Service
Typical time to completion of a radiographic or ultrasonographic examination is between two and four hours depending on caseload.
Procedures
- All our ultrasound examinations are performed by radiologists. None is performed by a technologist.
- Abdominal hair will need to be clipped to allow for adequate penetration of ultrasound into the patient.
- Ultrasound examinations are preferably performed on fasted animals so it is better not to feed your pet before bringing him to the hospital.
- The examination itself lasts approximately 30 minutes after which a report is quickly generated and made available to the primary doctor.
- Occasionally, sedation or anesthesia will be needed if the animal is nervous. Sedation or anesthesia will always be needed for ultrasound guided biopsies but not necessary for ultrasound guided cystocentesis and some fine needle aspirates.
- The duration of anesthesia is generally short, and the patient is monitored using sophisticated equipment including electrocardiogram, blood pressure and respiratory indices. Modern anesthesia drugs allow for quick onset of and recovery from anesthesia. Anesthesia is administered by highly trained veterinary nurse-anesthetists who select the drugs and administration protocol according to each patient’s individual requirements.
Requirements
Ultrasound imaging services are provided for Ryan Veterinary Hospital patients only.
Appointment / Referral information
Ultrasound imaging services are provided for Ryan Veterinary Hospital patients only. Pet owners must be referred through Ryan primary care services (e.g., surgery, medicine, neurology).
For more information, call 215.898.8863.