Abdominal Ultrasounds

An abdominal ultrasound is a non-invasive way to take a closer look at the internal organs in the abdomen. While an X-ray will take a single image of all structures overlying one another, ultrasound allows us to look at each organ’s architecture individually.

With ultrasound, we can evaluate the liver, gallbladder, spleen, adrenal glands, pancreas, stomach, intestines, kidneys, bladder, and more in a detailed way. For a sick pet, this can help us determine what might be making your pet feel ill and give us clues as to whether the problem is inflammatory, infectious, or cancerous.

For your pet’s abdominal ultrasound, they will need to fast overnight. When they are with us, we will shave their abdomen as hair interferes with getting good images. For the actual ultrasound, they will lay on their back in a comfortable foam trough. Many pets tolerate this process wonderfully, although some of our more nervous patients will get light sedation to help them relax.

Once we have obtained the ultrasound images we need, we send the images and videos to a board-certified specialist for interpretation. We generally have results within 24 hours, at which time we will call you to discuss the results and any further recommendations. If necessary, we can STAT the ultrasound study for an additional fee to get results within approximately 2 hours.

If you think your pet could benefit from an abdominal ultrasound or if you have any other questions about this procedure, please don’t hesitate to contact us!