Cat and Dog Ultrasound in Laguna Niguel, CA
What is ultrasound?
Ultrasound technology produces highly detailed images by using a special device that transmits narrow and very high-frequency sound waves. The device includes a handheld probe called a transducer that can be applied to the area of a human or pet’s body that the veterinarian wishes to examine internally. The ultrasound waves can be modulated by the operator to pass through, be reflected by, or be absorbed by the tissues and structures they encounter. When they are reflected off of a surface, the organ or structure of interest, they return as ‘echoes’ and are picked up by a receiver built into the transducer, and then transformed into a two-dimensional image with digital technology and displayed on a monitor. The image can also be saved on a computer for later viewing or sharing. This gives the veterinarian valuable information about what’s happening internally without having to use invasive methods.
What are cat and dog ultrasounds used for?
Ultrasounds for pets are most often used by veterinarians to keep track of the progress of pregnancies, just as they are in humans. But they are very useful for diagnosing many types of medical conditions and injuries, and they are also helpful in monitoring the healing process. Some of the reasons that your vet may decide to perform an ultrasound scan on a pet include if they suspect there is an internal injury or that they have swallowed a foreign object, if they’ve had abnormal blood or urine lab test results, or if there is an indication of a heart condition. Anytime your vet suspects that something is wrong internally, they might order an ultrasound scan to be done.
The Limitations Of Ultrasound
The waves emitted by the ultrasound device can’t pass through air so they are of limited use in examining organs that contain air like the lungs and other organs. They are also blocked by bone, so the brain and spinal cord inside the vertebrae can’t be imaged.
