Ultrasound Services in Sacramento
At Veterinary Medical Center in Sacramento, we offer mobile veterinary ultrasound for dogs and cats, available on-call Monday and Tuesday. Reports are interpreted by a Board-Certified Radiologist or Cardiologist, with same-day sonographer assessment..
Investigates bladder, bowel, reproductive organs, kidneys, adrenal glands, spleen, pancreas, stomach, liver, gallbladder, bile ducts and more.
An echocardiogram is a detailed investigation of the heart structure and function while the diagnostic ECG investigates the heart rhythm and electrical activity.
Evaluates the thyroid gland, surrounding lymph nodes and lumps in the neck, as well as submandibular and parathyroid glands.
Used to evaluate intra ocular and orbital disease. Often used to rule out posterior segmental diseases such as retinal detachment.
Evaluates shoulders- including infraspinatus muscle, supraspinatus muscle and tendons, biceps and brachii tendons. Also evaluates stifles- including patellar ligament, cranial cruciate ligament, collateral ligaments and menisci.
Understanding Ultrasound
Diagnostic Ultrasound
Ultrasound allows us to look in very fine detail at soft tissue structures that are not visible on X- rays in order to thoroughly evaluate each abdominal organ and identify very small abnormalities.
Requirement: 8-10 hours of Fasting is needed. Sedation may or may not be needed but it is recommended specially in large dogs/Anxious pets for better and diagnostic image quality. Complete abdomen hair shave is mandatory for the Ultrasound.
Risks of Diagnostic Ultrasound
Because there is no radiation used, there are no risks to your pet from the ultrasound itself. Many pets need at least light sedation and are calmer with it.
Echocardiograms
Requirement: Fasting is not needed. Light sedation may or may not be needed but it is recommended specially in large dogs/Anxious Pets for better and diagnostic image quality. Complete chest hair shave is mandatory for the Echocardiogram.
Risks of Echocardiograms
Procedures Involved Through Ultrasound
Centesis Procedure:
Ultrasound-guided centesis procedures refer to medical interventions that involve the insertion of a needle or catheter into a body cavity or organ under the guidance of ultrasound imaging. This technique allows for precise placement of the needle, enhancing accuracy and reducing the risk of complications. Here are some common types of ultrasound-guided Centesis procedures:
- Abdominocentesis:
Purpose: Removal of fluid from the abdominal cavity (peritoneal fluid).
Applications: Diagnosing and treating conditions such as ascites or peritonitis.
- Thoracocentesis:
Purpose: Removal of fluid from the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs.
Applications: Management of pleural effusions or pneumothorax.
- Paracentesis:
Purpose: Draining fluid from a specific body cavity, often the peritoneal cavity.
Applications: Diagnosis or relief of conditions like ascites or abdominal infections.
- Peri-cardiocentesis:
Purpose: Draining fluid from the pericardial sac around the heart.
Applications: Treatment of pericardial effusion or cardiac tamponade.
- Fine Needle Aspiration
Ultrasound tells us if a nodule or mass is there or there is a change in the texture of the organ but doesn’t tell us specifically what it is.
Fine needle aspiration involves using ultrasound to guide a needle (24-25 G) into the nodule or abnormal organ. The sample is then sent to a pathologist for analysis. FNA Sampling is done mostly from organ like Liver, Spleen, Pancreas, Kidney, Prostate or any mass in Abdomen.
- Risks of Fine Needle Aspiration
2-3% of patients undergoing FNA will experience mild bleeding and will require monitoring at your veterinarian after the procedure to ensure that the bleeding stops. FNA samples is always a first Non-invasive step to get a diagnosis but they do not always provide a diagnosis (70%-80% accuracy), and sometimes a surgical biopsy/Ultrasound Guided Core Biopsy is needed. A blood work within 1 month is recommended for FNA sampling
- Fine Needle Aspiration Vs Core Biopsy:
Core Biopsy is recommended in special cases where FNA sampling doesn’t give us adequate result due to small needle size. Core Biopsy is done under short sedation using a thicker needle Biopsy gun (Typically 18G). You might see a small area of Puncture for the biopsy collection. A full detailed blood work Coagulation Profile before a core biopsy is must. Risk of Bleeding in core Biopsy than FNA is higher and pet should be monitored for 6-8 hours post collection for any decrease in PCV or Paler Mucous membrane. Pet will be sent home on some pain medications as well.
Pet should not be on any Blood thinner Medication before FNA or Core Biopsy
