The Use of Sonography in Veterinary Settings
By : Jared Wallace
Your furry friends are wonderful creatures , and every pet owner who adores their pet loathes to learn their friend is sick . As with people , animals also can get sick , and making them undergo invasive producers is not desirable for many pet owners . This is where sonography comes into play .
Sonography is a non-invasive diagnostic tool used to examine the cross-sectional anatomy of the organs in the abdomen . Sonography is a rapidly growing field . It is typically used for humans ; however , it is becoming more common in veterinary settings .
Before sonography , many pet patients underwent blood and urine tests , MRIs , and X-rays , which were lengthy procedures that exposed veterinary techs to radiation ( imagine trying to hold down a cat while wearing heavy lead mittens ). As time advanced , so did the way veterinarians detected different pathologies , and sonography began to be utilized .
In the EFSC DMS program , we partnered with an animal specialty and emergency center , sending me to gain insight and scrutinize the utilization of sonography on animals . I had the opportunity to shadow a very distinguished emergency veterinarian , Dr . Jackson , who is one of only 28 boardcertified criticalists in all of Florida .
As soon as I arrived , I was thrown right into the action . A dog was brought in that was not healing properly after a duodenum surgery . Dr . Jackson quickly assessed the dog and observed the patient was experiencing difficulty breathing . She had the veterinary nurses position the patient on an exam table and proceeded to give the dog a quick abdominal ultrasound .
When she imaged transversely , near the upper right quadrant , she discovered there was a liquid between the patient ’ s liver and lung . This liquid was pressing against the dog ’ s lung and causing difficulty breathing . The medical term for this is plural effusion ( when excess fluid builds up in the layer of the lungs called pleura , causing respiratory complications ). Dr . Jackson then addressed the pet owner about the patient ’ s state and came up with a plan to aspirate ( remove ) the liquid . She was really hoping the liquid was not blood , which would have been bad for the dog . She used the ultrasound machine to guide the needle into the liquid and began aspirating . Success ! The liquid was clear , and the dog immediately experienced relief .
A second ultrasound was also scheduled . The dog was an elderly dog that was urinating frequently . The second ultrasound reveled that the dog had a mass that was pressing against its bladder . Dr . Jackson used a core biopsy needle to take a biopsy of the mass . Again , the ultrasound machine was used for needle guidance . She positioned the probe sagittal and positioned the needle posteriorly . I could easily identify the needle , as it was very echogenic and moved in real-time in the ultrasound image . The sample was sent out to a lab for testing . These two examples show how sonography is useful in a veterinary setting ; rather than slicing into patients , veterinarians can easily diagnose them using sonography .
Another way sonography facilitates veterinary procedures is through the invention of the Butterfly IQ Vet . The Butterfly IQ Vet is a handheld ultrasound device . Using your smartphone , it gives you the ability to scan any type of animal at any location or time . It can scan dogs , cats , horses , sea turtles , or even tigers , plus it is portable and accessible , which allows vets to improve care for their patients . For as little as $ 2,000 , clinics can save lives and increase their bottom lines .
Diagnostic
Medical Sonography