Ultrasound Solutions

Sedation is not always necessary for routine procedures. It will, however, be used in patients that are too fearful to relax for the exam and with invasive biopsy and aspirate procedures. For any fearful patients, please consider pre-medicating with anxiolytic medications such as gabapentin for cats and trazodone for dogs according to current fear free practices. This medication may be obtained from your veterinarian prior to your visit and given at home before you arrive for your ultrasound. If you will be dropping your pet off with his Veterinarian, please sign the necessary permission forms for patient sedation. This will not be performed without your knowledge.

Fasting is required both for sedation preparation and to minimize gas in the gastrointestinal tract. GI gas can obscure visibility of cranial abdominal structures (ie pancreas and adrenal glands.) Please have your patient fasted after midnight the night before an ultrasound exam. Drinking water or clear broth will not interfere with the ultrasound exam. Your pet may drink clear liquids after 10 pm the night before the ultrasound exam. If your pet has a medical condition for which she must not be fasted, please alert us. If a pill must be given the morning of the ultrasound, a small amount of canned food or peanut butter will not interfere with the ultrasound exam.

Bladders must be full to be evaluated properly. Please keep your patient in a kennel or carrier or withhold litter boxes for a couple of hours before an abdominal exam.

Hair must be clipped from the exam site to facilitate good skin contact. We will do this in any animals that have a thick or full coat of hair in the area of concern. Please let us know if there are any issues or concerns about this.