How to Prepare Your Pet for an Ultrasound

Your pet is an adorable member of your family. Pets fill their human companions' lives with lots of love, fun, cuddles, wagging tails, and more. So, it’s important that you take good care of your animal friend. That requires regular veterinary exams at El Paso Animal Urgent Care West and care to ensure your pet remains healthy and thrives throughout all life stages. 

Modern advances in veterinary medicine provide medications and tools that allow pets to live healthier, happier, and longer lives. They are helping extend the time pets remain by their owner’s side. One of the most helpful advances in veterinary care is ultrasound. 

What Is an Ultrasound?

Did your veterinarian recommend an ultrasound for your furry friend? If so, you need to understand what it is and how it can help your animal companion.

An ultrasound is painless and generates pictures of a specific body part. During the procedure, your veterinarian will use a computer with a handheld probe. They will move the probe across the surface of your pet's skin over the specific area of interest. 

Difference Between Ultrasounds and X-rays

Physicians use x-rays frequently in their daily practice to look inside their patients' bodies. But compared to the images an ultrasound can generate, X-rays may not be the best option. X-rays evaluate the shape and size of an organ. Ultrasounds, on the other hand, can evaluate the tissue of an organ, in addition to its shape and size.

How to Prepare Your Pet

Ultrasounds are extremely useful for veterinarians as they can help diagnose a wide range of conditions and diseases. Furthermore, an ultrasound is quick and can potentially save your pet's life. 

But as a pet owner, knowing the procedure before your animal companion undergoes treatment will help ease some of your anxiety. After all, your pet's stress levels will rise if they detect your anxiety. An anxious pet can make scanning very difficult, causing problems for your veterinarian. 

To prepare your animal friend for an ultrasound to make the process stress-free and easy, you should take the following steps:

Do Not Feed Your Pet Before the Procedure

Avoid feeding your pet before the procedure. A full stomach can interfere with your veterinarian's ability to spot organs such as the adrenals and liver. However, keep your furry friend hydrated with water.

Keep Your Pet Relaxed

Before the procedure, monitor your pet's anxiety levels. In most cases, an ultrasound does not require sedation of the pet. But if your pet is prone to extreme anxiety or pain, they may benefit from sedation.

Prevent Your Pet From Urinating Within Three Hours Before the Scan

According to veterinary professionals, a partially full or full bladder is helpful for a comprehensive examination. Thus, do not let your animal companion urinate within three hours of the procedure.

Bottom Line 

The soundwaves generated are not painful or harmful to your pet. When aimed into the body, some of them bounce back. Body tissues absorb the others. The ultrasound machine measures those that reflect and transforms them into images of a structure within the body.

For more on pet ultrasounds, visit El Paso Animal Urgent Care West at our El Paso, Texas office. Call (915) 301-0065 to speak to a staff member today.