Preparation for ultrasound examination (ultrasound)

Preparation for an abdominal ultrasound (US) is an important step in diagnosing the health of cats and dogs.
US allows us to non-invasively evaluate internal organs, identify possible abnormalities, injuries or pathologies. Given the significant benefits of this examination, it is important to ensure that the animal is properly prepared to obtain quality results.

1. Starvation diet: Before abdominal ultrasonography, the animal should be starved for 10-12 hours. This will help to reduce the amount of gases, food masses in the gastrointestinal tract, which can interfere with the qualitative assessment of internal organs.
For kittens and puppies up to 6 months, a fasting diet is less enduring, 4-6 hours.

2. Water: Provide the animal with free access to water during the fast. Hydration will help maintain optimal organ function. Also, when assessing some systems, you may be asked to give additional water to avoid measurement errors, we are talking about the cardiovascular and urinary systems.

3. Drugs: A separate item should be noted that there are drugs that can greatly facilitate the study. Among them are the groups of foam extinguishers and sedatives. The administration of drugs of these groups will help in visualization by reducing the amount of gas in the gastrointestinal tract, which will increase the informativeness and quality of the study.
Sedatives can minimize stress for the animal, and significantly reduce the time of the study, ensure safety for you and the clinic staff, sometimes when animals are scared, they can behave aggressively.

4. Warning about possible actions when preparing an animal for ultrasound. Also, remember that hair greatly interferes with obtaining an informative image during the examination. We are also sorry to shave off the fur of your pets, but it is necessary for the quality of the study.

5. Informing your doctor: Inform your doctor about any medical conditions that may affect the study, such as chronic diseases, allergies, previous surgeries, etc.

It is important to remember that proper preparation of the animal can significantly facilitate the abdominal ultrasound process. By performing this procedure, the doctor can detect possible problems in time and provide proper treatment. High-tech ultrasound is one of the ways to quickly and informatively diagnose and ensure a long and healthy life for our pets.