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Klinika dla Małych Zwierząt Wąsiatycz Ultrasound Department

  • We provide the highest standard of veterinary care.

  • Ultrasound Diagnostics

    Ultrasonography is one of the modern and non-invasive diagnostic methods used in our Clinic. It is a safe, completely painless way to examine the organs of the abdominal cavity, the chest, neck structures, or superficial lesions of the skin/subcutaneous tissue. Currently, ultrasound is also increasingly used in the examination of the structures of the eyeball.

    Basic principles of ultrasound

    This examination is conducted based on ultrasonic waves of various frequencies sent by the probe of the device, which simultaneously receives them. This is possible thanks to the piezoelectric effect. Ultrasonic waves reflect when they encounter the examined tissues. Depending on the medium that the ultrasonic wave encounters on its path, it may undergo refraction, diffraction, or scattering. In veterinary practice, among various types of probes, sector probes of 3.5 MHz, 5 MHz, and 7.5 MHz have found the greatest application. They differ from each other in the depth of tissue penetration. This results from the fact that as the wave frequency increases, its attenuation coefficient by the examined biological structures also increases. Consequently, a 3.5 MHz probe is able to "reach" 15 cm deep into an organ, while a 7.5 MHz probe reaches only 7 cm. Therefore, low-frequency probes are used in examining large dogs, and higher-frequency ones in small animals such as small breed dogs, cats, rabbits, or ferrets.

    Ultrasound images can be presented in three modes:

    1. A-mode – the oldest way of presenting the image, currently used in eye diagnostics.
    2. B-mode – here we can obtain a static and real-time image. The latter is commonly used in examining abdominal organs and the heart.
    3. M-mode – most often used in echocardiography; it serves to examine moving structures.

    The image of organs obtained on the monitor during the examination is defined according to their echogenicity. We distinguish:

    • Anechoic structures, so-called aechogenic, e.g., body fluids,
    • Hypoechoic structures, e.g., muscles,
    • Hyperechoic structures, e.g., bone, gas.

  • Application of Ultrasonography

    We use ultrasound to evaluate internal organs, including the liver, kidneys, spleen, urinary bladder, or reproductive system, to confirm or exclude a diagnostic hypothesis regarding the causes of the ailments of the animal we are examining.

    Liver

    To visualize this organ, the examined animal is placed on its back or side, and the probe is applied to the subcostal area, gently pressing toward the sternum. Gas present in the stomach can be a major difficulty for the doctor during the examination; therefore, it is good to give the patient a small amount of water directly before the examination, remembering that they should simultaneously be fasting. In this positioning, we can also examine the biliary system, especially the gallbladder, which we see as an oval/round anechoic structure. The most commonly diagnosed diseases of the liver and bile ducts include fatty liver, inflammation, tumors, gallstones, cholecystitis, and many others.

    Spleen

    The patient's positioning is similar, but the image of this organ can be obtained by applying the probe to the left side of the animal's body. The size of the organ and the appearance of the parenchyma are subject to evaluation. The most commonly diagnosed diseases of the spleen include tumors and torsions.

    Kidneys

    The left kidney is easier to visualize, while the right one, due to its location, can sometimes be difficult to capture. During the examination, the size and shape of the kidneys are evaluated, as well as the two main parts of the kidney – the cortex, which is the outer layer, and the medulla, which is the inner part. Based on their appearance and their relationship to each other, the doctor can often recognize a disease and determine its stage of advancement. Among kidney diseases diagnosed by ultrasonography, we can mention tumors, hydronephrosis, renal agenesis, polycystic disease, or chronic kidney disease.

    Urinary Bladder

    To evaluate it, the examined animal must have a full bladder. An image of the organ is obtained in the posterior part of the abdominal cavity and is visible as an anechoic structure, so-called aechogenic. Ultrasound of the urinary bladder is performed to diagnose, among others, urolithiasis, inflammations, urethral patency, or tumors.

    Uterus

    A normal uterus is poorly visible in the ultrasound image. It can be visualized by applying the probe to the posterior part of the abdominal cavity, between the colon and the urinary bladder; therefore, it is important for the female patient to have a full bladder during the examination. The appearance of the uterus depends, among other things, on the number of previous births, the physiological state such as pregnancy, or a disease state such as pyometra.

    Prostate Gland

    The prostate gland is located caudally to the urinary bladder and surrounds the urethra. Due to the location of the gland, a full urinary bladder is important for its accurate assessment. Its size is an individual matter, depending on the breed, size of the patient, age, or previous castration. During the examination, the uniformity of both lobes and their symmetry are evaluated. Preventive examination of the prostate is particularly important in older patients. For them, the most common problem is gland hyperplasia, the presence of cysts, or tumors.

    Beyond the described organs, the digestive tract is also evaluated, including the stomach, small intestines, and colon, as well as smaller structures such as adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries, lymph nodes, blood vessels, testicles, or the thyroid gland.

    Ultrasound-guided biopsy

    At the moment of diagnosing abnormal changes in organs, it is possible to perform a fine-needle or core-needle biopsy under ultrasound guidance. Such an examination can be performed with the patient under sedation, making it completely stress-free and painless, and thanks to the result obtained, it has high diagnostic value.

  • Patient Preparation for the Examination

    Every animal must be properly prepared for an ultrasound examination. It should be remembered that the patient must fast for about 10–12 hours before the examination. This is very important because food and gas produced in the digestive tract during digestion significantly hinder the visualization of many organs. Furthermore, the animal should have a full urinary bladder, which will allow for the evaluation of not only the organ itself but also the uterus or prostate, for which the bladder constitutes the so-called acoustic window.

    At the clinic, however, the doctor must shave the fur covering the examined area for the examination, as it constitutes a barrier for the ultrasonic wave. Then, a special gel is applied to the skin, which removes the air between the probe and the skin surface. If the animal is very agitated and restless, sedation is sometimes recommended.

    Ultrasonography is a completely safe and painless examination that currently has very wide application in diagnosing and treating animals, as well as in disease prevention. It allows for the early detection of pathological changes that have not yet managed to cause visible symptoms in the animal.

Contact us

The clinic is open 24/7
Phone Numbers: 61 823 09 97, 61 828 56 01, SMS 799 448 116
e-mail: lp.tewnilkajcpecer

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