Bryan Animal Clinic in Decatur, AL offers pet ultrasound as a powerful diagnostic tool for identifying illnesses in animals. The doctors at our clinic -- James Norwood Bryan, Jeff English and Harry Greenbaum -- are happy to serve community of Decatur, as well as the Hartselle and Madison areas for all veterinarian needs. Here is what you need to know about pet ultrasound and how your animal can benefit from this tool.
What is Pet Ultrasound?
An ultrasound is a handy tool that allows a veterinarian to take a close look at your pet's internal organs -- without surgery. The procedure is completely painless and non-invasive. While an X-ray uses radiation, an ultrasound uses sound waves. This is a much more useful tool than X-rays because it allows the vet to examine the structures inside of organs (as opposed to a static image in an X-ray, which only reveals the shape of an organ).
A pet ultrasound procedure takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. The immediate results can be viewed on a monitor, and all of the images captured by the ultrasound are digitally stored so they can be reviewed by another professional for a second opinion, if needed.
Uses of Pet Ultrasound
One of the most common pet ultrasound procedures that you hear about is called an echocardiogram. This is basically an ultrasound performed to examine your pet's heart, which is useful in older pets and in breeds for which heart disease is more prevalent. During the echocardiogram, the veterinarian can examine the thickness of the heart's walls and even the condition of the chambers inside the pet's heart.
The main benefit of a pet ultrasound is its use as an early diagnostic tool. Your pet might not be showing any signs of illness yet, but an ultrasound can identify abnormal growths inside the body such as cysts, nodules or masses. If they are not detected early, these growths can develop into serious cancers or other problems that very costly to treat. Early intervention is always best when it comes to illness, and a pet ultrasound is a great tool for this.
Pet ultrasound can identify a wide range of potential health problems, without the need for invasive surgery:
- Uterine infections
- Liver & pancreas diseases
- Abdominal fluid
- Heart diseases & abnormalities
- Diagnose pregnancy
- Issues with gall bladder, urinary bladder, prostate or kidneys
- Enlarged lymph nodes
- And much more!
Call us for a Pet Ultrasound in Decatur, AL
The doctors are Bryan Animal Clinic -- James Norwood Bryan, Jeff English & Harry Greenbaum -- are eager to meet you and your pet. Call our office to schedule a veterinarian appointment or to learn more about pet ultrasound. Now serving pets and their owners in the Decatur, Hartselle and Madison areas!