Ultrasound
Ultrasound is a form of safe non-invasive diagnostic imaging. It is better than radiography (x-ray) for visualizing soft tissue structures. We use ultrasound mainly for viewing structures in the abdomen (i.e. liver, spleen, kidneys etc). The images are also seen in real-time, which means things like movement of the gastro-intestinal tract can be observed, which we cannot do with radiography.
At Toowong Family Vet, we usually employ the services of a specialist veterinary sonographer who will come to the clinic to image our patients. This way we get a full and detailed report on the abdomen by a veterinary professional who is very experienced at using this diagnostic tool.
Toowong Family Vet, however, does also have its own single-probe ultrasound system that we use for basic immediate information gathering, such as the presence of bladder stones or intestinal foreign bodies.
Our vets will often advise an ultrasound for your pet if they are worried about a disease process in the abdomen, an intestinal foreign body obstruction or to check for free-fluid in the event of trauma.