Ultrasound is one of the popular medical diagnostic tools used in current times. Whether in humans or animals, an ultrasound can help doctors, surgeons, and vets quickly identify the root cause of chronic medical conditions or verify if things are in place when in suspicion. Also, pet owners can sigh a breath of relief because ultrasound can be helpful and not harmful.
The ultrasound technology employs sound waves to recreate the image of an organ or a body part. A digital computer with a probe is used in diagnosis. An ultrasound specialist will move the probe over the skin surface at the site of interest. Also, since it is a non-invasive technology, our fur friends don’t have to go through pain while scanning.
While X-rays are used to examine the bones, joints, and muscles, ultrasound is needed to gain deeper insights into different tissues, organs, or body parts. The costs for running diagnostic tests have been increasing over the years, which is one reason pet parents should consider purchasing top-rated pet insurance.
One can easily search insurance for pets online to know about the kind of diagnostic tests covered by various pet policies and the conditions under which they are covered. Meanwhile, learn about a few health conditions when a pet may require an ultrasound.
Some critical conditions when a pet may need an ultrasound
1.Heart issues
A vet may suggest an ultrasound if they suspect potential heart conditions. It is known as an echocardiogram in medical terms. It can help a vet confirm or rule out heart conditions in your pet. The scanning can be done by an experienced general vet practitioner or certified vet cardiologist.
2.Uncommon fluid test results
When a vet finds blood/urine test results abnormal, they can recommend an abdominopelvic ultrasound. Such an ultrasound covers and visualizes vital internal organs like the spleen, liver, lymph nodes, kidneys, bladder, etc. If the ultrasound confirms a problem with any organs, the vet may put your fur baby on medicines and/or other treatments like therapies or surgeries.
3.Inspection of soft tissues
An ultrasound assesses soft tissues and glands like tendons and ligaments, eyes, thyroid apparatus, etc. If the vet detects abnormal tissues in the visualizations, they may collect tissue samples (through tissue biopsy or ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration) for further examination. Tissue collected through the ultrasound method is minimally invasive and generally performed under sedation.
4.Pet health emergencies
In a critical health situation, a vet may not risk waiting for fundamental diagnostic reports before moving on to an ultrasound scan. For instance, a chest ultrasound is performed to check for internal bleeding or severe breathing issues. The goal is to quickly get to the root cause of the health issue and develop a treatment plan asap.
5.Discovering foreign objects ingested
It is one way to know what your fur baby has consumed. The gastrointestinal contents may not be clearly visible in the X-rays, which is when an ultrasound comes to the rescue. It helps a vet conclude the course of treatment for your pet in pain.
More often, an ultrasound cost depends on the expertise of the person performing it, the location where you have chosen to get it done (like rural/urban), and the ultrasound type. If you find this overwhelming, think of getting a medical financial backup through top-rated pet insurance.
In such a case, at least you may not have to bear the entire diagnostic and treatment bills for covered health conditions. Quickly search insurance for pets online to learn about the benefits of different pet policies across insurers and compare costs before buying one.
