The veterinary team at All About Cats Veterinary Hospital in Las Vegas, NV is proud to offer pet ultrasound among our many diagnostic and therapeutic services. Let us help you keep your cat healthy and stay well-informed about her wellness at every stage of her life!
How Does Ultrasound Work?
Imagine being able to see inside your cat's body, identify a problem area, and then take a picture of it. In the simplest terms, this is exactly what an ultrasound does.
Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves (inaudible to animals and humans) which, when painlessly "bounced" against tissues inside an animal's body, will create "echoes." These echoes are then sent back and transformed into visual images on the ultrasound machine.
During an examination, one of our vets will wave a wand-like device over the target area of your animal's body. We may need to shave your cat's hair or fur over that area in order to improve the quality of the picture. Cats are kept comfortable during the procedure and will feel no discomfort or pain whatsoever. It's over in a snap—and we can quickly and easily share the resultant ultrasound images digitally with need-to-know members of your pet's wellness team.
Why Would My Pet Need an Ultrasound Exam?
Ultrasounds assist in the diagnosis and management of a wide variety of health conditions—with the obvious benefit of being completely non-invasive! Ultrasounds allow us to "see" inside your pet's body without having to put the animal through surgery. Additionally, ultrasound exposes your pet to zero radiation, unlike X-rays (fortunately, X-ray imaging we use at our clinic produces very low radiation exposure).
Pet ultrasounds help our Las Vegas veterinarian team evaluate, identify, and ultimately diagnose issues such as:
- Heart murmors
- Chronic infections
- Unexplained weight loss (in the absence of a change in eating habits)
- Pregnancy
- Conditions affecting certain organs, such as the spleen, kidneys, or liver
- Unusual gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea, persistent vomiting, and urinary dysfunction
- Abnormal blood work
- Orthopedic injuries
- Chest or abdominal fluid build-up
Ultrasound may also help us establish baseline images in order to compare for future examinations (such as in the case of pre- and post-surgery) as well as stage disease progression (such as cancer in older cats).
Could Ultrasound Help Your Cat? Contact Our Las Vegas Vet Staff Today
At All About Cats Veterinary Hospital, it's our mission to combine the latest advances in feline veterinary medicine with individualized, compassionate, and attentive care. If you believe your cat could benefit from an ultrasound, or if you have any questions about her health, contact our Las Vegas veterinarian team now at (702) 257-3222.