September is 'Senior Wellness Month'. Newberry Animal Hospital is offering 10% off of all senior bloodwork (both dog and cat) and 10% off all abdominal ultrasounds. We recommend bi-annual exams on all pets over the age of 10 to help catch problems before they become issues.
According to Jacqueline Brister (Veterinary Partner), 'An abdominal ultrasound (US) is a diagnostic tool for looking at the organs and structures inside your pet’s belly. It can see the liver, spleen, kidneys, bladder, reproductive organs, stomach, pancreas, intestinal tract, adrenal glands, and lymph nodes. An x-ray is a still photograph, but an ultrasound is like a video.'
This type of testing involves the use of high frequency sound waves to create live images, which is one way that helps our doctors see what is going on inside your pet.
Symptoms that may trigger the need for an US:
belly pain
diarrhea or throwing up
feeling of an unknown mass
internal injuries
unusual labwork results
Other reasons that our doctors may use ultrasound for your pet:
Ultrasounds can also be used to help guide a needle biopsy where tissue is needed to identify a medical issue, where the tissue is ultimately sent out to a pathologist. Luckily for us, Newberry Animal Hospital Group has our own in-house pathologist, Dr. Rick Alleman.
What is an ultrasound procedure?
Ultrasounds are typically done with the pet lying on a table, but normally quick and painless. 'The veterinarian holds a transducer or probe against the belly skin. As the transducer is moved over the skin, it sends sound waves to the structures inside, which are then translated to black and white real-time images on a screen. Hair does not conduct sound waves well, so the pet’s belly is usually shaved beforehand. Alcohol or ultrasound gel may be used to provide better conduction.', (credit-Veterinary Partner)