FAQs

How long does an ultrasound take?

A proper diagnostic ultrasound can take longer than 30 minutes to do. However as timings can be unpredictable with traffic, emergencies and other procedures we recommend your veterinarian admits your pet into the clinic for a couple of hours to give us a wider window of opportunity.
For at home pregnancy scanning the scans are generally quicker, but are also subject to the above and so timings may be approximate.

Is ultrasound dangerous?

Ultrasound is very different to other imaging such as xrays. It uses sound rather than radiation to generate images, and is a very safe process both as a patient and bystander.

Do you have to shave my pet?

Ultrasound is unable to pass through hair, so for accurate diagnostic ultrasound we need to shave the pet in the area of interest, and in general the hair will grow back within a few weeks.
For pregnancy diagnosis we are often able to get enough information without shaving the pet, depending on the coat.

Do I have to fast my pet?

For diagnostic ultrasound, gas in the intestines can interfere with the image so fasting overnight prior to scanning is recommended.
For pregnancy diagnosis, fasting is unnecessary.

Does my pet have to be sedated?

The best images are obtained when your pet is relaxed which often requires sedation (often just a light one) to allow full imaging of organs. In addition, we often use needles to obtain cell samples which are best obtained under sedation to minimise the risk of moving during the process which can lead to bleeding and discomfort.

Is there anything an ultrasound can't do in a pregnancy check?

Ultrasound is a brilliant tool in many ways, but has its limitations- gas in the abdomen blocks the view so we often cannot see everything, meaning we cannot guarantee numbers especially in larger litters. Also it tends to be done at an earlier stage of pregnancy so most congenital issues won't be apparent, and is not comparable to the anomaly scan in human pregnancy.

Do you treat exotic animals?

Our area of expertise is centred on cats and dogs, so at this stage we cannot offer ultrasound on exotic animals.