A pet ultrasound is no different from a human ultrasound. A probe is placed on your pet's skin to get an image of their heart, liver, stomach, intestines, kidneys, ovaries, uterus, testes, etc. Of course, a gel may need to be applied to facilitate the ultrasound imaging process.

Since ultrasounds cannot be used to view bones or air-filled spaces, your pet might need an X-ray for head, chest and bone structure imaging. Here are answers to commonly asked questions about pet ultrasounds.

Why Is a Pet Ultrasound Considered a Safe Medical Procedure?

This is mainly because it is not invasive and, therefore, not painful. Your pet does not even require to be put to sleep; however, a restless or nervous pet can be sedated.

You should also know that an ultrasound machine does not emit radiation, meaning your pet is safe. It uses a probe that emits a beam that passes through the pet's skin to inspect fluid-filled organs and tissue. The beam reflects on tissue and is echoed back to the probe. The echoes are interpreted in the form of images on a monitor, which helps veterinarians see where the problem lies.

Does Your Pet's Fur Need to Be Shaved?

This depends on where the pet ultrasound probe needs to be placed. Most of the time it is placed on the underside of your pet, which does not usually have fur. An ultrasound might not be effective through fur, which means that if the ultrasound probe needs to be placed on an area with fur, the fur needs to be shaved off. The fur grows back eventually so don't worry.

Is A Pet Ultrasound an Expensive Procedure?

Not really, the cost is mainly calculated based on the experience of the veterinarian and the cost of the ultrasound machine.

The cost may increase if the vet finds something that they might need to biopsy (get a sample for testing purposes). This might be minimally invasive because the veterinarian needs to take a sample of the tissue from either your pet's kidney, stomach, ovaries, testes, heart, liver, etc. Sedation or anaesthesia might be required to make your pet comfortable. A biopsy process can beef up the cost, as can the treatment after results are obtained from the test. That is why it is important to have pet insurance and also save for your pet's needs.

What Should You Consider When Getting Pet Insurance?

You need to converse with your pet's veterinarian to get some important information. For example, you want a pet insurance company that your vet accepts payment from. You also want pet insurance that covers the conditions your pet might suffer from.