Catoctin Veterinary Clinic
When your beloved pet is ill, you want to know that your veterinarian has every tool to diagnose and deal with the problem. With a veterinary ultrasound, we can quickly and accurately diagnose your pet’s illness with no guesswork. An ultrasound is the quickest and most accurate way to determine if your pet has certain medical conditions with its bladder, abdomen, or heart. This ultrasound has helped us save the lives of many pets over the years. Because ultrasound is non-invasive and low-stress, you can always be present with your pet when they have an ultrasound procedure, and we often have results within minutes.
What is a Veterinary Ultrasound?
You have nothing to fear from ultrasound imaging of your pet’s body. Ultrasound imaging works like a bat or dolphin’s echolocation: High-frequency sound waves are emitted from a handheld device gently pressed against the patient’s body. This device also receives the echoes of these sound waves and interprets how they change as they move through flesh and internal organs inside your pet’s body. This allows accurate imaging of soft tissues, as opposed to X-ray technology, which is more suited to bones and hard tissue.
While only your veterinarian can say when an ultrasound is needed, many common health issues can require ultrasound imaging to investigate further:
When blood or urine tests are inconclusive or abnormal
Assessing organ health when internal bleeding is suspected
When disease of abdominal organs is suspected
Diagnosing internal damage from injury and impact
Searching for potential swallowed objects that may be causing blockage
Diagnosing illness that may be less clear on x-ray imaging, such as cancer
Many situations might make an ultrasound appropriate for your pet’s health, and we take quick action when an illness or injury shows in your pet’s imaging. We at the Catoctin Veterinary Clinic prioritize your pet’s health and want to help your cat or dog live a longer, happier life. We do this through preventative medicine, geriatric care, and smart use of our advanced imaging technologies.
Advanced Ultrasound Procedures
When a more subtle or difficult-to-detect illness is suspected, your pet can enjoy access to imaging specialists through our clinic. For more advanced ultrasound procedures, we refer our clients to Dr. St. John with Vet Image Associates. As a veterinarian, she will come to the clinic and perform an ultrasound on your pet. Upon completion, she will send the images to a board-certified radiologist for a full analysis and report. Dr. St. John is also skilled in performing aspirates, centesis, and biopsies.
Bethany St. John, DVM, discovered her passion for ultrasonography while in veterinary school at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. During her 11 years in general practice, she has pursued continuous additional education and training in ultrasonography and echocardiography and has incorporated these skills into daily practice as a veterinarian.
