Behind the Scenes Facts

Why would an ultrasound be performed on an animal?

Veterinarians began using ultrasound technology in the early 1980s to diagnose diseases in small animals. Over the years it has been used in veterinary hospitals and teaching centers as a noninvasive, painless way of evaluating soft tissue, including the kidneys, liver, pancreas, bladder, urinary tract, gallbladder and heart. It is particularly useful in animal pregnancy because fetal heartbeats are difficult to identify early in pregnancy.

How is an ultrasound performed on a dog?

When performing an ultrasound on a dog, there is little preparation. The veterinarian will simply cut back some of the fur at the area to be scanned, because ultrasound technology cannot scan through the hair. The dog will remain awake through the entire procedure and will not be sedated unless the animal is anxious or becomes aggressive. As in an ultrasound of a human, a water-soluble coupling gel is placed on the skin surface and the transducer is moved in a circular motion to scan the organs.

Ultrasound has been able to confirm pregnancy in a dog as early as 12 days after fertilization, but experts recommend waiting until 25 to 30 days to scan a pregnant dog when attempting to count the number of pups.

How is an ultrasound performed on an elephant?

Ultrasound technology has been used with elephants for approximately six years in extraordinary zoological studies. To perform an ultrasound...