Frequently Asked Questions

Is ultrasound safe for my pet?

Ultrasound is non-invasive, and uses high-frequency sound waves rather than ionizing radiation to capture images of organs within the body. It safe for both pets, and the ultrasound operator.

Will ultrasound tell me why my pet is sick?

Ultrasound acts like a window to ‘see’ inside organs inside the body, and helps veterinary professionals identify any lesions, tumours or abnormal structural changes in organs or tissues in your pet’s body. That information helps your Veterinarian understand what might be causing changes on physical exam and laboratory work (ie. bloodwork, urinalysis, etc.) and explain why your pet is sick.

In some cases, the ultrasound findings may come back as normal, or sometimes with incidental findings which are unrelated to why your pet is sick. Even though the ultrasound exam doesn’t directly explain why your pet is sick, the test still gives extremely useful information for your Veterinarian to exclude possible causes or reasons for the illness, narrowing down the diagnosis and helping to provide a more effective treatment plan. This can ultimately save money and shorten healing time while it helps to improve the health and well-being of your fur baby.

What is the difference between Ultrasound and Xray?

Ultrasound and xray are complimentary tools, meaning the information that your Veterinarian gathers from both tests can be combined to best determine the cause of your pet’s illness. However, there are a few differences between the two tests and some cases when ultrasound or xray is the preferred mode of assessment.

Xray is excellent for looking at orthopedic abnormalities, such as bone fractures or bone conditions like arthritis or hip & elbow dysplasia, but xray is limited for soft tissue examination. Ultrasound on the other hand, is a superior tool for examining soft tissue structures and organs, such as thyroid glands, skin ‘lumps & bumps’, and abdominal organs like liver, and kidneys, etc.

Xray uses radiation to take pictures of the silhouette of organs inside your pet’s abdomen and chest cavity. It can be used to show if an organ is larger or smaller than normal or is an abnormal shape, but it does not show abnormal changes in the structure of organs or tissue as definitively as ultrasound. Ultrasound uses non-harmful sound waves to take pictures inside your pet’s organs, and can be used to demonstrate pathologies such as metastatic tumours in the liver, a mass growing in the kidney or bladder, thickening of the intestinal walls with inflammatory bowel conditions, fluid developing in your pet’s abdomen or chest, or scar tissue in kidneys from advanced renal disease, etc.

Xray provides a static picture captured in a moment of time, whereas ultrasound can be used dynamically (as a video) to show movement within the body or organs, such as blood flow in the vessels or heart, and fetal activity over a period of time.

Ultrasound can also be used to safely guide a needle for biopsy or aspiration to collect tissue or fluid samples for laboratory analysis, if fluid is visualized in your pet’s abdomen or chest, or a mass is identified.

How do I book an ultrasound for my pet?

Please contact your regular DVM to schedule a visit. The veterinary clinic staff will complete an ultrasound requisition and book an appointment for your pet.

What is the cost of an ultrasound?

Please contact your regular DVM for costs associated with booking an ultrasound exam for your pet.

How long does it take to perform an ultrasound?

Most exams are completed within an hour. For complete abdominal ultrasounds, a thorough examination will take approximately 30-60 minutes.

What preparation is necessary for an ultrasound?

Ultrasound can not see through gas or air. It is important to fast your pet for a 10-12 hours prior to the exam. To ensure a full bladder, please do not allow your dogs to toilet within 4 hours before the exam; remove your cat’s litter box.

Does my pet need to be shaved?

Hair and fur on pets significantly reduces the ultrasound image quality and limits the amount of diagnostic information that can be obtained, similar to holding a piece of tissue paper over a photograph. The veterinary team will shave the area to be examined on your pet, ensuring best quality imaging.

Is there a travel fee associated with mobile ultrasound services?

VetSonix is based in Ottawa, ON. Travel fees are included in the exam fee for clinics within 50kms from Ottawa. Mileage fees will apply to clinics greater than 50kms.

Where will the exams be performed?

VetSonix is a mobile service, meaning the ultrasound equipment is transported to your regular veterinary clinic to perform the ultrasound exam. This reduces the need for referral to a larger veterinary hospital, and allows treatment and follow up care to be provided by your pet’s regular DVM.

How long does it take to receive a report?

Images taken during your pet’s exam will be sent to Telemedicine to be interpreted by a board-certified veterinary radiologist. The diagnostic report will be received by your regular DVM within 24-72 hours. Emergency cases can be reported as a STAT case within 1-2 hours, for an additional fee.

Will my pet need sedation?

Oral anti-anxiety medications are recommended prior to the ultrasound exam to help your pet relax. Anxious pets often pant, become agitated and tense their abdomens, all of which reduce the quality of the imaging and increases the length of time required to perform the examination. Sedation may be required if the quality of the images and information is suboptimal due to movement and agitation, excessive panting and/or if your pet is tensing their abdomen. If your pet is in pain or has a painful abdomen, please discuss with your regular DVM appropriate pain control prior to the ultrasound exam.

What is the advantage of using VetSonix Diagnostic Imaging

Ultrasound is a highly technical, user-dependent modality. The quality of the images obtained, and accuracy of diagnostic results depends on the experience and knowledge of the sonographer. Dr. Ibey (owner/operator of VetSonix DI) has extensive training in the field of diagnostic medical sonography, and has attained valuable experience working alongside experienced ultrasound technologists and radiologists in both the medical and veterinary field.

Why are my pet’s images sent to Teleradiology?

Interpretation of ultrasound images can be very complicated; Veterinary radiologists receive advanced training in diagnostic modalities (ultrasound, x-ray, CT, MRI, etc.). During a 4 year residency, radiologists develop innate experience, including precision and accountable diagnostic radiological interpretation. The veterinary radiologist will study the ultrasound images of your pet and report if there are changes in the normal structure of organs or tissues consistent with known disease conditions or pathologies. The diagnostic interpretation provided by the veterinary radiologist will give further understanding to your pet’s illness, helping your veterinarian refine treatment or medications for your pet.

Will I get to keep the images from my pet’s exam?

Yes, the images and videos acquired during your pet’s exam can be saved on a USB key that you get to keep for your records, upon request. The USB will be provided to you by a veterinary team member when you pick your pet up from the clinic.

What is the cancellation policy?

Time is valuable, just as are timely examinations for sick fur babies. If you need to cancel or reschedule please provide a minimum of 36-48 hours notice.

Cancellations within 24 hours will be charged a 50% service fee.

Same-day cancellation or missed appointments will be charged the full service fee.