This is still an evolving area but very promising thus far. It’s relatively simple to scan the medial and lateral parts of the meniscii in dogs. A linear probe with frequency >10Hz will do the job nicely. A full ultrasonographic examination of the canine stifle includes views from cranial, cranio-lateral, cranio-medial, medial, lateral, caudo-medial and … Continue reading
This is a major issue for sonographers because suspect pancreatitis is a very common reason for scan requests. ….and my experience is that the scan results frequently don’t agree with blood results. The paper below (Kook et al.) is worth a read because it’s written by independent authors with no commercial interest in any particular … Continue reading
Earlier I showed some images of consolidated lung with just a few air bubbles in the bronchi. At first glance, through an intercostal space, I thought this was going to be the same scenario…. A middle-aged Bloodhound is presented with acute anorexia and pyrexia (T40+). Bloods are relatively unremarkable. Specific physical signs are lacking. And … Continue reading
This was a real challenge. A 13 year-old male Weimaraner with a history of gradual deterioration, intermittent vomiting and weight loss who then deteriorated over the course of a few days with more frequent vomiting or unproductive retching. On physical examination he was thin, alert but weak and with moderate abdominal pain. Femoral pulses were … Continue reading
…that’s not a term I often use in conversation but this cat, a 12 year-old MN DSH, certainly does have a big, but otherwise unremarkable, pancreas. The left pancreatic lobe measures 13mm in diameter (compared to the top end of the normal range at 9.5mm). The history for this case is increased appetite in an … Continue reading
It’s been an interesting few weeks of nephrology for ultrasound4pets. Ureteral obstruction in a cat was first described in 1990. From there we have now moved to a situation where it has been described as ‘the leading cause of acute uraemia in North American cats’. The evolution of understanding has accelerated dramatically in the last … Continue reading
Just a few pictures from the last week to illustrate just how common pancreatitis is in both cats and dogs….and how much difference a high-frequency linear probe makes. This is the left pancreatic lobe from a cat with chronic recurrent abdominal pain. The pancreas is ringed by inflamed abdominal fat and the pancreatic parenchyma itself … Continue reading
This is just the most unbelievable story I’ve come across in some time. This 11 y.o. dog presented with episodic collapse. After a thorough work-up it transpired that she was sometimes hypoglycaemic and an insulin assay confirmed that levels were way above what would be expected at the time of hypoglycaemia. She was treated with … Continue reading
The thoracic medicine theme continues with this 3-month-old terrier pup. Initially presenting with stunted growth, matters then took a turn for the worse with sudden onset severe dyspnoea. On ultrasonography the heart was unusually difficult to see from the right side due to interposition of lung. From a left apical view the right ventricular wall … Continue reading
This is a really good recent paper on the subject from human medicine: Emerg Med J. 2012 Jan;29(1):19-23. doi: 10.1136/emj.2010.101584. Epub 2010 Oct 28. Lung ultrasound is an accurate diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of pneumonia in the emergency department. Cortellaro F1, Colombo S, Coen D, Duca PG. In summary these authors found that, in … Continue reading
