Vineyard Veterinary Hospital is equipped with a top-quality, Esaote-branded ultrasound diagnostic imaging system, which can be used to assist with the evaluation of your pet’s condition when required. In emergency situations, ultrasound allows us to view immediately your pet’s internal functioning, in order to make a quick diagnosis.

Our ultrasound machine is suitable for use with pets in a range of sizes, and offers a number of different ultrasound probes, including a specialised cardiac probe which we can use to obtain accurate images of your pet’s heart.

Depending on the nature of the ultrasound, your pet may need to be admitted into hospital for the day. In the case of routine pregnancy ultrasounds, these can be performed from 21 days after mating, and may be booked within our normal consultation hours. For diagnostic ultrasounds, the fur on your pet’s underside may need to be clipped in areas, which allows us to obtain a clearer image in order to make an accurate diagnosis.

During an ultrasound scan, a water-based gel is applied over the area to be examined, and a probe is applied to the skin. While some pets may experience slight discomfort from the pressure of the probe, we endeavour to make all our ultrasound procedures as painless as possible for our patients.

We have the ability to take images and short video clips during our ultrasounds, which may be viewed during discussions with you about your pet’s diagnosis if required, upon their discharge from hospital.