Veterinary ultrasound units are becoming more popular in recent years, and for good reason. Diagnosing animal patients can be a tricky matter even in the best of times, and ultrasound can allow a “look inside” at soft tissue and abdominal organs that a conventional exam or X-ray may miss.
Why Use Ultrasound For Veterinary Patients?
Diagnosing veterinary patients quickly and efficiently is vital for any veterinary practice as well as the patients themselves. Running multiple diagnostic tests or trying a variety of treatments on a patient may require a lot of time and resources, and in a trauma setting, time is of the essence. Ultrasound units can lessen the time of diagnosis while giving you fast answers when you need them.
Incorporating the use of veterinary ultrasound will not only improve the accuracy and speed of a diagnosis, but can be used on a variety of patients as well, ranging from large dogs to exotic pets, small animals, and even aquatics. High-resolution images will speed diagnosis and treatment in both the trauma and general setting. Ultrasound can also be used to guide procedures such as needle aspiration and biopsy, reducing errors.
Purchasing The Right Unit For Your Practice
Deciding on the right ultrasound unit for your practice can feel like an overwhelming task. Many different ultrasound units are available from Samsung, ranging from budget-friendly basic units for general practitioners to impressive high-end units useful for specialists.
Thankfully, we at Choice Medical are ready to help you decide which ultrasound unit is right for your practice before you make such an important purchase. When you purchase your unit through Choice Medical, our friendly, knowledgeable specialists provide on-site training so you and your staff can learn how to best use your new ultrasound unit. You can even request a live demonstration of any ultrasound unit before deciding to purchase. Be sure to contact us for more information.
Incorporating Ultrasound Into Your Veterinary Practice
Veterinary ultrasound is capable of much more than simply creating diagnostic images. In a general setting, ultrasound will aid with diagnostic tasks such as finding solid masses in soft tissue, comparing previous diagnostic images to current ones, and will also aid with needle targeting during procedures. This tool will make many diagnostic procedures and interventions flow more smoothly. Many ultrasound units can run off battery power and all are portable, enabling the veterinarian to move the unit from room to room as needed. Many can also work well in different levels of lighting, making them versatile, and most units are quiet, allowing procedures to take place during imaging.
For the specialist who purchases a new, high-end ultrasound unit, their routine assessments of heart function, heart disease risk, and of soft tissue lesions become easier than before. A patient’s progress can be more closely monitored and the clinician can reduce the need for biopsies. A higher-end ultrasound unit will also aid in procedures such as radiofrequency ablation and needle biopsy by providing real-time, high-resolution imaging.
Training Is Available
Not only does Choice Medical offer convenient onsite training on the use of your unit when you purchase an ultrasound unit through us, but you can also sign up for our veterinary ultrasound classes. Our classes are sponsored by Samsung Ultrasound and provide veterinarians with RACE-approved CE credits for continuing education. All classes include hands-on instruction, recognizing artifacts, and learning the proper machine controls to create high-quality, diagnostic images.
Our Basic Ultrasound Class, in which attendees earn 14 CE credits, covers the five main abdominal organs and also how to assess trauma cases. The Basic class also offers instruction on how to recognize an ultrasound case, incorporate ultrasound into your veterinary practice, and how to create a study for interpretation. Instruction is also given on how to create diagnostic images, follow a scanning protocol, and do measurements.
Our Intermediate Ultrasound class, in which attendees earn 15 CE credits, is taught by a Board Certified Veterinary Radiologist. This class focuses on all abdominal organs, including the pancreas, as well as the adrenal glands and lymph nodes. Attendees receive instruction on consistent scanning technique and protocol as well as ultrasound-guided aspiration and biopsy. A variety of Samsung Ultrasound systems will be used for training.
If you have questions about incorporating ultrasound into your veterinary setting, be sure to contact us with any questions you may have.