The Soundiagnosis service

Soundiagnosis is a mobile ultrasound service operating in Melbourne for 10 years.  We work alongside your veterinarian as a diagnostic tool by providing a window into your pet. Ultrasound is a non-invasive and efficient way to examine the internal structures of your pet. We look at structure of each organ to identify any changes or pathology into possible disease processes. What we see may explain the illness or condition your pet has and help your vet to decide on the course of treatment.

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Sedation 

Sedation for patients can sometimes be required to help relax them for the study if they are particuarly nervous or painful.  Most ultrasound procedures are not painful but do require a small amount of pressure onto the abdomen. This can feel uncomfortable at times and some animals do not tolerate it.  If this is the case the veterinary will chose the safest form of sedation medication for the patient based on age, breed, history and other factors.  Sedation is generally fairly safe and animals recover without any further concern or issues however, as with all medications, it is not without some risks.  Sedation can cause changes to heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory but rest assured your pet will be monitored closely by a qualified Veterinary Nurse and Veterinarian if requiring any form of sedative.  Sedation is only used when deemed 100% necessary. 

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Fine Needle Aspirate and Biopsy

Sometimes, a fine needle aspirate or biopsy of an area of interest may be required. This involves using ultrasound to guide the placement of a needle or biopsy device into the organ or area of interest to obtain some cells which can be then analysed by a pathologist. This can be useful in diagnosing certain types of cancer as well as other disease processes. This is generally a safe and minimally invasive procedure but as with any medical procedure it does involve some risks. Excessive bleeding from the sampling site is an uncommon complication but can occur; in some patients if we suspect there may be an increased risk of bleeding we may recommend further testing such as a coagulation profile (to check the blood’s ability to clot) before sampling is performed. This is also recommended before any biopsy procedure, as biopsies require a larger needle and carry an increased risk of bleeding. Other uncommon complications including infection (particularly if sampling a structure that could be infected such as an abscess, or taking samples from structures that can leak fluid such as the intestines, gallbladder or urinary bladder) and rarely spreading of cancerous cells along the needle tract, for example into the abdominal wall. Very rarely, more serious “shock”-like reactions can occur during sampling of abdominal organs, particularly in cats. If you have any questions about the risks involved you should discuss this with your veterinarian before consenting.

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What your vet will do

Your vet will liaise with our ultrasonography team in terms of the clinical work up of your pet thus far so that we can help them form a picture of what might be ailing your little one. As well as this your vet will be able to answer any questions you might have leading into the ultrasound and why it may be of great benefit to you and your pet.

 

What we will do

Firstly, your pet will need to be prepared for the procedure by having the site of the scan shaved. We require this as ultrasound cannot penetrate through fur and we need adequately contact with the skin to visualise the organs within the abdomen. To further aid in contact with the skin, we use a water based lubricant and Methylated spirits. After the scan we provide a preliminary report and ultrasound images immediately and then a full report to the clinic within 1-2 working days.

 

What your pet will need to do

All your pet will need to do is lay back in our comfy specially designed mats and be comforted by our caring diligent nurses. We do our utmost to ensure your pets comfort through out the scan and treat every patient as if they are our own.