Getting Prepared For Your Pet’s Ultrasound

NO FOOD AFTER 12:00AM (MIDNIGHT) THE EVENING BEFORE AN ABDOMINAL ULTRASOUND.

*If your pet is under 10 pounds or under 6 months of age, please feed a small meatball size of food the morning of surgery to prevent hypoglycemia.

Fresh water should be made available up to dropping your pet off for an ultrasound.

Admitting Information

Patients receiving an ultrasound are admitted to the hospital on an appointment basis between 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM the morning of the procedure. Please allow at least 20 minutes at admission (drop off) to go over important information with a nurse.

Ultrasounds are performed during later afternoon hours by a third-party certified and licensed traveling sonography nurse from Portable Animal Sonography. Patients are scheduled in order of emergency and health status. For almost all ultrasounds, an IV catheter and pre-sedative medications are given to help with relaxation and reduce anxiety. A team member will call with a specific pickup time once the ultrasound is complete. Patients admitted for ultrasounds should be picked up before 5:30 PM unless other arrangements have been made. Please note we do not have doctors or medical teams on site after 6 pm. If your pet is left at our hospital after 6:00 pm without arrangements made, it will be transferred to Animal Emergency Center (AEC) for continued care/monitoring at an additional expense.

I understand that my pet must be picked up prior to MVAH and HPC’s designated closing time and I may incur additional fees of $50 for every thirty minutes that my pet is not picked up after 6:00PM

Why do we ask you to sign a sedation consent form?

The majority of our ultrasounds do require some level of sedation. Ultrasounds require pressure upon the abdomen to obtain good images. Although we always aim to be as gentle as possible, many patients do require the aid of sedation to keep them comfortable and still. The level of sedation varies from patient to patient and is determined for your pet specifically by their primary veterinarian.

Why do we shave?

In order to get the clearest images possible, it is necessary to shave each patient. Abdominal ultrasounds will have a large, shaved area from the pubic area to the chest. Cardiac ultrasounds will have a shaved spot on each side of the chest. If an IV catheter is placed, a small portion of leg hair will be shaved and sterile scrub will be performed to ensure sterility of the site.

Treatment Plan

Please call or text 775-853-6900 to obtain a Treatment Plan (Estimate) for your pet’s procedure(s) and any optional additional services if you have not already received one. This treatment plan will be discussed with you on the morning of hospital admission.

*Treatment plans approximate the cost and are subject to adjustment depending on circumstances at the time of the procedure. Unless it is a lifesaving or stabilizing event (CPR), you will be notified prior to any additional services being performed for approval of costs.

After Ultrasound Care

Your pet can have access to food and water as usual. If your pet was sedated, it is normal for them to be groggy and to experience a decrease in appetite for up to 48 hours. The ultrasound images and a detailed report written by your veterinarian are sent to a specialist for interpretation. The results and recommendations for the next steps can take up to 1 week to return, at which time your veterinarian will call the primary number on file to discuss the report in detail.

If a bandage is still on your pets arm where the IV Catheter was placed, please remove it 30 minutes after leaving the hospital.