What to Expect: Outpatient Ultrasound at Avets
To qualify for outpatient ultrasounds, patients must:
Be in stable condition with the ability to wait for an appointment
Have good temperament
Not require injectable sedation
If sedation is needed to make the pet more comfortable during imaging, those medications MUST be prescribed beforehand for the owner to give prior to their appointment.
If sedation is necessary, a consult/exam with an Avets veterinarian would be required.
Outpatient ultrasound appointments are typically appropriate for cases such as:
Suspected conditions like IBD vs GI Lymphoma
Elevated liver or kidney enzymes
Suspected pancreatitis
Suspected abdominal mass
Other non-emergent conditions
Direct sends for emergent cases:
Emergency ultrasounds are determined based on our doctor’s assessment and recommendations, which cannot be determined without an emergency exam.
For cases that do not qualify for an outpatient ultrasound, pets should be referred directly to our emergency department for an exam and continued care at Avets. Oftentimes, these are patients that are currently unstable or that may require additional workups or procedures, including surgical intervention (i.e., linear foreign body).
Direct sends to our emergency department require that the referring veterinarian speak to an Avets Emergency Veterinarian before transferring the case.
The Avets Emergency Service is available 24/7/365.
Referring DVM Information
Outpatient ultrasound appointments are treated as any other patient referral at Avets. Please complete the referral form and provide the patient’s records (including previous imaging) and our imaging department will coordinate with our referrals team.
We cannot guarantee same-day outpatient ultrasound appointments, although appointments are typically available within 48 hours. With certain critical findings, we need to know whether to send the pet back to you, send the pet home, or transfer the pet to our emergency department.
If you are unable to be available during the pet’s ultrasound exam, we ask that you inform another doctor about the case so we can contact them to determine how to proceed.
Please Note: It is our hospital policy that if we do find something that necessitates immediate intervention, such as pericardial effusion, or if the patient is not stable, they MUST be seen by an Avets Emergency Veterinarian.
Client Information
Clients should drop off their pet in the morning and expect a call from us when the ultrasound is completed. When the ultrasound is completed the scan will be sent for a radiologist review. On average outpatient ultrasound results are available within a few hours of the ultrasound, however it could take up to 48 hours to receive results.
The results of the scan will be sent to the referring veterinarian – who will review results with the client and discuss treatment plans to further manage the case.
Outpatient ultrasound appointments are handled by Avets' imaging department. There are no consults with Avets veterinarians and no exams during the pet’s appointment.