Outpatient Ultrasounds
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Convenient Diagnostic Imaging at HVS Connecticut
The Hospital for Veterinary Surgery – Connecticut offers outpatient ultrasound services to support referring veterinarians with timely access to advanced diagnostic imaging. This service allows patients to receive high-quality ultrasound imaging without a full specialty consultation, helping streamline diagnostics and next steps in care.
Outpatient ultrasounds performed by our board-certified internist, Dr. Karah Burns DeMarle, are available for abdominal and cervical (neck) studies and are designed to integrate seamlessly into existing diagnostic and treatment plans.
How to Refer:
- Call us at 203.200.7026 or email info@hvsct.com to refer a patient. We are available Monday – Thursday, 8AM-6PM.
- Our team will provide a referral form to collect patient history and records. The referral form can also be accessed using the button below.
- Our client care team will coordinate scheduling directly with the pet owner.
- Dr. Burns will interpret the images, and the report will be sent directly to you.
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Outpatient Ultrasound FAQs
An outpatient ultrasound is where your dog or cat comes into the hospital to get an ultrasound performed of their abdomen without a full doctor appointment. This is similar to outpatient imaging services in human medicine where the patient receives the imaging and the results are shared at a later time by their primary care provider.
Yes! Dr. Burns, our boarded internist, will introduce herself and then give you a brief summary of the findings at the end of the exam. The full report will be sent to your veterinarian who will help you formulate a plan for your pet based off of the ultrasound results.
The process will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.
It is very important that your pet is fasted for at least 8 hours prior to the scan in order to ensure Dr. Burns can get the best images. Additionally, it is best not to let your pet urinate shortly before the exam so that the entire bladder can be well visualized. If your pet is unable to be fasted (i.e. they are under a year of age, they are diabetic, they need to receive their medications with food, etc.) please let us know ahead of time so we can best advise you on how to proceed.
Your pet will be gently placed on their back in a padded "v" shaped bed and their abdomen will be shaved. They will have alcohol followed by ultrasound gel applied to their abdomen to help ensure the images are the clearest they can be. The room is dimly lit and our team ensures a stress free environment while your pet is receiving their imaging.
Rarely! Our goal is always to perform the ultrasound on an awake patient. If our team determines your pet is getting stressed during the exam, Dr Burns will come and discuss options with you which may include returning at a future date with calming medications administered orally at home prior to the visit, or the administration of a short term injectable sedative to help your pet remain calmed and relaxed during their ultrasound so it can still be performed during the original visit.
Although your pet may be referred for a specific organ to be evaluated, our outpatient ultrasounds include the evaluation of the entire abdomen. This includes the liver and biliary tree, spleen, gastrointestinal tract, urinary system, adrenal glands, pancreas, lymph nodes and mesentery. If present, the reproductive tract will be evaluated. It will also evaluate for any fluid within the abdomen.