Abdominal Ultrasound and Echocardiography for Dogs and Cats

Sometimes you can't see from the outside where your pet is unwell. Ultrasound lets the vet see the organs in the abdomen and the heart in real time. It is painless and uses no radiation. At Better Pets, ultrasound is by appointment only.

What is ultrasound?

It uses high-frequency sound waves that bounce back to create an image. It is painless, uses no radiation, and shows the image instantly.

Abdominal ultrasound

Checks the liver, spleen, kidneys, bladder, intestines, pancreas and adrenal glands, looking at size and shape and for masses, cysts, stones and fluid in the abdomen.

Echocardiography (heart echo)

Looks at the heart chambers, the valves, how well the heart contracts, and any backward blood flow.

• Dogs: Degenerative mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most common, especially in small breeds. Echo helps stage the disease (e.g. B1/B2) to decide when to start medication.
• Cats: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) often shows no signs. Echo is the standard way to diagnose it.

How to prepare

1. For an abdominal scan, no food for 8–12 hours (ask the vet about water and regular medication). For a heart echo only, no fasting is needed.
2. For an abdominal scan, don't let your pet urinate for 2–3 hours before coming in.
3. The vet may clip the fur over the area being scanned.
4. Most pets don't need sedation; the scan takes about 30–60 minutes.

Book in advance

Ultrasound and echocardiography require an appointment · Call 095-326-5567 · LINE Betterpets · Map · The hospital is open daily 7:00 AM–10:00 PM · 263/120-122 Chaiyapruek 2 Road, Nong Prue, Bang Lamung, Chonburi 20150