The purpose of the Outpatient Ultrasound Service is to provide high quality ultrasound examinations performed by a Board-Certified Radiologist to patients in a timely, convenient, and cost-effective manner.
Scheduling
Before having the client call to schedule an appointment, please submit an online referral form or fax a transfer form directly to TVRH (Fax: 919-213-6664). The client can then schedule the appointment directly with us. Please fax or email any history, bloodwork, etc. at the same time as a referral submission.
The client should plan to be at TVRH with their pet for approximately 1 hour. Every effort will be made to complete the exam at the scheduled time, but due to the possibility of emergency cases or other delays, the exam may occur after the scheduled time.
Outpatient Ultrasound Guidelines
This service is for stable patients and recheck exams only. Examples include stable patients with conditions such as: liver or kidney enzyme elevations, abdominal mass without abdominal effusion, recurrent urinary tract infections, re-evaluation of stable abdominal disease, etc.
This service is not intended for animals that are unstable, are likely to need sedation due to the pet's disposition; are likely to need care from the internal medicine, surgery, or emergency services; or if the need for biopsy/fine needle aspiration are considered likely. In these latter situations, the patient should be scheduled through the appropriate service instead.
The patient should be fasted for at least 12 hours prior to the exam. Water is okay. If the patient's condition contraindicates fasting (such as diabetes mellitus, small breed puppies, etc.), please make an appropriate recommendation to your client based on their pet’s specific needs.
Please make the client aware that the pet’s abdomen will be shaved for the exam and that the clients are not allowed to be present during the exam.
Many patients may benefit from the use of oral sedation prior to the appointment (due to anxiety, hyperexcitement, aggression). If you believe the patient will benefit from oral sedation, please advise the clients to administer this medication prior to the appointment. If the patient will not tolerate an ultrasound exam, the following options will be presented to the client:
Reschedule the ultrasound and coordinate with the referring veterinarian regarding an appropriate protocol for oral sedation to be administered at home prior to the appointment. A small amount of food is acceptable in order to give this medication.
Transfer through the ER Service for administration of injectable sedation. This option would entail an ER exam, sedation, and ultrasound interpretation by the ER veterinarian. Estimation of cost would be approximately $1100, including the cost of the ultrasound.
If the patient is determined by the radiologist to be unstable or require additional care or diagnostics, the radiologist will attempt to contact the referring veterinarian. If the referring veterinarian is available, we ask that they then contact the owner to relay the ultrasound findings and discuss options for seeking additional care (e.g. returning to referring veterinary clinic or transferring through our Emergency Department). If the referring veterinarian is not available, the radiologist will discuss the ultrasound findings with the client and recommend transfer through the Emergency Department.
The ultrasound report will be sent to the referring veterinarian no later than one business day following the examination. The referring veterinarian can then discuss the results with the client along with any recommendations for additional diagnostics or treatment plans as indicated. No consultation or direct reporting of results will occur during the visit to TVRH unless the ER Service takes over the case in order to administer sedation or if the patient is determined to be unstable.
Charges will be billed directly to the client unless otherwise arranged.
