Introduction

• Investigation of:
  • Dysuria   Dysuria investigation  .
  • Hematuria   Hematuria  .
  • Crystalluria.
  • Stranguria.
  • Urinary incontinence   Urinary incontinence  .
• Confirm position of:
  • bladder.
  • bladder neck.

Advantages

• Low cost.
• Non-invasive.
• Straightforward.
• Short time requirement.
• No known biological risk.
• Allows ultrasound guided:
  • Fine needle aspirate.
  • Biopsy.
  • Cystocentesis   Cystocentesis  .

Time requirement will reduce with operator experience.

Disadvantages

• Will require patient's coat to be clipped.
• Normal sonographic appearance does not exclude disease.
• Abnormal sonographic appearance does not always indicate significant disease.
• Similar sonographic appearance with different diseases.

Potential problems

• Poor transducer-skin contact:
  • Inadequate clipping.
  • Insufficient coupling medium.
• Inadequate patient restraint (may require sedation).
• Operator inexperience.
• Patient has urinated prior to examination so bladder is empty.

Alternatives

• Plain   Radiography: abdomen  or contrast radiography   Radiography: cystography  , DCC   Radiography: double contrast cystography  .
• Cystoscopy.

Equipment

Patient preparation

technique

Normal Anatomy

Abnormalities

Further Reading

Publications

Refereed papers

• Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.

Other sources of information

• Leveille R (1998) Ultrasonography of urinary bladder disorders. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 28 (4), 799-821.
• Lamb C R (1998) Ultrasonography of the ureters. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 28 (4), 823-848.
• Green R W (1996) Urinary Bladder. In: Small Animal Ultrasound Ed: Green R W. Lippincott-Raven, Philadelphia. pp227-235.
• Nyland T G, Mattoon J S and Wisner E R (1995) Ultrasonography of the Urinary Tract and Adrenal Glands. In: Veterinary Diagnostic Ultrasound W B Saunders Company, Philadelphia. pp115-123.