1) Do I need to make 2 separate appointments if my veterinarian tells me my pet needs aspirates with their ultrasound?
2) Why is the Veterinary Radiologist recommending sedating my pet for the ultrasound exam?
Is sedation safe for my pet?
3) What types of payment does STL VRA accept?
2) Why is the Veterinary Radiologist recommending sedating my pet for the ultrasound exam?
Is sedation safe for my pet?
3) What types of payment does STL VRA accept?
1) Do I need to make 2 separate appointments if my veterinarian tells me my pet needs aspirates with their ultrasound?
1. ANSWER: No, Select the type of Ultrasound appointment your veterinarian referred you for (Abdominal, thorax, cervical, or musculoskeletal). When making the appointment, there is a section: REASON FOR APPOINTMENT - State in this section, that your pet will need an aspirate. This will let us know you also need aspirates, and we can be prepared for this at your ultrasound appointment.
The "ASPIRATE" appointment type - is for patients that have had an ultrasound previously and are returning for a diagnostic or therapeutic aspirate only. If you are uncertain as to what appointment you need - feel free to call us, we will happily assist you in making the correct appointment for your pet.
1. ANSWER: No, Select the type of Ultrasound appointment your veterinarian referred you for (Abdominal, thorax, cervical, or musculoskeletal). When making the appointment, there is a section: REASON FOR APPOINTMENT - State in this section, that your pet will need an aspirate. This will let us know you also need aspirates, and we can be prepared for this at your ultrasound appointment.
The "ASPIRATE" appointment type - is for patients that have had an ultrasound previously and are returning for a diagnostic or therapeutic aspirate only. If you are uncertain as to what appointment you need - feel free to call us, we will happily assist you in making the correct appointment for your pet.
2) Why is the Veterinary Radiologist recommending sedating my pet for the ultrasound exam?
2. ANSWER: While ultrasound in general is painless and noninvasive, mild to moderate sedation can be very helpful in achieving the best possible exam through multiple beneficial effects including:
-Helping a patient to relax: Ultrasound images require firm contact with the patient's skin. If a patient is tense, this can decrease the quality of the images, causing subtle or small changes to be missed. Even an excellently behaved patient can be tense during the exam, causing the images to be degraded.
- Making the exam more comfortable - When the patient is relaxed, the Veterinary Radiologist doesn't have to push as hard to get good contact, making the exam more comfortable for the patient. Many of our patients are older or maybe nervous, and being relaxed can be more comfortable for them physically and mentally. (Much like conscious sedation dentistry is for many people).
- Shorter exam - When a patient is relaxed, the Veterinary Radiologist is able to obtain the necessary images in less time, with less repeat imaging due to patient movement or discomfort, decreasing the overall amount of time the patient needs to be examined.
- Assisting with aspirates - although the Veterinary Radiologist uses small needles for aspirates (The same size needle used to draw blood), there is a small amount of discomfort with any procedure involving a needle. As well as improving patient comfort, having the patient relaxed and still, which both decreases the risk of post aspirate complications such as bleeding and improves sample acquisition- making the aspirates more diagnostic.
If you know your pet requires sedation during normal veterinary visits, and will likely need or benefit from sedation please let us know that when making your appointment (In the "REASON FOR APPOINTMENT" section.) Or during any conversations with the STLVRA staff.
Sedation can take many forms - including:
Oral medications prescribed by your referring veterinarian, which you will be directed to give at home prior to your scheduled ultrasound exam. (Please discuss this with your veterinarian prior to your appointment, as you will need to obtain these medications from your veterinarian.)
Injectable sedation which can be prescribed by the Veterinary Radiologist at the time of your exam. The medications used at our clinic are designed to be short acting or reversible, such that the patient will be able to go home within the allotted appointment length.
The medications our clinic has available include the following:
1) Torbugesic - a mild sedation that takes the edge off. This medication is most comparable to conscious sedation dentistry in people. The patient remains awake throughout the exam, but relaxed. This medication is short acting, wearing off within 15-20 min, and is extremely safe even in older or ill patients.
2) Dexdomitor/Antisedan - This medication pair is used for short reversible sedation.
3) Alfaxin -This medication allows for excellent short acting sedation, that is well tolerated in our feline patients.
The Veterinary Radiologist will recommend the sedation type best suited to your pets personality and exam requirements. Please ALERT us to any medication restrictions your pet may have.
2 a) Is sedation safe for my pet?
The quick answer is "YES" - the medications we have on hand we have chosen not only for their effectiveness, but also their safety. But any medication can have unforeseen reactions, including but not limited to: allergic reactions, excessive sedation, or compensatory excitement, and rarely even death. Thus we can never say that sedation is always 100% safe. We evaluate each patient, as well as the history provided by you and your veterinarian. This information is vital in helping to make our sedation protocols as safe as possible. Please ALERT us to any medication restrictions your pet may have.
3) What types of payment does STL VRA accept?
3) Answer: We accept the following:
Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express.
Care Credit
Checks - These will need to be made out to either VIS Mobile or Ghost Pipes Imaging depending on which doctor performs your service.
If you are paying by check, we recommend waiting until your exam is completed before writing your check, to make sure it is
written to the correct doctor.
Payment is due at time of service.
3) Answer: We accept the following:
Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express.
Care Credit
Checks - These will need to be made out to either VIS Mobile or Ghost Pipes Imaging depending on which doctor performs your service.
If you are paying by check, we recommend waiting until your exam is completed before writing your check, to make sure it is
written to the correct doctor.
Payment is due at time of service.
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