Pet Ultrasound and Radiology in Herriman, UT
When your pet is sick and the cause is not obvious from the outside, diagnostic imaging can help us see what is happening beneath the surface. At Herriman Pet Vet & Emergency Hospital, we provide pet ultrasound in Herriman, pet radiology in Herriman, and other pet imaging services to help evaluate internal organs, investigate abnormal test results, and guide treatment decisions. Our goal is to gather useful diagnostic information while keeping you informed about what we are looking for and why. So if your pet is experiencing a medical emergency or you need immediate assistance, please call us at (801) 214-0085 so our team can help determine the appropriate next step.
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What Pet Ultrasound Can Tell Us
Ultrasound is a noninvasive imaging technique that uses sound waves and echoes to create images of structures inside your pet’s body. Unlike an X-ray, which provides a still image that is especially useful for evaluating bones and certain internal structures, ultrasound allows us to examine many abdominal organs in real time and assess their appearance, size, shape, and movement.
This type of pet imaging can be particularly useful when blood work, physical examination findings, or other diagnostic tests suggest that we need a closer look inside the abdomen. Ultrasound does not replace every other diagnostic tool, but it can add another important layer of information when we are trying to understand a complicated or persistent medical problem.
When We May Recommend an Abdominal Ultrasound
There are many reasons we may recommend an ultrasound for a dog or cat. Sometimes a pet has obvious symptoms, while other times an abnormality is discovered during routine testing or a physical examination and additional imaging is needed to understand what it means.
We may suggest an abdominal ultrasound for situations such as:
- Abnormal blood work values
- Persistent vomiting or diarrhea that is not responding to treatment
- A distended or unusually firm abdomen
- Abnormal findings during abdominal palpation
- Follow-up evaluation of an abnormal X-ray
- Investigation of changes involving abdominal organs
- Collection of cytologic samples when appropriate
- Other symptoms or diagnostic findings that require further evaluation
Every pet’s case is different, so we look at the full clinical picture before recommending imaging. Our team considers symptoms, examination findings, laboratory results, medical history, and any previous radiographs before deciding whether ultrasound is likely to provide useful answers.
Pet Radiology for a Clearer Look Inside
Radiographs, commonly called X-rays, are another important part of veterinary diagnostic imaging. Pet radiology can help us evaluate bones, joints, the chest, abdominal structures, and certain changes involving the size, shape, or position of internal organs.
X-rays and ultrasound often work well together because each provides a different type of information. For example, an X-ray may reveal that something in the abdomen looks unusual, while an ultrasound can sometimes help us examine that area more closely and evaluate its internal structure in greater detail.
Our approach is to choose the imaging method that makes the most sense for your pet’s symptoms instead of ordering tests without a clear reason. When both types of pet imaging are helpful, we can use the information together to build a more complete understanding of your pet’s condition, similar to how we approach dental imaging during a cleaning.
What Happens During a Pet Ultrasound
Before an ultrasound, we will explain what the procedure involves and whether any preparation is needed for your pet. Depending on the area we need to examine, the fur over part of the abdomen may need to be clipped so the ultrasound probe can make proper contact with the skin and produce clearer images.
During the examination, our veterinarian moves the ultrasound probe across the area while viewing real-time images on the screen. We evaluate the visible abdominal structures and look for changes that may help explain your pet’s symptoms or support the findings from bloodwork, X-rays, or the physical examination.
In some cases, ultrasound may also help guide the collection of cytologic samples for further evaluation. Whether additional sampling is appropriate depends on what we find, your pet’s overall condition, and the diagnostic information we are trying to obtain.
Specialist Radiology Consultation Adds Another Level of Review
For abdominal ultrasound cases, our veterinarian performs the imaging and can obtain a consultation from a board-certified veterinary radiology specialist. That additional review gives us another expert perspective on the images and helps us provide a more detailed diagnostic report.
We believe this collaborative approach is especially useful in cases where the findings are complex or subtle. Once the specialist consultation is completed, the report can help guide recommendations for follow-up diagnostics, treatment, monitoring, or additional care based on the individual patient’s needs.
Referral Ultrasounds for Other Veterinary Practices
Herriman Pet Vet & Emergency Hospital also accepts referrals for abdominal ultrasound examinations from other veterinarians. Our team can perform the ultrasound, obtain a radiology consultation from a boarded specialist, and forward the resulting report back to the referring veterinarian.
This service allows other veterinary hospitals to add advanced imaging to their diagnostic options without needing to purchase ultrasound equipment or develop an in-house ultrasound program. After the imaging and consultation are completed, the patient can return to the referring veterinarian for follow-up care, which helps preserve the existing veterinarian-client relationship.
Veterinarians interested in arranging a referral ultrasound consultation can contact us at (801) 214-0085. We can discuss the patient’s needs, available records, previous diagnostics, and the information that would be helpful to have before the imaging appointment.
Local Diagnostic Imaging for Herriman-Area Pets
Having advanced diagnostic imaging available close to home can make an already stressful situation easier for pet owners. Families in southwest Salt Lake County often have busy schedules and active pets, and traveling across the valley for every diagnostic step can add another layer of difficulty when a dog or cat is already sick, especially during an emergency situation.
Our hospital serves pet owners in Herriman as well as nearby communities such as Riverton, South Jordan, Bluffdale, and surrounding areas. Whether we are investigating unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms, abnormal blood work, or a finding discovered on an X-ray, we focus on obtaining useful information and communicating clearly about what comes next.
Frequently Asked Questions
An ultrasound may be recommended when bloodwork is abnormal, vomiting or diarrhea continues despite treatment, an abdominal examination reveals something unusual, or an X-ray shows a finding that needs further evaluation. It can also help us assess abdominal organs in real time and investigate symptoms that have not yet been explained.
No, ultrasound and X-rays use different technologies and show different types of information. X-rays are especially useful for evaluating bones and certain internal structures, while ultrasound uses sound waves to create real-time images of many soft tissues and abdominal organs.
Sedation is not automatically required for every ultrasound and depends on the pet’s temperament, comfort, and the type of imaging or sampling being performed. We evaluate each patient individually and explain any recommended preparation before the procedure begins.
Yes, we accept referral abdominal ultrasound cases from other veterinary practices. Our doctor can perform the imaging, obtain a radiology specialist consultation, send the report to the referring veterinarian, and return the patient to that veterinarian for continued care.
Timing can vary depending on the case and whether specialist review is required. Our team works to communicate findings and the radiology consultation as efficiently as possible so you or your referring veterinarian can make informed decisions about follow-up care.
Get Clearer Answers With Advanced Pet Imaging
When symptoms persist, or test results raise new questions, the right diagnostic imaging can help us understand what your pet needs next. At Herriman Pet Vet & Emergency Hospital, our pet ultrasound, pet radiology, and broader pet imaging services in Herriman give local pet owners and referring veterinarians access to valuable diagnostic support without automatically traveling farther across the Salt Lake Valley.
Our team also combines hands-on veterinary evaluation with advanced imaging and specialist radiology consultation when appropriate. So be sure to call us at (801) 214-0085 to schedule an imaging appointment, discuss a referral ultrasound, or speak with our team about whether diagnostic imaging may be appropriate for your pet.
