Abdominal Doppler Ultrasonography in Clinical Practice in Cats and Dogs

Ultrasonography is an imaging technique based on the determination of echoes from different organs, tissues and surfaces by sending high-frequency sound waves into the body. Doppler ultrasonography is a method for investigating blood flow velocity and characteristics. When ultrasound waves return from moving organs, the rotating waves undergo a frequency change. This change is called ‘doppler shift’. The Doppler shift is the difference between the new frequency returned and the original frequency sent. Based on this law of physics, the Doppler ultrasonography method has been developed for the qualitative and quantitative examination of blood flow. Although Doppler ultrasonography is mainly used in echocardiography in feline and canine medicine, abdominal Doppler ultrasonography is a diagnostic method used in the diagnosis of various diseases and pathologies such as portal hypertension, portal vein thrombosis, kidney diseases, pancreatitis, splenic torsion, portosystemic shunts, abdominal tumors, stenosis and thrombosis of abdominal vessels. Abdominal Doppler ultrasonography in cats and dogs can be performed in dorsoventral or laterolateral position depending on the organ to be examined without the need for any sedative agent. Shaving, treating with alcohol and applying gel is sufficient for the examination.