Dr. Rendano's Protocol for Examining the Abdomen
- Place the pet in dorsal recumbency if appropriate; consider sedation if the pet will not stay and if sedation is appropriate.
- Clip hair from the ventral abdomen if needed and if permitted – sternum to pubis and laterally as far as needed to be able to visualize the kidneys, right adrenal gland and spleen.
- Wet the area to be imaged with alcohol and apply coupling gel.
- Place appropriate frequency probe/transducer on the abdomen to visualize the spleen and left kidney-refine power, gain, TGC settings etc. as needed.
- Each organ system should be evaluated in sagittal and transverse planes.
- Static images can be saved and organs/lesions measured as appropriate.
- Start recording the study and proceed as follows-clockwise assessment the abdominal viscera:
- Place probe by last sternebra and then move it to evaluate:
- left side of liver
- right side of liver
- gall bladder
- portal vein andporta hepatis
- spleen
- left kidney
- left adrenal gland
- urinarybladder
- reproductiveorgan(s)
- sublumbar lymph nodes
- right kidney
- right adrenal gland
- stomach
- bowel
- mesenteric lymph nodes
- pancreas
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- Place animal in right lateral recumbency and evaluate:
- pancreas (if not previously seen)
- left adrenal gland (if not previously seen
- Place animal in left lateral recumbency and evaluate:
- right adrenal gland (if not previously seen)
- Make concluding statements after you evaluate each organ system. If there is a mass lesion define, freeze, label and measure it.
