Urinary tract disease in dogs: US findings. A mini-pictorial essay

Abstract

Ultrasound (US) is the most commonly used imaging method for studying urinary tract disorders in dogs, as it is easy to perform, inexpensive and provides excellent contrast resolution in real-time. However, US examination of dogs presents a series of technical difficulties, and the US operator must therefore have a longstanding experience and access to high-quality equipment including a range of different probes to achieve a correct diagnosis. The aim of this mini-pictorial essay is to describe US findings and patterns which permit identification of the most common pathologies of the urinary tract in dogs. The technical difficulties that may be encountered are also evaluated as well as integration with other imaging modalities (traditional X-ray, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging). © 2013 Società Italiana di Ultrasonologia in Medicina e Biologia (SIUMB).