My Job...

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Most of you know that I do ultrasounds at work.

There are veterinary hospitals that do not have an ultrasound in their practice. The main reason is because the ultrasound machines are very expensive to buy.

So a lot of clinics and hospitals send patients to us for ultrasounds.

A 2 1/2 year old neutered male cat was sent to us for an ultrasound a while back. The doctor who sent it said that the cat had FLUTD (feline lower urinary tract disease). He had been treating this cat for many months and didn't feel like any progress was being made. So he was wanting an ultrasound to see if there could be stones in the bladder that were not showing up on radiographs (x-rays).

I did a complete ultrasound on the cat which was normal, until I got to the urinary bladder. I had located a foreign body that was linear in appearance.

"What is that?"

After a few minutes, I had determined that I had found a urinary catheter inside of the cat's bladder.


The doctor had a hard time believing me and thus began a series of radiographs, without and with contrast media.

The object did not appear on the radiographic images. It hadn't shown up on the referring doctor's x-rays either. That's why the cat was there for an ultrasound. The referring doctor couldn't see why this cat wasn't getting any better.


It was believed that I was 'hallucinating', and that nothing was there. It was chalked up to be an unusual ultrasonographic artifact.


I insisted that the "artifact" was indeed an urinary catheter.

And I would not let the matter rest...


So the doctors (one had now turned into several), decided that we would pass a urinary catheter of our own.


We passed the urinary catheter and I was able to locate it ultrasonographically, and...

I was able to get an image with "our" catheter next to the "lost" urinary catheter in the urethra.


Ha!

Success!



Surgery was then performed, and the offending foreign body was removed.


Elizabethan collars are used for many reasons. Also known as e-collars, these devices help keep animals from chewing and licking at their wounds, incisions, bandages, IV's, and...

urinary catheters.


Many clients feel sorry for their pets, and they refuse to follow the directions that are given to them by their doctors. Lack of client compliance can cause many complications, because animals do not understand the reasons why they may need to have their activity restricted, or the need to wear an e-collar.

Failing to keep an e-collar on your pet could have many consequences during their recovery period. One consequence, at the very least, would be a lengthened healing and recovery period.

Another consequence could be chewing the end of a urinary catheter off, and losing the remainder of the catheter in the bladder.

later...