At our hospital, we have a passion for non-invasive diagnostic imaging and medicine. We have just made some equipment additions to our hospital to better serve you and your pets. Digital radiography and endoscopy have arrived at Westbridge, the benefits of which will be discussed over the next few weeks.
Ultrasonography has been a mainstay of our clinic, and is invaluable in its ability to aid in the diagnosis of many medical conditions and ailments. Ultrasonography is an art that is most accurate and efficient with a combination of good equipment and sonographer skill and experience. At Westbridge, we offer all of these important qualities. Both Dr. Robert Hylands and Dr. Sonia Morin practice ultrasonography in our clinic.
Not all ultrasound machines are created equal. When we opened Westbridge we opted for one of the best. Dr. Hylands spent many days and countless hours testing machines from various companies. As a result, we have a very high quality machine that is still used in human hospitals around the world as their machine of choice. The images obtained at our hospital have been used for numerous educational modalities through Dr. Hylands, in teaching, published articles and textbook entries.
Dr. Hylands has incorporated the ultrasound into daily practice for over 15 years, starting at the previous 24-hour emergency hospital that he and his wife, Dr. Buller, owned. This has resulted in extensive experience in advanced abdominal and cardiac ultrasonography. This experience has led him to be an associate editor on the diagnostic imaging board of VIN (Veterinary Information Network) – the world’s largest online community for veterinarians. Here, he helps educate veterinarians from around the globe on their cases involving ultrasound. Dr. Hylands also teaches courses to veterinarians across Canada through an outside company, lecturing and performing wet labs on abdominal ultrasonography.
Dr. Morin has performed abdominal ultrasound for over 8 years between the 24 hour hospital and Westbridge. She has a keen interest in the modality, and has taken advanced courses to hone her skills. Both Dr. Hylands and Dr. Morin are available for abdominal ultrasound studies.
Ultrasound is a very special technology, which allows us to thoroughly evaluate inner organs without invasive procedures such as a surgical exploratory. In many cases, it can give us information beyond what is available to the naked eye surgically. This has allowed us to help an innumerable amount of patients over the years. Ultrasound guided tissue sampling allows us to take aspirates or needle biopsies of abnormal organs, without the need for large incisions. This decreases pain and discomfort to the patient and provides a quicker recovery. This is a benefit that can not be accurately or adequately expressed in words. In most cases, owners receive an accurate diagnosis for their pet’s condition, and pets are often able to go home the same day. Ultrasound, along with ultrasound guided tissue sampling, is a very efficient modality to aid in the diagnosis of almost all diseases affecting the abdominal organs, including kidney disease, liver disease, pancreatic disease, adrenal disease, intestinal disease, and much more.
