Why not treat yourself to a Christmas present that will benefit you for a lifetime, and attend one of our canine scanning courses? You can find out more information on these courses, including when they are held and the different levels of ultrasound scanning that we hold by clicking here. The following information is taken from the ‘Canine Breeders’ Guide to Ultrasonography – Level 2’, written by Yvette Lovis (who was our Vet Image Solutions expert a few weeks ago) and may serve as the inspiration you need to book your place now!

Our level 2 canine scanning course will teach you everything that you need to know to feel confident and comfortable in scanning dogs of all shapes and sizes. The course begins by looking at Real Time Ultrasound, explaining in more detail how ‘real images’ are produced.  The three different kinds of probes used to generate real time images are also discussed, and the unexpected link between probes and pizza is revealed!

This course will also help you to understand what M-mode, or time motion is, and when this would be used during ultrasound scanning. This scanning course will also look at Colour Doppler Ultrasound, which is commonly utilised in assessing both the flow and speed of blood through vessels. This section will also serve as a bit of a ‘history lesson’, taking you back in time to when you were taught maths at school – equations and terms such as ‘cos’ will feature here, proving that paying attention in maths was useful after all! If the thought of revisiting maths sends a shiver down your spine, please don’t worry, as our course will explain everything you need to know in an easy to understand and simplified manner.

A canine scanning course wouldn’t be complete without a Canine Embryology section. You will be made aware of the canine landmarks that can be viewed using ultrasound imaging from day 20 to days 57-63 of gestation in a clear and concise table. This means that you don’t need to spend time looking through publications to find the information that you require – it has all been put in one place for you.

Our scanning course doesn’t stop there. There is a section dedicated to Calculating Gestational Age, which explains how to measure the ‘gestation sac diameter’, the ‘Bi-parietal diameter (BPD)’ and the ‘crown rump length’. This section also explains how callipers should be used in order to measure the aforementioned BPD.

It is important that any future canine ultrasound practitioner is familiar with what an ‘average’ foetus looks like following ultrasound imaging. Consequently, this guide includes a chapter on the Normal Anatomy of the Canine Foetus which contains a number of ultrasound images that serve as examples of what a practitioner should see when looking at a canine foetus. However, breeders and veterinarians are sure to have experienced instances when unfortunately the pregnancy does not go to plan. One example of this is Hydrops/Anascara/Water Babies, which has been looked at in a previous article. This guide explains how an ultrasound practitioner can detect this condition in the developing foetus and speculates on the reasons as to how this disorder may arise.

Finally, the ‘Canine Breeders’ Guide to Ultrasonography – Level 2’ discusses carrying out ultrasound imaging for both the bladder and the heart.  The diagnosis of canine bladder tumours using ultrasonography is looked at, whilst the detection of cardiac disease using ultrasound will also be looked at.

All this information is invaluable to anyone considering undertaking canine scanning. So why not enroll yourself in our next canine scanning course? What better way to kick-start the giving of gifts this Christmas? For more information on our courses, please contact us by clicking here – we look forward to hearing from you.