From Physics to Practice – Applying Ultrasound Skills in Veterinary Clinics

About This Series

This article is part of a three‑part blog series on veterinary ultrasound CPD.

• Part 1: Choosing the Right Ultrasound Transducer

• Part 2: Understanding Ultrasound Artefacts in Veterinary Medicine

• Part 3: From Physics to Practice – Applying Ultrasound Skills in Veterinary Clinics

Introduction

Understanding ultrasound physics and artefact recognition is essential, but the real challenge lies in applying that knowledge consistently in a clinical setting. Every scan requires vets to integrate physics, pattern recognition, probe handling, and real‑time decision‑making — often under time pressure and with patients who don’t always cooperate.

By exploring common clinical scenarios, we highlight how artefacts become diagnostic tools, how probe optimisation improves efficiency, and how structured veterinary ultrasound CPD training helps clinicians build confidence in everyday scanning.

Case Examples in Practice

Urinary Calculi

Acoustic shadowing is one of the most reliable sonographic indicators of mineralised material.

What to look for

- A bright, hyperechoic focus with a clean, well‑defined distal shadow

- Stones settling dependently within the bladder

- Confirmation in two orthogonal planes

Why it matters

Shadowing helps differentiate:

- True calculi

- Debris or clots (bright but no clean shadow)

- Gas artefacts (reverberation rather than shadowing)

Correct identification prevents misdiagnosis and guides appropriate management of urolithiasis.

Common pitfalls

- Confusing gas reverberation with stones

- Missing small ureteral calculi due to narrow windows

- Assuming all shadows indicate stones (foreign bodies, bone fragments, dystrophic mineralisation)

Practical tip: Lower the frequency slightly to improve penetration in larger patients or deeper bladder regions.

Fluid Collections and fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy

Acoustic enhancement beneath fluid‑filled structures is a key discriminator between cystic and solid lesions.

What to look for

- Anechoic or hypoechoic fluid pocket

- Increased brightness of tissues deep to the fluid

- Smooth, well‑defined walls

Why it matters

Enhancement helps distinguish:

- Simple cysts (strong enhancement, thin walls)

- Abscesses (internal echoes but still enhance)

- Solid masses (no enhancement; may attenuate instead)

This distinction is crucial in abdominal imaging, where misinterpretation can lead to unnecessary interventions.

Common pitfalls

- Misidentifying a cystic tumour as a simple cyst

- Over‑relying on enhancement without assessing wall thickness or vascularity

- Missing small fluid pockets due to suboptimal probe angle

Practical tip: Sweep slowly in two planes; enhancement is most obvious when the beam is perpendicular to the fluid interface.

Cardiac Imaging

Cardiac ultrasound is highly sensitive to probe choice, frequency selection, and operator technique.

What to look for

- High frame rate (>80 fps for small animals)

- Clear endocardial borders

- Stable long‑axis and short‑axis views

- Doppler alignment parallel to blood flow

Why it matters

Small errors in probe positioning can significantly affect:

- Chamber measurements

- Doppler velocities

- Assessment of cardiac function

Consistency is essential for monitoring disease progression and making evidence‑based decisions.

Common pitfalls

- Using too low a frequency → poor resolution

- Tilting instead of sliding → distorted chamber geometry

- Misaligned Doppler → underestimated velocities

- Excessive gain → artefact creation

Practical tip: Start with a higher frequency and reduce only if penetration and low frame rate become limiting. Prioritise probe stability — tiny movements have big consequences.

Why CPD Training Matters

Artefact Recognition Prevents Misdiagnosis: Misinterpreting reverberation or mirror artefacts can lead to false positives. It is essential learn how to distinguish artefacts from pathology.

Probe Optimisation Improves Efficiency: Selecting the right frequency and transducer type saves time in busy clinics and enhances diagnostic accuracy.

Hands‑On Practice Builds Confidence: Small‑group, practical sessions consistently allow vets to refine skills in a supportive environment.

Conclusion

Ultrasound becomes a powerful diagnostic tool only when clinicians combine a solid understanding of physics with confident, practical scanning skills. Recognising artefacts, optimising probe settings, and interpreting images consistently are competencies that develop through structured practice.

We support veterinary teams in building these skills through tailored in‑practice CPD training, using your clinic’s own equipment to ensure every session is directly relevant to your workflow. Our onsite courses cover echocardiography, abdominal ultrasound, and emergency scanning, giving your team practical skills they can apply immediately.

For deeper study, you can explore curated reference papers via our Resources for Vets page .

By combining physics, artefact recognition, and hands‑on scanning, we help your team turn theory into confidence, and confidence into better patient outcomes.

• <<<Read part 1: Choosing the Right Ultrasound Transducer

• >>>Read part 2: Understanding Ultrasound Artefacts in Veterinary Medicine