Abdominal Doppler Ultrasonography in Clinical Practice in Cats and Dogs
Abdominal Doppler Ultrasonography in Cats and Dogs
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64614/vzs-7Keywords:
Cat, dog, doppler ultrasonography, liver, kidney, spleenAbstract
Ultrasonography is an imaging technique based on the determination of echoes from different organs, tissues and surfaces by sending high-frequency sound waves into the body. Doppler ultrasonography is a method for investigating blood flow velocity and characteristics. When ultrasound waves return from moving organs, the rotating waves undergo a frequency change. This change is called ‘doppler shift’. The Doppler shift is the difference between the new frequency returned and the original frequency sent. Based on this law of physics, the Doppler ultrasonography method has been developed for the qualitative and quantitative examination of blood flow.
Although Doppler ultrasonography is mainly used in echocardiography in feline and canine medicine, abdominal Doppler ultrasonography is a diagnostic method used in the diagnosis of various diseases and pathologies such as portal hypertension, portal vein thrombosis, kidney diseases, pancreatitis, splenic torsion, portosystemic shunts, abdominal tumors, stenosis and thrombosis of abdominal vessels.
Abdominal Doppler ultrasonography in cats and dogs can be performed in dorsoventral or laterolateral position depending on the organ to be examined without the need for any sedative agent. Shaving, treating with alcohol and applying gel is sufficient for the examination.
References
Ambrogio, S., Ansell, J., Gabriel, E., Aneju, G., Newman, B., Negoita, M., Ramnarine, K.V. (2022). Pulsed wave Doppler measurements of maximum velocity: dependence on sample volume size. Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology, 48(1), 68-77.
Beeston, D., Szladovits, B., & Cortellini, S. (2024). Spherocytosis as an indicator of fragmentation injury in dogs with splenic torsion. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, (1), 1-6.
Bhargava, S., & Bhargava, S.K. (2019). Textbook of color doppler imaging. 3rd ed., 13-21p, Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers London/England.
Bird, J.D. (2023). Quantifying diaphragm blood flow with contrast-enhanced ultrasound in healthy humans: feasibility, validity, and reliability Doctoral dissertation, University of British Columbia, England. 120p.
Cardillo, J.H., Zersen, K.M., & Cavanagh, A.A. (2024). Point of care ultrasound measurement of paralumbar caudal vena cava diameter and caudal vena cava to aortic ratio in hypovolemic dogs. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 11, 1467043.
Chinh, N.D., Ha, L.M., Sun, G., Anh, L.Q., Huong, P.V., Vu, T.A., Trung, N.L. (2021). Short time cardio-vascular pulses estimation for dengue fever screening via continuous-wave Doppler radar using empirical mode decomposition and continuous wavelet transform. Biomedical Signal Processing and Control, 65, 102361.
Chou, Y.Y., Ward, J.L., Barron, L.Z., Murphy, S.D., Tropf, M.A., Lisciandro, G.R., & DeFrancesco, T.C. (2021). Focused ultrasound of the caudal vena cava in dogs with cavitary effusions or congestive heart failure: a prospective, observational study. PLoS One, 16(5), e0252544.
D’Anjou M.A, Penninck D, Cornejo L, Pibarto P. (2004). Ultrasonographic diagnosis of portosystemic shunting in dogs and cat. Vet Radiol Ultrasound; 45.424-437.
Darnis, E., Boysen, S., Merveille, A.C., Desquilbet, L., Chalhoub, S., & Gommeren, K. (2018). Establishment of reference values of the caudal vena cava by fast‐ultrasonography through different views in healthy dogs. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 32(4), 1308-1318.
Derré, M., & Layssol-Lamour, C. (2022). Ultrasonographic characteristics of the portal venous system of 37 healthy, unsedated, student-owned cats: A prospective study. The Canadian Veterinary Journal, 63(4), 373.
Dominique P, Marc-André D. (2008). Atlas of small animal ultrasonography, 2nd ed., 704p. Wiley-Blackwell Publishers Ames, USA.
Ercolin, A.C M., Uchôa, A.S., Aires, L.P.N., Gomes, D R., Tinto, S.T., Feliciano, G.S.M., & Feliciano, M. A.R. (2024). Use of new ultrasonography methods for detecting neoplasms in dogs and cats: a review. Animals, 14(2), 312.
Evangelista, G.C.L., Viana, A.G.D.A., Neves, M.M., & Reis, E.C.C. (2022). Resistivity and pulsatility indexes in feline kidney disease: a systematic review. Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound, 63(3), 306-318.
Fiori, G., Fuiano, F., Scorza, A., Conforto, S., & Sciuto, S.A. (2021). Non-invasive methods for PWV measurement in blood vessel stiffness assessment. IEEE Reviews in Biomedical Engineering, 15, 169-183.
Gori, E., Pierini, A., Lippi, I., Citi, S., Mannucci, T., & Marchetti, V. (2021). Evaluation of diagnostic and prognostic usefulness of abdominal ultrasonography in dogs with clinical signs of acute pancreatitis. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 259(6), 631-636.
Gupta, P., Bhardwaj, H.R., Gupta, A.K., Sharma, A., Nashiruddllah, N., & Kushwaha, R.B. (2022). Duplex doppler evaluation of distal intrarenal arteries in urinary tract diseases of dogs. Indian Journal of Veterinary Surgery, 43(1), 46-49.
Horsma, A. (2024). Verification of Transverse Doppler-Ultrasound for Assessment of Blood Flow Velocity. KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health (CBH), master thesis. Stockholm, Sweden 91p.
Ito, T., Hanazono, K., Miyoshi, K., & Endoh, D. (2024). Evaluation of renal function in dogs using pulsed Doppler ultrasonography. Open Veterinary Journal, 14(12), 3449.
Korim, F., Kuricová, M., & Eberlová, L. (2023). Anatomical Characteristics of Duplicated Caudal Vena Cava in Cats—A Case Report. Animals, 13(10), 1585.
Lamb C.R, Adrian B.O. (2005). Doppler ultrasound examination in dogs and cats. Journal of In Practice, 27(4), 183-189.
Maulik, D. (2023). Doppler sonography: a brief history. In Doppler ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology, 3nd ed., 1-10p, Springer International Publishing Cham, Sweden.
Meola, M., Ibeas, J., Lasalle, G., & Petrucci, I. (2021). Basics for performing a high-quality color Doppler sonography of the vascular access. The Journal of Vascular Access, 22(1_suppl), 18-31.
Meyers, B.A., & Vlachos, P.P. (2025). Flow measurements in clinical cardiac imaging. Physical Review Fluids, 10(2), 020501.
Miranda, E.D.P., & Carneiro, F. (2024). Principles of Doppler Ultrasound. In Penile Color Duplex-Doppler Ultrasound in Erectile Dysfunction Diagnosis and Management: A Complete Guide to Best Practices, 1st ed., 9-31p, Springer International Publishing, Cham, Sweden.
Moarabi, A., Hanafi, M.G., Mosallanejad, B., & Alimardani, P. (2022). Measurement of normal renal artery indices in DSH cats by Doppler ultrasonography. Iranian Veterinary Journal, 17(4), 103-110.
Novellas R, Gopegui RR, Espada Y. (2008). Increased renal vascular resistance in dogs with hepatic disease The Veterinary Journal 178, 255-260.
Oglat, A.A. (2022). A review of blood-mimicking fluid properties using Doppler ultrasound applications. Journal of Medical Ultrasound, 30(4), 251-256.
Percival, A., Slaughter, S., & Scrivani, P.V. (2025). Normative Canine Liver Ultrasonography: Papillary Process and Ligamentum Venosum Fissure. Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound, 66(2), e70018.
Samir, H., Radwan, F., & Watanabe, G. (2021). Advances in applications of color Doppler ultrasonography in the andrological assessment of domestic animals: A review. Theriogenology, 161, 252-261.
Scheinfeld M.H, Bilali A, Koenigsberg M. (2009). Understanding the spectral Doppler waveform of the hepatic veins in health and disease. Radiographics, 29,2081-2098.
Sharif, H.A., Mhalhal, T.R., & Ali, M.A. (2025). Comparative Morphological Study of the Kidney in the Domestic Dogs and Cats. Basrah Journal of Veterınary Research, 24(1), 164-178.
Silva, V.B.C., Froes, T.R., Wolf, M., Lucina, S.B., & Sousa, M.G. (2022). Characterization of Doppler spectrum of hepatic veins in dogs with pulmonary hypertension. Research in Veterinary Science, 150, 131-136.
Singh, A., Kusunose, J., Phipps, M.A., Wang, F., Chen, L.M., & Caskey, C.F. (2022). Guiding and monitoring focused ultrasound mediated blood–brain barrier opening in rats using power Doppler imaging and passive acoustic mapping. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 14758.
Stillman, Z.R., Ruvolo, D.J., Fettig, P.K., & Carberry, C.A. (2025). Primary splenic torsion and subsequent avulsion in an English bulldog (Canis lupus familiaris). Veterinary Record Case Reports, 13(2), e70060.
Tollefson, C. (2021). The effects of sildenafil on portal vein velocity, cross-sectional area, and congestion index in the dog. Master Thesis, Mississippi State University. Mississippi, USA. 36p.
Udeh, C., Omer, T., & Zahniser, M.H. (2024). Doppler. In Critical Care Echocardiography: A Self-Assessment Book, 1st ed., 7-22p. Springer International Publishing, Cham, Sweden.
von Stade, L., & Marolf, A.J. (2022). Advanced Imaging of the Pancreas. Advances in Small Animal Care, 3(1), 57-71.
Yan, S., Shou, J., Yu, J., Song, J., Mao, Y., & Xu, K. (2023). Ultrafast ultrasound vector Doppler for small vasculature imaging. IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, 70(7), 613-624.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Çağatay Esin, Murat Güzel
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
