Why Your Vet Clinic Needs Ultrasound for Safer Cystocentesis
Ultrasound Makes Cystocentesis Less Stressful for All
In veterinary medicine, minor improvements in technique can make a big difference.
One of those game-changing tools is ultrasound, particularly when it comes to performing safer, more reliable cystocentesis.
Suppose your practice doesn’t already use ultrasound for this everyday procedure. In that case, you may be missing an opportunity to improve diagnostic quality, reduce stress (for everyone involved), and elevate the standard of care you offer.
Here’s why it’s worth investing in — and how it can transform how you approach even routine diagnostics.
Cystocentesis Without Guesswork
If you’ve ever performed a blind cystocentesis on an obese dog, a wiggly cat, or a patient with a tiny, poorly palpable bladder, you know how tricky it can get.
Even with years of experience and skilled hands, there’s a level of uncertainty — are you truly in the bladder? Is it full enough? Are you avoiding other organs?
Ultrasound eliminates the guesswork
With real-time imaging, you can see exactly where the bladder is and guide your needle precisely, even when the bladder is small, displaced, or hidden by fat or intestines.
This not only improves your confidence but also makes the procedure faster and less stressful for the patient.
Let’s look at an example…
Take Blaze, for instance—a senior cat with chronic kidney disease who presents for a urine culture. On palpation, her bladder feels small and challenging to locate. With ultrasound, you can quickly find the small dorsal bladder and collect a sample without repeated attempts — a win for you, your patient, and the client.
Why Safer Matters — Beyond the Obvious
Of course, accuracy is essential, but safety is equally critical. Blind cystocentesis carries risks that can be mitigated with ultrasound:
Puncturing the intestines or uterus by mistake
Traumatizing bladder tumors or inflamed tissue
Causing unnecessary discomfort with multiple unsuccessful attempts
With ultrasound, you can avoid these pitfalls by choosing the safest access point and observing the bladder’s walls and contents before you proceed.
It also builds trust with clients. Being able to explain, “We used ultrasound to guide our sample collection and avoid complications,” reassures pet owners that you’re providing the best care possible.
Unexpected Perks for Your Practice
Adding ultrasound for cystocentesis also brings less obvious benefits:
Team empowerment: Veterinary technicians can be trained to perform ultrasound-guided cystocentesis under supervision, freeing doctors for more complex tasks.
Time savings: Fewer failed attempts mean shorter appointments and happier patients.
Professional pride: Offering a more advanced and refined approach sets your clinic apart, signaling to clients that you prioritize precision and patient comfort.
Overcoming Barriers to Getting Started
You might wonder: Isn’t ultrasound overkill for something as simple as cystocentesis?
Not anymore.
Modern ultrasound units are more affordable, portable, and user-friendly than ever — and they’re designed with veterinary needs in mind.
Training doesn’t have to be a hurdle, either. Many manufacturers offer resources to help you and your team get comfortable with the technology quickly.
And once you’re familiar with it, you’ll find yourself reaching for ultrasound not just for cystocentesis but for countless other applications — from pregnancy checks to identifying abdominal masses.
Ready to Upgrade Your Standard of Care?
By incorporating ultrasound into cystocentesis, your team can make this routine procedure safer, more precise, and less stressful for everyone involved.
From improving sample quality to reducing complications, ultrasound guidance offers clear benefits that elevate patient care and strengthen client trust.
It’s a simple-but-powerful way to advance the quality of medicine you provide every day.
Explore the ultrasound systems we offer:
Mastering Cystocentesis: Benefits of Ultrasound Guidance in Veterinary Medicine
Top Benefits of Ultrasound-Guided Cystocentesis
Cystocentesis is a cornerstone diagnostic procedure in veterinary medicine; however, even for experienced teams, it can present its challenges.
Fortunately, ultrasound guidance has revolutionized how we perform this critical task, making it safer, more accurate, and more efficient.
Let’s take a moment to explore the benefits of ultrasound-guided cystocentesis and discuss common challenges — as well as how to overcome them — so your team can master this procedure with confidence.
Why Upgrade to an Ultrasound-Guided Cystocentesis Method?
Traditionally, cystocentesis was done “blind,” using only palpation to locate the bladder. While this can work well in ideal patients — those who are lean, cooperative, and have a full bladder — not all patients fit that description.
Ultrasound-guided cystocentesis gives you:
Precision: Visualize the bladder in real time and guide your needle directly into it, reducing the risk of accidental injury.
Cleaner samples: Essential for urine cultures, especially when diagnosing infections or bladder disease.
Improved safety: Paramount in patients with small bladders, obesity, or abdominal masses, where blind cystocentesis risks puncturing other organs.
Confidence under challenging cases: For example, in a tense cat with hematuria, ultrasound helps you find and access even a small, hard-to-palpate bladder.
Let’s say Johnny, a middle-aged male cat, presents with straining and blood in his urine. On palpation, his bladder feels small and difficult to isolate. With ultrasound, you can see the partially contracted bladder nestled beneath intestinal loops, allowing you to confidently and safely obtain a diagnostic sample on the first attempt.
Tips and Best Practices for Success
Choose the proper probe:
A microconvex or linear transducer is ideal for small animal abdominal imaging because it offers good resolution and fits easily against the body wall.
Positioning matters:
Most patients do well in dorsal or lateral recumbency. Ensure the patient is calm — sometimes gentle sedation or a quiet room can make all the difference.
Scan before you poke:
Before inserting the needle, take a moment to thoroughly scan the bladder. Identify its borders, note any stones, masses, or unusual anatomy, and plan your needle path.
Use the in-plane approach:
Whenever possible, guide your needle within the ultrasound beam so you can watch its entire length — and the tip — enter the bladder.
Have an assistant help:
A trained veterinary technician can hold the probe steady while you guide the needle, keeping your hands free and maintaining a clear image.
Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them
Even with Ultrasound, you may encounter some hurdles. Let’s talk it through…
The bladder is too small: Some patients present after voiding or have a chronically small bladder (e.g., due to polyuria).
Solution: If the sample isn’t urgent, wait and give the patient access to water. You can also use a fluid bolus and monitor until the bladder refills enough to access safely.Obese or tense patients: In these patients, the bladder can be obscured by fat or muscle tension.
Solution: Position them carefully to minimize pressure on the abdomen and consider mild sedation to relax abdominal muscles.Needle not visible: If you can’t see the needle on the ultrasound screen, it’s likely off-plane.
Solution: Adjust your angle and make small movements while watching the screen until the needle comes into viewPatient movement: Sudden movements can make it hard to keep the bladder in view and the needle steady.
Solution: Enlist a skilled technician to hold the patient securely and calmly. In some cases, light sedation may be appropriate.
A Team Effort — And a Growth Opportunity
Ultrasound-guided cystocentesis isn’t just a skill for veterinarians — it’s also an excellent way for veterinary technicians to grow professionally. With appropriate training, technicians can perform this procedure competently, freeing up doctors for more complex tasks and improving overall hospital efficiency.
Invest in the Right Tools
Of course, mastering ultrasound-guided cystocentesis starts with the right equipment. High-quality imaging, ergonomic probes, and user-friendly interfaces make it easy for your team to perform accurate, confident diagnostics every day.
With the right equipment, a little practice, and teamwork, this procedure can become second nature — and a true diagnostic advantage!
Links to the systems we offer:
https://newvetequipment.com/vetus-e7-ultrasound
https://newvetequipment.com/vetus-9-veterinary-ultrasound-system
https://newvetequipment.com/vetus-eq-ultrasound-system
https://newvetequipment.com/basic-bladder-scanner-by-mindray
Ultrasound-Guided Cystocentesis: Precision for Veterinary Diagnostics
Why Ultrasound Is Now Standard for Cystocentesis
In our line of work, accuracy is one of the most crucial factors in ensuring a clean sample collection and an accurate diagnosis. When it comes to diagnostic procedures like cystocentesis, precision has a direct impact on patient outcomes, sample quality, and client satisfaction. That’s why ultrasound-guided cystocentesis is becoming the gold standard in veterinary practices everywhere.
Whether you're a seasoned practitioner or building a new hospital, integrating ultrasound guidance into routine procedures like cystocentesis can enhance the quality of care and improve diagnostic reliability.
It’s a win-win! But, before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s break it down…
What is Ultrasound-Guided Cystocentesis?
Cystocentesis is the percutaneous aspiration of urine from the bladder using a needle and syringe.
Traditionally, it’s performed by palpating (or feeling) the bladder manually, which can be effective in some cases, but not all.
Ultrasound-guided cystocentesis takes this a step further by using real-time imaging to guide the needle directly into the bladder, offering unmatched precision and reducing guesswork.
Why Use Ultrasound Guidance?
1. Increased Accuracy
One of the main advantages of ultrasound guidance is visual confirmation of bladder location, size, and wall integrity. This is especially helpful in:
Obese patients where palpation is difficult
Nervous or tense animals that guard their abdomen
Patients with small or partially voided bladders
Critical care patients who cannot be positioned ideally
By directly visualizing the bladder, we can ensure correct needle placement and avoid surrounding structures such as the intestines or uterus, significantly reducing the risk of complications.
2. Improved Sample Quality
When you’re aiming for a sterile urine sample for culture or cytology, contamination is a concern.
Palpation-based cystocentesis increases the risk of dry taps or puncturing non-target tissues, which can compromise the quality of the sample.
Ultrasound guidance minimizes these risks, resulting in cleaner samples, a higher diagnostic yield, and greater confidence in the results. This is particularly valuable when investigating things like:
Urinary tract infections
Hematuria
Bladder masses
3. Greater Safety for Challenging Cases
In some instances, like patients with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC), cystoliths, or anatomical abnormalities, can be more safely evaluated with ultrasound guidance. You can:
Avoid needle contact with neoplasms
Visualize and avoid stones
Confirm bladder fullness before attempting the procedure
This reduces the chance of iatrogenic injury (injuries caused by the needle) and aligns with best practices for minimally invasive care.
Now that we’ve got the basics covered, let’s unpack what good looks like for this particular procedure.
Tips and Best Practices for Ultrasound-Guided Cystocentesis
1. Use the Right Equipment
Invest in an ultrasound machine with high-resolution imaging and a microconvex or linear transducer; both are ideal for abdominal imaging in small animals. Having a veterinary-specific machine ensures preset parameters are optimized for soft tissue visualization.
Pro Tip: Use a hands-free probe holder or enlist a trained assistant to hold the transducer while you guide the needle. This helps maintain image stability and needle visibility.
2. Positioning Matters
Dorsal or lateral recumbency usually works best. Use gentle restraint to reduce stress and abdominal guarding. A calm, cooperative patient makes the procedure easier and more comfortable for everyone.
3. Visualize the Entire Path
Before inserting the needle, scan the full path from the skin surface to the bladder. This helps you identify any vessels, intestines, or abnormalities that could interfere with the procedure.
4. Use the In-Plane Technique (When Possible)
The “in-plane” approach is an ultrasound-guided technique in which the needle is inserted along the same plane as the ultrasound beam, allowing the entire length of the needle (including the tip) to be visible on the screen as it advances toward the target (in this case, the bladder).
Let’s look at it in action…
A 9-year-old spayed female Labrador retriever, Mila, presents with hematuria and pollakiuria, resulting in blood in her urine and frequent urges to urinate. On abdominal palpation, the bladder feels small and difficult to isolate. Rather than risk multiple blind attempts, her veterinarian uses ultrasound guidance. The bladder is visualized dorsal to the pubis, partially obscured by intestinal loops.
With the ultrasound probe held steady, a 22-gauge needle is guided in-plane, avoiding bowel loops and penetrating the bladder wall cleanly. A 7 mL urine sample is collected with no complication, and the diagnostic yield from both urinalysis and culture is high.
The client receives fast, accurate results, and the patient avoids the stress of repeat attempts or complications.
Is Your Practice Equipped for Precision?
Integrating ultrasound-guided techniques like this one isn’t just about upgrading your technology; it’s about upgrading your standard of care.
Not to mention, this is an excellent opportunity for veterinary technicians to enhance their clinical skill set while improving workflow efficiency within the practice.
With proper training, technicians can confidently perform this procedure, ensuring accurate sample collection and patient comfort.
By taking on this advanced task, technicians help free up the veterinarian’s time for more complex diagnostics, treatments, or client communication—ultimately enhancing the hospital’s overall productivity and quality of care.
Ultrasound-guided cystocentesis brings precision, safety, and diagnostic confidence to a routine veterinary procedure. As pet owners increasingly expect modern and accurate diagnostics, ultrasound is becoming the gold standard.
Links to the systems we offer:
https://newvetequipment.com/vetus-e7-ultrasound
https://newvetequipment.com/vetus-9-veterinary-ultrasound-system
https://newvetequipment.com/vetus-eq-ultrasound-system
https://newvetequipment.com/basic-bladder-scanner-by-mindray