Pet Ultrasound in Grant Park, Atlanta, From Your Local Vet

Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Grant Park is a vet in Grant Park, Atlanta, that uses focused ultrasound as part of its diagnostic imaging for dogs and cats. Most often, it guides a thin needle to collect a clean urine sample, or gives a quick look at the bladder, belly or chest when a pet is sick. Call ahead to confirm a scan can be done on the day you come in.

Call (470) 256-0274 to ask about an ultrasound visit.

What can a focused scan show?

Ultrasound sends sound waves into the body and turns the echoes into a live picture on a screen. Unlike an x-ray, it shows soft tissue and fluid well. The vet may use it to:

• see the bladder wall and look for stones or sludge

• check for fluid in the belly or around the lungs or heart after an injury or sudden illness

• guide a needle into the bladder for a sterile urine sample

• get a closer look at something seen on an x-ray

• decide whether a pet needs a full scan by a specialist

Across Petfolk from October 2025 to September 2026, close to three-quarters of ultrasound procedures (73%) were for ultrasound-guided urine collection, and roughly one in eight (12%) was a FAST scan. FAST stands for a short, targeted check of the belly or chest for fluid that shouldn't be there.

Why collect urine with a needle?

A urine sample caught in a cup or from the floor picks up bacteria from the skin and the ground. That can make a urine culture look like an infection when there isn't one, or hide the real cause. A sample drawn straight from the bladder, called cystocentesis, is clean. It gives the vet a true answer for bladder infections, crystals and kidney problems, so your pet gets the right medicine the first time.

Does the needle hurt?

Most pets tolerate it well. The needle is thin, like the one used for a vaccine, and the vet watches it on the screen the whole time. It takes only seconds. Many pets react more to a nail trim. Gentle, Fear Free handling, treats and a calm room help, and the team holds your pet softly on their back or side.

For the best sample, try not to let your pet pee for an hour or two before the visit, so the bladder has some urine in it. Water is fine.

What happens during a scan?

The team may shave a small patch of fur so the probe touches the skin. Then the vet applies cool gel and moves the probe slowly over the area. A focused scan usually takes a few minutes. Your pet stays awake for most scans. A pet who is sore or anxious may need light sedation, which the vet explains first.

You'll get an estimate before any test or treatment. The final bill can differ if the plan changes during the visit.

Ultrasound pricing and next steps

Cost depends on what the scan is for and whether a urine culture or other lab test is added. The team gives you a written estimate first. If the vet sees something that needs a deeper look, such as a mass or changes in the liver or kidneys, they will explain it and refer you to a specialist for a full abdominal ultrasound. Results and images go with you, and follow-up care can come back here.

Bladder trouble in cats and dogs

Cats who pee outside the box or strain in the litter box, and dogs with new accidents or blood in the urine, can be seen at the clinic, a short trip from Ormewood Park and Chosewood Park. A clean urine sample is usually the first step for both. See diagnostic imaging for how ultrasound and x-rays work together.

When a bladder problem is urgent

A male cat who strains to pee and makes little or no urine can have a blocked bladder. That can become life-threatening within a day. Go to a 24-hour emergency hospital right away. MedVet Atlanta on Century Circle NE takes emergencies without an appointment. Go there too for a swollen belly with retching or trouble breathing.

Book a visit at Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Grant Park, or see all veterinary services in Grant Park.