Digital imaging equipment—Show, don't tellApril 27, 2020Digital imaging can help better communicate health issues and treatment plans to pet owners. And when it comes to patients getting the care they need, shouldn’t you use every tool at your disposal?
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CT or MRI? When to use each and whyMarch 15, 2019Use MRI for meningitis, encephalitis, fibrocartilaginous embolism, malignancy of liver tumors, muscle tears and strains, and cranial cruciate rupture, says Tony Pease, DVM, MS, DACVR, chief veterinary medical officer of the Western Veterinary Conference Oquendo Center in Las Vegas, Nev. For fragmented medial coronoid processes, dental disease, 3-D reconstructions, and small bone fractures, use CT, he advises. "In general, MRI can see more medically treated lesions, but CT and MRI can see lesions that are amenable with surgery," Dr. Pease says. "However, gastrointestinal lesions are questionable. The motion of the gastrointestinal tract makes large artifacts, as does metal (e.g. microchips), which is not a factor with CT as opposed to MRI." MRI is preferred whenever disease of the central nervous system is suspected, says Nathan C. Nelson DVM, MS, DACVR, clinical associate professor of radiology at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. "MRI has excellent ability to image soft tissue structures and is able to differentiate gray matter, white matter, nerves, and cerebrospinal fluid to a much greater extent than CT," Dr. Nelson says. "In any case, where brain disease is suspected—such as the acutely seizing dog or the dog with sudden behavior change—MRI is the …
Celebrity pig Esther helps campaign for large animal CT scannerApril 17, 2018Canadian social media starlet Esther the Wonder Pig has ignited a campaign to raise money for a large animal CT scanner for the University of Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). The first of its kind Canada, the Pegaso CT scanner will provide diagnostic imaging for pigs, standing horses, and other large animals. Last fall, Esther, the 650-pound pig from Campbellville, Ontario, Canada, started experiencing health complications that caused her to seizure and hyperventilate. Veterinarians at OVC recommended a CT scan to better diagnose her condition, but told owners Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter a scanner able to accommodate an animal of her size was not available in Canada. Further, transporting Esther to the U.S. would involve a three-week quarantine upon her return. Fortunately, the pig recovered on her own and was able to forgo the scan, but Jenkins and Walter decided to ignite a fundraiser to save other large animal owners future distress. "We wanted to give large animals the same opportunities that we give to our typical companion animals," said Jenkins. "As soon as we realized there was nothing there for Esther, we started working to get a large-scale scanner in place. …
Large animal diagnostic equipment changing equine healthJune 29, 2017A new CT scanner that has been available for less than a year was a virtual game-changer for Nathaniel A. White II, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, and the hospital faculty and staff at Virginia Tech’s Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center.
UC Davis veterinary technician creates new large animal CT tableJune 12, 2017Performing a CT scan on a horse isn’t easy. It involves heavy equipment and heavy lifting of nearly a dozen technicians and veterinarians. Thanks to an innovative UC Davis imaging technician, however, that process just got a lot less complicated.
Virginia Tech gets cutting-edge CT scannerJanuary 19, 2017The installation of a high-definition CT scanner has given horse owners in Virginia and Maryland another reason to take their animals to the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Va.
