Equine Digital Radiography
Large animal ultrasound systems with portable units have steadily grown in popularity among equine veterinarians. From reducing logistical considerations to providing diagnostic services, these systems provide a number of benefits to help elevate equine care.
Logistics
Every equine veterinarian understands that not all patients can be transported to the clinic, either due to availability of a suitable trailer or the health of the animal prohibiting transport. With portable ultrasound, horse owners and veterinarians can avoid the logistical headaches and bring a critical diagnostic resource directly to the animal.
Clinical Applications
Once the ultrasound has made it out to the horse, there are a number of clinical applications for this imaging system. The first use many veterinarians will think of is reproductive care, imaging pregnant mares to ensure healthy gestation. Travel and undue stress are not recommended in pregnant animals, as it can result in miscarriage, making portable imaging an ideal choice. These units are also particularly useful for this application when one location is home to a large herd with multiple pregnant animals. Veterinarians can screen several in one trip for quicker results.
Additional services that can be performed with a portable ultrasound include soft tissue scans. An ultrasound unit can image the thorax and monitor for pneumonia or fluid in a horse’s chest. Colic due to a twisted or ruptured intestine or nephrosplenic entrapment can also be diagnosed by ultrasound, as well as other intestinal conditions such as colitis and enteritis. Ultrasound is additionally used in horses to look for tendon, ligament and joint injuries and other damage requiring treatment, and it can diagnose some masses or abscesses without the need for further diagnostic testing or surgery. In the event that a tissue sample is needed from an organ or mass, the ultrasound unit can serve as a guide to ensure correct placement of therapeutic agents and efficient acquisition of the sample.
In addition to all these benefits, the price and size of the units on the market have consistently decreased. This makes today’s options more portable and affordable than ever before and should encourage all veterinarians looking to incorporate equine ultrasound into their clinic to take their show on the road.
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