Troytown Equine Health Information Resource.
Your horse health questions answered here. Look for the answer to many of your equine veterinary related question here. Can’t find what your looking for, call us on 045 521686 for a free consultation.
05 Jun 2010
Two different slices through the fetlock joint from front to back
How can MRI help?
Often during a lameness work-up ‘nerve blocks’ will be used to discover where the pain is coming from. This is then followed with X-ray or ultrasound examinations but because these imaging tools only show bone (x-ray) or some soft tissues (ultrasound) it is common not be able to see anything significant.
In these cases a standing MRI can save time, money and worry through an early, safe and accurate diagnosis.
Early – because as soon as the ‘nerve blocks’ confirm the location you can ask for an MRI to help reach an accurate diagnosis. You don’t have to spend money trying different treatments and then MRI in 3 – 6 months time as a last resort.
Safe – because the Hallmarq system offers the choice of standing MRI thus avoiding the inherent risks of general anaesthesia.
Accurate – because in the absence of X-ray or ultrasound findings you are having to rely on judgement not a positive diagnosis. For example published papers report that injecting the navicular bursa can give good results provided there are no associated changes on the flexor surface of the navicular bone; in these cases the prognosis is poor. A standing MRI will help you differentiate which palmar foot pain cases have a good prognosis and merit treatment and which don’t.
Section through hoof at post mortem
Foot X-ray - side view
MRI needs to be used as part of a clinical examination protocl and at the appropriate stage. The following criteria will help to select the correct cases:
- Chronic lameness has been localised to the foot or in the distal limb by nerve block
- Radiographs are negative or equivocal
- Nuclear scintigraphy is being considered – or is negative
- Access by ultrasound is difficult or impossible
- For penetrating injuries needing urgent attention
- After acute onset of lameness during exercise
- To monitor treatment and healing before returning to work
Foot MRI - side view
To read a first hand account of the benefits of our MRI scanner, please read Joseph Murphy’s article in The Irish Field.
For further technical information please refer to the website of our partner Hallmarq. Their website has an excellent video of an MRI examination.
Troytown Hospital
Troytown is based in the heart of Kildare’s breeding and racing industry and it has an experienced ambulatory service. The service is twenty four hours a day seven days a week for registered clients. We provide first opinion examinations witin a twenty mile radius of the practice.
Our veterinary surgeons are equipped to provide a host of services from routine work such as reproductive cycle monitoring and treatment to more complex medical and surgical examinations. We have the backing of our base hospital for further diagnostics and treatment if deemed necessary.
Scheduled callouts are arranged by contacting the office during office hours on (045)521686.
All horses that are seen must have their passport signed to exclude them from the food chain if medications are administered. If the animal does not have a passport at the time of examination one must be issued to the horse if medications are to be given. This is in accordance with current EU legislation.
04 Jun 2010
Pregnant Mare
We have ambulatory services for routine reproduction work during the breeding season and pre-season barren mare assessments. We are equipped and experienced enough to accept barren mares with gynaecological abnormalities for diagnosis and treatment. A detailed breeding and previous treatment history will be needed.
Each problem mare will receive:
- General physical examination.
- Perineal confirmation assessment.
- Vaginascopic + cervical assessment with bacteriology and cytology.
- Rectal palpation and ultrasound scan.
- Endometrial biopsy.
- Hysteroscopic examination.
- Standing surgical correction of abnormalities if warranted.
The aim of the barren mare exam is to identify the problem, treat accordingly and assess prognosis for further breeding upon the success of the treatment.
Pregnant mares with high risk pregnancies often need constant medical treatment and foetal monitoring. The decision for elective caesarean to correct gyenocological problem mares is available. We have continuous monitoring and milk electrolytes analysis to time the caesarean precisely. We have a dedicated foal ICU to take care of the foals immediately for a greater success rate for both mare and foal.
We are equipped with a 30cm variable frequency sector scanner probe for analysis of foetal viability and health as well as utero-placental abnormalities. Foetal monitoring is critical and detection of problems before foaling occurs allows us to be ready for post foaling problems and to exercise preventative medicine.
