Thermal imaging - Equine

Thermography provides a visual management tool for owners and professionals diagnosing, monitoring or treating injury, illness or disease. A valuable addition to existing diagnostic tools such as X-rays, MRI scans and Ultrasound offered by your Vet, Veterinary Thermal Imaging is non-invasive, emits no radiation, can be repeated as frequently as required and can eliminate the need for other expensive investigations.

 

Veterinary Thermal Imaging is very sensitive to changes in the muscular, vascular, skeletal and nervous systems, detecting temperature differences of less than 0.05oC which is 40 times more sensitive than the human hand.


Thermal Imaging fills a gap in clinical diagnosis tools, and shows the animal's physiological state by graphically mapping skin surface temperature in response to changes in blood flow.  In healthy animals, the thermal pattern on the skin is symmetrical.  This is because skin blood flow is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system.

 

High definition images with pinpoint accuracy

 

Today's high definition imaging allows anatomical structures to be easily discerned, and pinpoint the seat of pain, allowing diagnosis or more targeted tests to be performed - saving time and money.
Veterinary Thermal Imaging effectively indentifies problems in bone as well as soft-tissue, and can assist in the detection of nerve damage and dysfunction.  It objectively measures the extent of any issues, and is highly effective for monitoring recovery progress.  As it uses a small, high mobile passive sensor.

What are the benefits of thermal imaging

 

  • Non-invasive, your animal remains comfortable

  • Non-contact, allows your animal to be monitored from a distance

  • Does not require sedation, no risk or additional costs

  • Mobile service, eliminates travelling stress for your animal

  • Determing the extent of a diagnosed injury

  • Detecting early lesions before they are clinically evident

  • Identifying areas not previously identified where further diagnostic tests should be performed

  • Monitoring the healing process before the animal is returned to work or training

  • Identify problem areas, sometimes weeks before the horse shows any signs of lameness.

  • Monitor performance throughout their training schedule identifying any undue stress or strain being placed upon the horse which may affect it's performance

  • By doing a scan of the entire body, areas that are showing abnormalities in temperature can be easily identified and the relevant areas of the horse given suitable treatment.

  • Any part of a saddle that can be causing the horse discomfort can be picked up as a hot spot. Uneven saddle ware can also be detected, indicating a badly fitted or flocked saddle

Horses injured leg muscle