An accurate diagnosis is the foundation of a proper treatment plan to return horses back to soundness, health and performance. When Alamo Pintado was founded in 1972 our diagnostic tools consisted of hoof testers and a stethoscope. Today after five decades of continuous innovation and investment in advanced diagnostic imaging modalities our doctors have an unmatched suite of technologies available to them. These synergistic modalities are used individually or together to enable our doctors to accurately diagnose even the most complex issues in the horse.
“Having access to the most cutting edge technologies and tools available, means getting the most definitive diagnosis for the horse. ”
Complete Suite of Imaging Modalities
CT provides thin, cross-sectional images which appear as “slices.” These slices are then stacked together to create a three-dimensional image. By using x-rays to produce multiple images, the tool gives our team more detail than conventional radiographs. CT imaging is especially useful because it allows for views of all types of tissue, clearly showing bone, muscle and blood vessels.
One of only three units of its kind in being used in equine veterinary medicine in the US, our team utilizes this advanced portable BodyTom® full-body, 32-slice CT to accurately explore issues within the equine head and neck and to examine complicated dental issues. This CT unit is also used to analyze fractures and other injuries to bones and joints of the distal limbs and to assist in the planning of complex surgeries.
MRI has been the gold standard in human medicine for diagnostic imaging of orthopedic, brain and soft tissue injuries. MRI utilizes a strong magnetic field (30,000 times as strong as the Earth’s magnetic field) to orient the atoms of the body. By changing this field temporarily, these atoms react and emit radio waves which are detected and interpreted by a computer to create the image.
No radiation is used and there are no known side-effects to the use of MRI at this field strength in the horse. A state of the art, high field (1.5T) Siemens Magnetom Espree, has been installed in a customized facility at Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center. In use for over 10 years, this system allows for effective, time efficient imaging of orthopedic, soft tissue and head/brain pathology of the horse.