Equine CT Scan

Does your horse need a CT scan? Does your veterinarian feel like a CT scan will make it easier to diagnose the issues that might be causing problems for your horse? If so, it’s a good idea to brush up on what a CT scan is, what information it can give your veterinarian, and what it might be looking for, too. In this article, we’ll break down all this information and help you learn more about CT scans in horses. If you have any further questions, you can always ask your vet or speak to the technician in charge of performing the CT scan. Read on to learn more.

What is a CT scan? 

A CT scan used to be referred to as a CAT scan, and they are the same thing. The acronym stands for computed tomography scan. This procedure takes pictures through an X-ray method and then puts the pictures together to form a cross-section of the problem area. It is more in-depth than a traditional X-ray and shows more information to the technician or doctor who reads it. 

Veterinarians as well as human healthcare professionals use CT scans to see the inside of the patient’s body and get a good, thorough look at the problem without having to do anything invasive, such as laparoscopic or surgical diagnoses. Different CT scans may be performed depending on the needs of the patient and the equipment available to the veterinarian. 

What information does a CT scan usually provide? 

In this short list, we’ll examine some of the information veterinarians look for when reading a CT scan. 

• Bone structure and health: Veterinarians may look for information regarding a horse’s bone structure or bone health when performing a CT scan. This type of scan can give the doctor a thorough look at the shape of a horse’s bones and any problem areas that may be present. 

• Tissue health: Although less common in horses than in other animals, CT scans may sometimes check tissue health and look for masses or other tissue damage, too. Veterinarians may use CT scans to check a horse after an injury and find out if any tissue damage has taken place. 

• Inflammation: Some veterinarians may use a CT scan to look for signs of inflammation in a horse’s body. This type of CT scan will usually focus specifically on the horse’s joints and may be used to diagnose degenerative joint diseases, arthritis, and acute problems as well. 

What can a CT scan be used to diagnose in horses? 

This list is not exhaustive but may give you a better idea of what your veterinarian may think is going on with your horse. 

• Dental problems: Horses may be prone to dental issues as well as problems with their jaws. If your veterinarian suspects this might be going on with your horse, a CT scan may be the best way to determine the extent of the trouble and where it is located specifically. 

• Sinus issues: Much like dental problems, a CT scan of a horse’s head can show the veterinarian the location of any sinus issues your horse may have. Sinus problems can severely affect a horse’s performance and general condition, so it’s important to have them treated as soon as possible. 

• Skull injuries: Horses that suffer an injury may have a skull injury that could go undiagnosed without a CT scan to find it. CT scans are perfectly safe to use on a horse’s head, and therefore, veterinarians often use them to check the horse’s skull for signs of fractures or other serious head trauma. 

• Neurological diseases: Some CT scans may be helpful in finding the source or cause of neurological problems and diseases in a horse. This is a little bit less common in terms of applications for CT scans in equine medicine, but if your veterinarian thinks your horse may have a neurological disease, a CT scan could help diagnose the problem. 

• Neck injury: Finally, CT scans can be performed on horses’ necks. These scans help the doctor find problems with the horse’s muscles and bones throughout the neck and can pinpoint the problem. From there, veterinarians can create targeted treatment plans to fix the issue. 

Do you understand a little bit more about veterinary CT scans, and especially those used on horses, now? Equine diagnostics don’t rely on CT scans as much as some other animals and humans might, but they are still a fairly common method of recognizing and pinpointing problems in a horse’s body. Veterinarians may use CT scans to track down a variety of problems and then target the treatment plan for your horse accordingly. 

Now that you’ve learned this information, you can better understand why your veterinarian wants a CT scan on your horse and what the problem could potentially be. Remember that your veterinarian can give you the most detailed information about your own horse’s situation, however, and ask as many questions as you want to