Equine Veterinary Diagnostics
Diagnosing Your Horse
Even the most thoroughly cared for horse can encounter periodic illness or injury. To best diagnose your horse's condition quickly and accurately, TFB Equine has invested in advanced diagnostic technologies, including digital radiology, ultrasound and endoscopy.
A horse with an undetermined illness or injury is a frightening, stressful situation. The knowledgeable, skilled veterinarians at TFB Equine can provide you the answers you need and an effective treatment plan as quickly as possible.
Equine Digital Radiology
To provide you the highest-quality veterinary care for your horse, TFB Equine has invested in state-of-the-art digital X-ray machines. Digital X-rays allow instant results with superb image quality, enabling much more precise diagnoses. In addition, all images are stored on a secured server to allow easy transfer of
information to other veterinarians and referral hospitals as needed.
Equine Endoscopy
An endoscope is a small flexible fiber optic tube that allows the veterinarian to have direct visualization of internal structures in the horse and is a key tool in the diagnosis of many airway conditions. Portable fiber optic endoscopes are commonly used to determine whether or not the horse has experienced exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (bleeding) after breezing or racing. In addition, endoscopic examinations allow the veterinarian to evaluate the upper respiratory tract to diagnose problems such as dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP), epiglottic entrapment, laryngeal paralysis, etc. Nearly every purchase examination includes an endoscopic examination to evaluate airway function.
Dynamic On-Track Video Endoscopy
Dynamic endoscopy can now be successfully performed on the racetrack. Using state-of-the-art technology, we are now able to diagnose upper airway abnormalities that can only be observed while the horse is exercising. The equipment is well tolerated by the horse while galloping at up to full speed.
The veterinarian performing the examination views the airway images on a remote video monitor while a digital video recording is made of the entire examination on equipment contained within a backpack carried by the rider.
Excellent image quality can be acquired and a concrete diagnosis can be made of nearly all upper airway abnormalities.
Equine Ultrasound
Ultrasound is a valuable imaging tool used to examine soft tissue structures that do not image well on radiographs. Even though ultrasound waves are unable to penetrate through bone, they do provide good images of the surface of the bone, and therefore, ultrasound is an exceptionally useful tool for the evaluation and diagnosis of many areas of the musculoskeletal system, such as flexor tendons, suspensory ligaments, and joints and their associated supporting structures.
Ultrasound is also helpful in the diagnosis of pneumonia, cardiac disease, colic and abdominal disease, and any swelling or mass, and it is an excellent tool for monitoring healing progress.
Video Gastroscopy
Video gastroscopy is the process by which camera images are made of the stomach, and it is the only way to truly diagnose gastric ulcers and monitor therapy. The video gastroscope is also indispensable for diagnosing other types of stomach disease (tumors, infections, obstructions, etc.), as well as esophageal diseases (recurrent choke, swallowing problems, tumors, ulcers, etc). To perform the gastroscopy, horses are generally lightly sedated, and they do not mind the minimally invasive procedure. The information gained allows the veterinarian to make a definitive diagnosis and determine the proper therapy that will provide the horse with the best medical or surgical outcome.