Equine Health

Equipment & Technology

Thermography

Diagnostic high-resolution thermography is available in our practice’s imaging services.  This innovative technique uses a sensitive infrared thermal camera capable of identifying temperature differences of as little as .5 degrees Celsius on the horses body.  Available for decades in human medicine, thermography is now used by veterinarians to identify inflamed areas such as the back, joints, tendons, and ligaments.  At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, with millions of dollars of equipment available to veterinarians, thermography was the most requested diagnostic tool due to the fact that it was fast, portable, non-invasive, and extremely accurate.

A horses body produces heat that can be viewed via a specialized camera and monitor.  The heat patterns that can be seen show a trained practitioner how the blood flow is normal or abnormal in a particular horse.  Blood flow can be increased or decreased depending on the health problem.  A “hot spot” indicates inflammation or increased circulation and is generally seen in the skin directly over the area of injury.  A “cold spot” is a reduction in blood supply usually due to swelling, thrombosis, or scar tissue.

The blood flow patterns allow the sensitive thermography unit to locate inflamed areas often before clinical signs are obvious or permanent damage has occurred.  This aspect is very helpful for lameness evaluations, pre-purchase examinations, shoeing imbalances, and identifying tack pressure points. One of the most common causes of poor performance is from a sore back due to an improperly fitted saddle or an unbalanced rider.  Using thermography, sore back muscles and “hot spots” from saddle pressure can be easily identified with a routine scan. This unit can also be very helpful when a lameness is obscure and the horse just “isn’t right” as well.  A scan can also be used on horses who are needle shy or difficult to handle as the unit is held several feet away from the horse. 

Both real-time video and digital still images can be produced and stored.  The images are easily telecommunicated or hard-copied for patient history and consultation purposes.  If you are interested in more information about this exciting new technology or would like to schedule an appointment for a scan please call the office.

What can thermography do for your horse?

Purchase Exams: Although we usually pull out the thermography camera to aid us in “working up” a lameness or medical problem, it is important to realize that thermography can be used to determine if there is inflammation in an area that has yet to present with any clinical signs.  Thermography can be used to determine if there is inflammation in an area that was sore on palpation, or to detect an area of increased blood flow when there is no specific pain or signs (subclinical inflammation).  Most horses don’t have just one problem associated with a lameness.  Thermography also helps in detecting the secondary areas with problems.  This can be of immense assistance when conducting a pre-purchase examination.  According to Tracy Turner, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVS, “Tendons and joints will show inflammatory changes as much as two weeks before clinical lameness is apparent.”  Finding a potential problem in a purchase horse is as important as detecting a lameness that is present on the day of the examination.

Hoof Balance: It is amazing what a metal shoe can reveal once the thermography camera is applied.  An unbalanced hoof becomes obvious as the white or “hot” areas light up. This indicates the areas of the hoof that strike the ground.  Conversely, the blue and green areas are the “cold” spots where the shoe does not come into much contact with the ground.  An uneven or unbalanced hoof can be due to poor trimming and shoeing, or may indicate a lameness in one of the legs.  A horse that is painful in one part of the limb may compensate by rotating or placing  the hoof in an odd position to alleviate the discomfort. If you are interested in scanning your horse’s hooves, please contact us for an appointment.

Saddle Fitting: Have you ever wondered if your saddle is comfortable for your horse? Many leg lameness's can be due to a sore back, and a poor saddle fit is one of the main reasons for chronic back pain. All horses are built differently and saddles are not “one size fits all”. Even custom made saddles can change their shape and firmness with use. Think of when you buy your own shoes...you may be a size 8, but it can take trying on a lot of pairs of size 8s before you find one that is comfortable. Although there is no way to “ask” your horse how their saddle feels, there is a way to asses the fit. A thermographic scan of both your horse’s back and your saddle can be done. Once the horse has been worked and ridden for 15 minutes, the thermography unit is then applied to the horses back and to the underneath of the saddle. “Hot spots” indicate increased pressure and rubbing. The thermograph on the right shows a severe pressure sore from an improper saddle fit (and this was a custom made saddle!) Riders who have a tendency to sit heavier on certain parts of their saddle will be amazed at how this translates to pressure on the horses back and uneven wear patterns on the saddle. For more information or to schedule an appointment please contact us.