Diagnosis is fundamental to successful treatment. The ability to acquire high resolution images of the body’s structure and function in conjunction with modern medical and surgical therapy, supported by in house and closely associated specialized laboratories, has done much to contribute to the advancement of clinical achievement at the Hospital.

Although radiology is the oldest non invasive means of imaging, the combination of this process with computer technology, has enhanced its capabilities to provide images of some of the deepest structures of the horse’s body as well producing safer instantaneous radiographic imaging through the fluoroscopy. More elaborate anatomical imaging has been achieved with the introduction of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) centre at the Hospital. Using radio waves and a strong magnetic field, images of previously invisible structures of the horses’ limbs can be obtained. Direct visualization of other previously inaccessible areas of the horses is also routinely performed using flexible fiber optic endoscopes and gastro scopes to assess the respiratory tract and stomach of the standing horse.

The availability of nuclear scintigraphy at the Hospital adds a further dimension to the other imaging modalities. Primarily used in lameness examinations, the technique shows the patho-physiological function of the system under investigation. Using a special camera, nuclear scintigraphy follows the absorption of radioactive material into abnormal tissue which may then be correlated to the anatomy and clinical picture to elucidate a diagnosis. Similarly, employing high frequency sound waves rather than radiation, ultrasound scanning has made possible the detailed imaging of the horse’s internal organs. Routinely used for examining tendon structure and abdominal anatomy, the ability of ultrasonography to capture images in real time also enables the movement of organs to be observed, allowing assessment, for example, of cardiac function.