Are you allowed your horse's x-rays

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Toby773

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My vet says I can't have my horse's x-rays as it now against the law for them to be given to anyone who isn't a farrier or registered therapist of some sort.

Is this right?
 
Sounds strange as humans have theirs if done privately. Will ask a vet friend?

Perhaps ask on the vet section?

As you paid for them am curious now as well!
 
That's really odd.... I've always been given my horse's X rays and scan images on a CD

It sounds like maybe it's the policy of the practice, rather than the law
 
My vet always emails my x-rays to me.

Surely if you've paid for them, you should get a copy? I wouldn't be happy if my vet told me I couldn't have mine.
 
I've never asked for any of mine but my farrier did send me some of my horse's feet recently because he knows I keep a blog for her and I wanted them for that.
 
If your vets are on a digital system they should be able to provide you copies, however if they are still using good old fashioned plates then no you won't be able to have them (as there is only one copy) - and yes legally the vets must retain 'ownership' although they will show other vets (in case of 2nd opinions), farriers or other professionals.
 
Our vets have always happily emailed ours across,if you want them just get your farrier to request them and ask him to grab a copy.
 
Think your vets are pulling the wool!!!

The vets in newmarket were giving out CDs of horses xrays and mri scans to their owners even yesterday!
 
If they want to play silly buggers then just ask them to send the x-rays to your farrier that will give them too you.
I did that with the waste of space vets i used to use and for a pint and a packet of pork scratchings my farrier put them on to a disk for me!!!
 
My Vets tried that one a couple of years ago but I pointed out that as I had paid for them they were my property, also if I had a future problem they would come in handy. the senior partner conceded & I still have the xrays.
 
They have legal right over them and there choice get them to send it to your farrier and get them to copy it to you. It took me months to get copies of my mares only got them in the end due to a second vet opinion to compare to the new xrays that were taken.
 
I appreciate they are the vets' property even though I have paid for them in the same way a photographer has copyright.

I am just trying to establish whether being told I could not be sent any copies (or copies put on disc) because to do so is against the law is an actual fact or just a load of b***.

Who would know do you think as I would like to get to the bottom of this properly?
 
There was a legal case a few years ago where a private hospital refused to supply a patient with his x rays. The patient won the case so I would imagine the same rule would apply to vets. If you've paid for them they belong to you. My vet has always supplied x rays of my animals when I request them. It is very easy to copy an x ray film.
 
dont' know about the law but my old vets practice refused to give the x-rays to anyone, they said they would give a copy to my farrier but for a large fee!

new vets (been with them a couple of years now) and i was given a copy of the x-rays on disc without any extra charge or questions.
 
You should be able to use them to get a second opinion for example, when my horse had a bone chip, the first vet did not pick it up, I asked for the X rays to give to the equine specialist, who did find the bone chip. It was a bit awkward but I did not want to pay for a second set of X rays.
 
my vets printed my horses out on large sheets, no questions asked. still have them somewhere. i may have had to pay a small fee for them i can't remember but if i did it wasn't over a tenner.
 
Legally, the veterinarian who took or ordered the radiographs owns them. In this day of easy duplication or manipulation of images, there is little reason why a client, agent, owner, etc. can't have the information he or she needs or requires while the veterinarian upholds his/her professional requirements for maintaining a complete medical history of the horse.
Click to expand...

maybe you need to rephrase your question and ask them for a copy of the xrays?? just a thought
 
I would have said "yes" -- until I did some more research. Now I'm not so sure.

If you want to be totally confused, have a look at The Design and Copyright Society's site, here:

http://www.dacs.org.uk/index.php?m=5

Unless the x-rays were specifically commissioned, I would say they belong to the vet and so follow the old rule that "copyright belongs to he who holds the negative". But I think most vets will decide to take x-rays to help with a diagnosis and not because the owner says, "I want x-rays photographs from this angle", etc. (i.e. they are commissioned).

As to whether a vet is doing anything for his own client relationships by refusing to release x-ray photographs or even copies, that is another matter. I think I would be looking for another vet if mine refused to be helpful as it implies there might be something in the photographs he didn't want someone else (for example, another vet!) to see!
 
I work in a small animal vets, I don't known if it is the same. But when the owner signs the consent form for x-rays it says in small print that they are our property bla bla bla but they can purchase a copy on cd for around £5.

I'm not entirely sure why this is, but knowing the business it is probably so they can't go into another vets waving the xray saying "this is my dogs problem now treat it cos you are cheaper!"
 
2/3 years ago my vet emailed my mares x-rays to me, I doubt it's a legal thing.
It's probably more of a case of covering their own backs in case somethings been missed, like when they stopped giving out scan photos in the 80's.
 
I requested xrays to be done, therefore I wanted copies, I think it's only right that the owner should have these surely if you have paid for xrays doing but apparently their not entitled to give you them but my vet was more than happy to give me mine...took a while to get them like but that only because they kept forgetting to post them.
 
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