Can you get a vet referral for just a scan...

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wench

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As per title really...

As per my posts yesterday... thinking it's a good idea to send my horse for a bone scan. My vets dont have the equipment, but one down the road does. So therefore, can I ask for a referral to vets down the road for just the bone scan, and interpretation of it, and then my own vets to carry out any further xrays that may be needed?
 
Yup, your vets should be more than happy to do this as it will shed much more light on the situation and give them more of an idea what to work on with your horse.
 
Can u not just get an appt with vets down the road rather than need a referral from ure vets? Unless of course its a referral only vets?
 
I could just get a appointment with the other vets, however, if I want my insurance to stump up for any of it, I will need a referral from my current vet.
 
Yes absolutely you can do this. What are you suspecting you will find? Have you been down the nerve blocking route thoroughly, as IMHO this is a more accurate way of assessing what areas actually cause pain/lameness/symptoms.
 
Yes, that shouldn't be a problem. Rachelferd - it is usually used in combination with nerve blocking to confirm site of uptake is actually causing pain/ lameness.
 
Glenruby - I understand it is a valid tool in conjunction with nerve blocking. But I've seen plenty of cases where nerve blocking has revealed a lot more than the bone scan has. OP hasn't mentioned any nerve blocks on her previous post so wondering why if/why it hasn't been done?

Chatting to vets recently as to best usage for bone scan, they seemed to suggest that for suspect hard to spot fractures it was the best thing, but as the uptake only relates to recent/current bone activity, it is not often such a useful way to diagnose chronic problems.

I hasten to add, I am not a vet, just surrounded by them 24/7!
 
Vet said on last visit horse wasn't lame enough to nerve block. Problem could be stemming from anywhere. Horse had some kind of accident a while ago before I bought her, and we are not sure if this is causing problems or if it's something separate
 
Rachelferd - thoroughly agree. I have only referred a very small number for bone scans. 1 had an unblockable old (!) splint which only caused lameness under saddle not on the lunge or in hand. Another was a kissing spine case with periodontal disease ( both have since been proven to be significant). I have also used it for hairline or hip fractures.
Many insurance companies wont pay out without nerve blocking first.
 
Rachelferd - sounds like this might be a case where it is useful. However if nothing is found I think it may be very difficult to be sure that the insurance will foot the bill.
I can remember a horse who's regular exercise rider was not happy with how he was going. He was still winning races and race jockey disagreed with ER and said he was perfect. Horse was improving fast and trainer thought it was best to bones can to check all was ok as now worth a lot of money. Scan showed fracture of both sides of pelvis and hairline fracture of tibia(confirmed by ultrasound and x ray) . Horse was sound at exam and vet had been confident nothing would be found.
 
If you read the op I think it says that I am expecting to pay for it. Due to various things picked up on the horse at the vetting, bits of her are excluded from the insurance. However head and neck, and hind feet are included back is not.

Its a complicated case, as I don't know what accident she had, and how, or if it was treated. She has had one lot of hoof xrays taken, and is having the other two, and her hocks xrayed tommorrow, as well as part of her neck if possible.

What I suspect she may have is a bad case of muscle atrophy/spasm, caused partly by the accident, and partly by hooves not being balanced correctly (the farrier had done his job properly, it was only possible to see the imbalance on xray.)

However, due the nature of the problem could potentially be stemming from anywhere, it makes better financial sense to me to do the bone scan first, then xray potential problems, rather than xraying every bit of the body.

If I want my insurers to pay for any of it, I need to be referred. They may not do, depends on what we find tomorow, and what a bone scan may reveal.
 
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