Equine Thermography- any experiences?

Blaise

Blaise

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Has anyone heard of or used Equine Thermography? I found an article on it in a magazine today and was wondering if it's any good, or if it's a bit of a waste of time? It's not Scintigraphy, which is what i thought at first glance, when i read the article properly it's not a vet that does it, but a thermal imaging technician, can be done at your yard and is carried out with a kind of hand held thermal imaging camera (or at least thats how it appears) and the horse isn't injected with anything like they would be for Scintigraphy. As you may have seen in previous posts my mare is cold backed and has been a bit stiff/footy behind. We weren't sure if she was sore footed, so have had back shoes on and she's improved straight away but still seems a bit stiff. Vet has mentioned bone spavin and x-rays if back shoes didn't help. Was just wondering if this technique may be useful, for both hocks and to find any hot spots in her back that may be causing problems? This is the website for anyone who is more knowledegable that me, maybe you can see more of the pro's/con's to it? (hope i'm allowed to post links...)

http://www.equinethermography.co.uk/index.php
 
Brillient Diagnostic tool - been used here in NZ for about 20 years. Pin points the point of inflamation.

For example. TB Racehourse kept going unsound - knee was identified as souorce of pain but Xrays showed nothing amiss. Thermoggraphy on knee picked up the point of inflamation which after keyhole surgery was found to be a very tiny chip of bone. After healing horse went on to win races and remained sound.

I've used it to pinpoint back problems, also seen it used to identify areas on saddle that are not fitting correctly.

We were able to get a recording of the visit on a tape and also prints of inflamed area.

These were taken in 92 of one of the school horse aged 19 who was intermitantly lame. The white areas show the areas that were causing a proble.
ThermographicImages-1.jpg
 
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I had never heard of this but a friends sister asked to photograph my horse (free of charge) for her website as she has been on a training course in USA and purchased £30k worth of thermal imaging equipment.

I was very sceptical BUT she photographed my yearling's leg because vet thought she had soft tissue damage. It showed up a very hot spot on the outside of her pastern. Subsequent x-rays showed a bone cyst which she has had surgery on. The cyst was in exactly the same place as the cyst.

I also had my other horses back photographed and it showed a pinch spot on the left side of her withers. Her saddle seemed to fit well but she had been leaping when I was schooling her which I thought was behavioural. I changed her saddle and she hasnt leapt once since.

I think this is the way to go with diagnostics. An amazing tool. The lady who came to me charges something like £130 for a full body scan. A lot cheaper than a vets bill and can pinpoint things rather than the normal trial and error that is involved with lameness... flexion tests etc.
 
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