MRI's - anyones horse had one?

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Loubiepoo

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Horse is off for an MRI on front leg this week, can anyone tell me what this involves, how long it takes etc and are the results given straight away, like xrays? Should expect to be waiting around for sometime or is it a half hr job?
Thanks.
 
When mine had an MRI, I had to take him up the night before it was due, they did it the following day, and I collected him the day after that.

I had to wait several days after he had come home before my own vet rang me with the results.

Good luck with your horse.
 
My horse had an MRI two weeks ago for llameness in left fore. Took him day before and it was done following lots of nerve blocking and I collected him in the early evening of the next day. They took front shoes off. He had mild sedation only. Vet phoned me a couple of days later - there are lots of images to study. Sadly it revealed collateral ligament damage within his hoof so now on box rest & hopefully eventual recovery some months down the line. Hope yours is not too serious.
 
If it's just for an MRI, and no other work up then I would say allow 3+ hours.

Your horse will be fairly well sedated and will need to recover from that before coming home.

The images are pretty instant but you need the right person around to interpret them, so whether you get your results immediately will probably depend on how many other horses the vet has to see to that day!
 
I took my horse last Wednesday for MRI's on both fronts. Went to Bell Equine and waited in the local pub for 2 and a half hours and the they rang and I went to collect him. He was sedated so we waited for another 10 minutes before bringing him home.

The results were in todays post.

I think it depends on whether you have lameness investigations there or whether, like me, you know where the lameness is from.

Good Luck
 
My horse has had 2 - one for the original diagnosis and the second was a re-scan. She was sedated and I went in with her. The process took about 1 hr and the lady that read the images on the computer screen could tell me what she saw. The vet also came in and explained what they had found so my results were quite instant and at the time. I got a written report through the post about a week later. Its an amazing experience and it was a relief to find out what was causing her lameness - she had a tear in her DDFT within her hoof. Its the only way to see soft tissue damage.
 
Thanks for that :) - izzwizz - I can see your from West Yorks, where did you go? We're off to Hird and Partners in Halifax.
 
One thing you should be aware of with an MRI is that you may not be covered for the whole amount under the terms of your insurance policy. Because an MRI is so expensive insurance companies have had to enforce exclusions on policies saying that they will only pay the first £500 or similiar. I think this is probably for body MRI scans and not leg MRI scans as with the body MRI this involves the horse being put under a GA. Check with your insurance policy first if you think this may be an issue.
 
khnat said:
Thanks for that :) - izzwizz - I can see your from West Yorks, where did you go? We're off to Hird and Partners in Halifax.
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Thats where I took Izzy, shes well known there!! Peter Scholefield dealt with her and he is the BEST vet in my humble opinion. Staff there are very nice, think the lady who does the scan is called Karen, not 100% sure. They have air con in the room now so take a fleece with you, in winter when I went it was like being in the tropics. Where are you from? Just wondered as its not straightforward to find thats all and would direct you if your not sure of the way.
 
Yes, thanks Izzwizz the lady told me I'll need to pay half on the phone. I'm coming over from Doncaster, hoping my little lorry makes it all the way! They've given me a postcode but I have no idea where I'm going!! I think I'll prob be coming along the M62, but thats about all I know! I hope I'll get to stay with my horse during the scan, my trainer has recommended Peter to me as well. Not sure if I'll get to see Peter though as we are just going for the MRI rather than a full lameness work up, he's under Graham Munro at Minster in York for the original problem. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some sort of diagnosis, I'll be gutted if they can't find anything as he's been on off very slightly lame for nearly a year now and my insurance runs out in Sept :(
 
Hi, if you want any help getting there PM me and I will give you my phone no., could arrange to meet you and show you the way. Its fairly straightforward but if you get lost its a bit stressful, esp when your worried about your horse anyway. Hirds is only half an hour from me and if you came up the M62 I live near junction 25. You may be better coming up the M1, off at junction 38, through Flockton and following the road towards Brighouse, Shelf surgery is just the other side of Brighouse.

Izzy is doing great thanks. She was diagnosed last Sept, had double wedge shoes and confined to stable for a month, dropped down to single wedges and then egg bars. Handwalking, box rest and eventually turned out on 9th May. Fingers crossed she will continue to do well. Peter is coming to see on the 16th. When are you due there?
 
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