Sending photos of veterinary problems to your vet?

[Jim bob]

I am thinking if sending a few photos of my horses swollen limbs to my vet. Which would hopefully save the call out fee, however in the back of my mind I think there going to want to scan the legs.

Has anyone ever done this?

 

[JillA]

Only as part of ongoing treatment and progress. The vet will normally need to palpate all the tissue, to establish what exactly is going on, might want to nerve block to pinpoint the seat of the pain. I don't know any vet who would diagnose from photographs TBH.

 

[Overread]

I don't think any vet would be happy making a diagnoses of something like this based upon photos; even if they can clearly see that there is swelling it wouldn't tell them much and they'd still have to actually see the horse.

As an aside getting clear shots for this kind of display can be tricky, you have to get the angle and distance and lighting right otherwise you could under or over play what is actually shown. If you're using one of those small cameras in a phone or tablet then taking the shot close up is doable, but perspective distortion will kick in very quickly which can enlarge areas closer to the camera.
Further if the vet has never seen the horse before then issues of scale come into play as well - though you can always hold up a ruler to the side of the leg to give an idea in the photo.

It's not impossible, but it takes time and knowing what you're doing to get clear diagnosis photos or scientific ones or any with a proper degree of accuracy.

I'd say bite the bullet and pay the call-out fee. You'll have to pay it at some point since no vet is going to give any kind of firm diagnoses (heck they might even have a policy not to)

 

[Auslander]

If you're worried enough about the leg to want the vet to look at pics, you should be getting them out to see the horse. I send my vet update photos of conditions that she is already treating, but I wouldn't expect her to look at a photo and make a diagnosis without seeing a horse - particularly if its to avoid a call-out charge. Vets have to make a living too!

 

[Birker2020]

I have often sent a progress video of my horse when I can find someone to film me in between the vets reassessments as I feel its important for the vet to be able to guage how the horse is doing prior to him coming out again and he is more than happy to watch the film at his practice when I have emailed it over to him.

I have also filmed my horse the day before a visit (or the same day when I can) so the vet can watch the video stood next to me as his comments can be very interesting and useful. Its been a very useful piece of kit.

However I would be very suprised to find a vet willing to diagnose a condition just based on photos alone, if the subject is not part of a rehab or treatment plan already.

 

[frostyfingers]

I've only done this as a way of keeping the vet up to date after a visit and/or treatment. I would advise an initial visit and then suggest photos if necessary. As others have said I would have thought it unlikely that a vet will diagnose without seeing the problem in the flesh first.

 

[Michen]

Lol all the time. Usually if it's a cut/scrape so she can say whether it's in a place that requires a visit or not. Swellings I would always call the vet out though.