 |
[RC] Digital x-rays - rides2farAlright guys, either I'm a little behind or I just discovered something pretty darned new. Until 2 weeks ago I'd never heard of any such thing as "digital x-rays". I've had x-rays taken now and then but when I looked at them I couldn't see a thing. The vet keeps taking more views (chu-ching $$$) trying to see "something", etc. You know I've been bummed after 2 straight pulls with Kaboot and didn't really know what to try next. I *really* want to keep riding *this* horse longer and wanted to make sure I explore all my options before moving on. Tina Hicks sent me a note suggesting I try a vet in Pell City, AL who could see more than you can imagine on an x-ray. At first I just thought he had super vision or something but it turns out this was a REALLY nice equine facility which apparently has one of the first digital x-ray machines around. Pell City, AL seemed like a pretty strange place to have such an apparently booming all equine sports medicine type practice but the vet explained that it was centrally located for horses from Florida to Mississippi to Tennessee. Apparently a day's drive in every direction is their client base. Anyway, I am terribly impressed with the digital x-rays and don't think I'll ever pay for another regular one again if it's for anything other than looking for a foreign body or something like that. Whereas with my regular x-rays I had to BEG the vet to LOAN them to me, I left this vet with 2 copies on disk and a full set of regular x-ray film type prints. When the vet took the x-ray he just made 7 different shots at a set "exposure" and took them to a large computer screen. When they came up there were all sorts of tools on the margin and he was able to change the exposure of what he was looking at as he dragged the tool across the page. What this did was make an image that started out a very light exposure with soft tissue, etc. showing turn slowly darker until all the soft tissue disappeared and the bones were suddenly there incredibly sharp with all the other stuff stripped away. It felt like you were walking through a computer animation of a horse's hoof with a big flashlight. One shot could give you a good view of so many different areas. The disk uses up 77 MB of space so the resolution is very high (O.K. the tools use some too). The cool thing is that the disk they gave me to take home has the tools too so I can look at the images the same at home, or send them to another vet on disk. They took 7 shots and the charge was $168. I got my daughter to make 3 more copies for me and I'm just dying to send them out to every vet who has ever scratched their head trying to figure out what could be wrong with my horse. >g< What they found was that the coffin joint which we injected in the past looks great and didn't need it. The navicular bone is great. There is some wear on the front of the short pastern bone that should be helped by cutting the toe way back and going to possibly natural balance shoes (feel free to respond privately about any comments you may have on treatment options). Another thing they found was a possible hairline fracture that you never would have seen on a regular x-ray. I'm wondering if this isn't what caused our most recent problems since his lameness has been more pronounced than his previous more subtle soreness. I just wondered if I'm slow on the uptake and everyone else has known about this technology for a long time or if this was something exciting to tell you about. As far as treatment goes, for those of you in the know. Do you think there is an advantage to keeping him shod with the short toe as opposed to trimmed short? I could probably keep it consistently short better with trimming. He might be easier on himself as far as cutting up in the field barefoot too. Dr. Murray said to expect to wait 6 months before judging whether it's worked. He had no idea how old the stress fracture might be, so I figured I'd pretty much lay off of him during this time. They do shock wave therapy there too which he just mentioned in passing as if that could be some sort of future option. One really nice thing about this place was just that they had a good place to lounge the horse for the lameness exam. It was a big roundpen under shade, I'd say maybe over 40' with a very smooth raked crushed gravel surface. Whereas all my poor ride vets have had to block him and try to see changes on a trot out (and Kaboot trots out very enthusiastically if you recall) at this place we could work him in both directions and "listen" to the footfalls on the gravel for a change in cadence or pressure. Am I just slow. Have the rest of you known about this forever? Angie (off to ride my Welsh Pony which I have no saddle to fit) ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|