Although the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hosptial (OVAH) has had a CT scanner for more than a year now, the high-tech imaging equipment has, until now, only been utilised for animals weighing less than 130kgs, as that is the maximum weight tolerated by the special table which supports the patient through the scanner.
Last week, however, a very sophisticated and custom-made support table for large animals was finally ready, and yesterday, the first equine patient underwent a CT scan. A Warmblood horse was scanned for a tooth problem - hence this CT scan concentrated on the head only. With the acquisition of the table, however, equine forelimbs and hindlimbs may be scanned as well.
Other diagnostic imaging methods are used to survey a horse's chest and abdomen as the circumference of the horse's body is larger than that of the scanner.
Left: A Warmblood was the first horse patient to undergo a CT-scan in the OVAH. On the right is the control panel screen showing the results of the scan
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