Equine Sports Medicine & Surgery installs standing CT scanner

Equine Sports Medicine & Surgery (ESMS), a private equine practice in Texas, has installed the first equine standing CT (Computed Tomography) scanner—the Asto CT Equina scanner—in the state. ESMS is adding this technology to its full-service equine veterinary services to enhance patient outcomes and well-being.

Quarter horse receiving a hind limb scan with the Equina standing CT scanner (Photo courtesy of Astro CT).

“Having a standing CT scanner onsite at ESMS greatly enhances our diagnostic imaging capabilities and provides a safer and more efficient alternative to traditional CT scanners which typically require horses to be placed under general anesthesia,” expressed Chad Marsh, DVM, veterinarian at ESMS, in a company release.¹

“Whether using it for prepurchase exams, imaging complex lameness issues, or diagnosing neck or head issues, having a CT Scanner right here at the hospital will allow us to better diagnose and treat patients that before would have been referred somewhere else for advanced imaging. We are happy to partner with Asto CT to bring this cutting-edge technology to horse owners throughout Texas,” he continued.

According to the release, standing CT technology has evolved screening and diagnostics in equine medicine. Safe, quick, high-quality scans have made this modality an accessible and effective tool for diagnosing pathology that cannot be identified on radiographs. The Asto CT Equina scanner is currently being used by Racing Victoria in Australia to screen all horses in the Melbourne Cup, before running to help in early detection of possibly catastrophic injuries.

ESMS services western sport horses including running quarter horses, rodeo, and show horses. Though the Equina CT Scanner is not just for sport horses, it benefits all equines, for head, neck, and lower limb diagnostics.

“We are excited to see this groundbreaking imaging technology move into such a high-volume veterinary practice. Several academic [centers] are already using the Equina, and it is great to see it in private practice as well. We know our scanner will be a valuable tool for the veterinarians at the clinic and it will benefit their many numerous patients. We’re looking forward to the future, as we install the Equina in clinics around the world,” stated Asto CT CEO, David Ergun.

ESMS is scanning horses at its Weatherford clinic beginning in November.

Reference

First standing CT scanner installed at Equine Sports Medicine & Surgery. News release. Astro CT. October 11, 2022. Accessed October 25, 2022.