EQUINE THERMOGRAPHY

Narrowing down an area of concern when horses present with general lameness can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Thermography takes the guesswork out of the equation and assists with localising a lameness issue by finding a specific source of inflammation within an anatomical structure. No nerve blocking necessary.

When horses start to lose performance or don't seem "quite right", discomfort and injury needs to be ruled out. By analysing thermal patterns for asymmetries, we can identify areas of concern in soft tissue structures as well as possible injuries that may not yet be physically visible. Identifying small areas of inflammation and providing treatment before the damage escalates is key to preventing serious injury.

"When can my horse go back into work?" is the million dollar question we all ask when our horses have suffered an injury. Thermal scans can give us a clearer picture of the recovery timeline by monitoring the progress of inflammation reduction, ultimately looking for significant minimisation of heat asymmetry with each follow up. This is especially useful for soft tissue injuries to the legs; the most common area of injury for sport horses. We recommend having thermal scans done 3-6 weeks apart.

While thermography is an extremely useful assessment tool in pre-diagnostic evaluation, it cannot, as a stand-alone, diagnose or rule out the presence of injury or disease. Thermal scans can however save clients from incurring the added expense of additional ultrasounds, X-RAYS and veterinary consultations, by narrowing down the areas of concern. Always seek the advice of your veterinarian with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Thermography can be used to identify correct fit of a saddle to the horse's back. Thermal images of the saddle and back will be taken at rest, then again after a 20 minute lunging/ridden session. These images will be assessed for temperature distribution.

• Non-invasive, safe and stress free for the horse.
• Affordable - Can reduce medical costs by narrowing down areas of concern.
• Provides instant indications of potential issues.
• Electricity is not required.
• No transport necessary - Our thermography service is mobile.

• Tendon/ligament injuries.
• Kissing spine & back soreness.
• Hoof issues (abscess, laminitis, etc.)
• Joint inflammation & arthritis.
• Nerve & muscle damage.