Equine Imaging & Diagnostics

Diagnostic Services from Great Lakes Equine

With our diagnostics capabilities, we are pleased to offer advanced testing to help diagnose your horse's medical issues. Our diagnostics services include:

• Radiography (Digital X-rays)

  Radiographs are often the first diagnostic imaging modality used to evaluate lameness. Digital radiography allows for greater detailed images than conventional radiography.

  Digital radiography services for equine patients both in our hospital and on the farm allow us to diagnose medical issues such as fractures, laminitis, wounds, foreign objects, and penetration of joints. They can also be used for pre-purchase exams and lameness evaluations.

• Ultrasound

  Ultrasound uses sound waves to produce non-invasive, painless, and radiation-free images of your horse's internal organs, tendons, and ligaments.

  Unlike digital X-rays, ultrasound imaging highlights soft tissue changes such as tears in tendons or ligaments, making it a vital tool in the planning and management of injury recovery.

  Ultrasound can also be used to guide technical joint injections such as the cervical spine (neck), lumbar spine (lower back), and sacroiliac joint (SI). Ultrasound is also useful in diagnosing masses or lumps. This can be used not only externally but internally as well.

• Gastroscopy

  Gastroscopy describes a complete examination of the two lining tissues of the horse's stomach using a flexible video endoscope. It is performed under light sedation so your horse doesn't feel any discomfort during the procedure.

• Endoscopy

  An endoscope provides your veterinarian with a clear view inside your horse's upper respiratory tract, as well as parts of the gastrointestinal, reproductive and urinary tract systems.

  Being able to view these vital internal structures close up gives our veterinarians deeper insight into the health of your horse, allowing for detailed diagnosis of issues and targeted treatment options.

• Bloodwork

  We can run several common and specialized blood tests to determine the health of your horse and to diagnose illness.

  Some of the most common blood tests we perform on our equine patients are complete blood count (CBC), white blood count, hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), hematocrit, platelets, eosinophils, and blood serum profiles.

• Urinalysis

  Urinalysis is a key diagnostic test that provides your vet with essential insights into the physical and chemical properties of your horse's urine.

  Urinalysis is primarily used to assess the health of your animal's kidneys and urinary tract system, but this test can also help detect issues in other organ systems and is important for diagnosing metabolic diseases such as diabetes.

  This is a valuable diagnostic test for both healthy and sick animals and should be included in any comprehensive evaluation of your pet's overall health.

• Fecal Egg Counts

  A fecal egg count measures the number of strongyle eggs your horse is passing in each gram of their manure.

  Parasites can make your horse uncomfortable, and irritable, possibly leading to more serious issues if left untreated.

  Annual fecals protect your horses from a wide range of problems including colic, weight loss, and diarrhea. These tests can also protect your pasture from eggs being passed on.