Bell rings changes with equine CT scanner

A Kent equine veterinary practice is the first in the UK to install a type of CT scanner that products high-resolution medical-grade images.

Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic in Maidstone was the first equine hospital in the world to install an equine standing leg MRI scanner, and has now followed up by becoming the first in the country to install a Qalibra CT scanner.

The software allows complex 3D reconstructions to be generated and will allow vets to provide accurate diagnosis of both soft tissue and bone abnormalities in horses.

Moves around horse

Mounted on a height-adjustable platform to allow the whole gantry to move around the horse, many areas of the body, such as lower legs and the head, can be scanned by the new kit.

Under general anaesthesia, other areas not previously scannable, such as the equine elbow, shoulder, stifle, pelvis and caudal cervical and cranial thoracic spine, can be imaged.

Tim Mair, specialist in equine internal medicine at Bell and an associate member of the European College of Diagnostic Imaging, said: “Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic is very proud to be the first clinic to install the Qalibra system in the UK.

“This is the most up-to-date CT scanner for horses, giving the highest quality images and the ability to scan more quickly – as well as allowing access to parts of the horse that it was not previously possible to image with CT. We hope that it significantly benefits all of our equine patients and their owners in this region.”