Horse owners in Manitoba now have access to state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging, thanks to the arrival of new MRI and CT machines. Elder’s Equine Clinic in Winnipeg, owned by veterinarian Chris Bell, purchased the equipment to service the area’s clients. As seen on this video on CTV.news, the machines live in climate-controlled containers that will function in any weather, including the deep freeze that can happen during the winter in Manitoba.
Prior to the machine’s arrival in Winnipeg, horse owners had to ship horses as far as Saskatoon or Calgary to get an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) or CT (computed tomography) scan. That length of trip, especially with an injured horse, is often impractical or too expensive. A local clinic that can yield fast, accurate results is much-needed in the province.
And unlike humans waiting for months for similar scans, the wait list for horses at Elder’s is just a few days to a week. While it’s not inexpensive – the going rate is $3,000 for an MRI and $1,000 for a CT scan – many owners are willing to pay the fees to get a proper diagnosis for lameness.