X-ray capability is a necessity for diagnosing many medical problems, but mostly musculoskeletal lameness.  It puts a picture and a degree of severity to navicular disease, laminitis and chip fractures or OCD lesions in joints to name a few.  Tacoma Equine Hospital is proud to offer the latest in this technology - Digital Radiology.  We use a Sound Technology unit, which is highly portable but still powerful enough to x-ray the head, neck and legs of all horses and the lungs and the abdomen of smaller horses.  The benefits of digital radiology are many including superior imaging quality to enhance diagnostic ability and instant results to speed treatments and shorten recovery times.  The digital aspect of this system allows us to modify, magnify and manipulate the image for more comprehensive evaluation.  In addition we are able to create instant CD copies for you or your trainer and e-mail images while at the clinic or at your farm.

Ultrasound

As x-ray is the gold standard for joint and bone disease diagnosis, ultrasound is the gold standard that allows us to noninvasively diagnose soft tissue injuries involved in lameness problems (tendon, ligaments, bursas).  Ultrasound is also used to visualize the soft tissues of the lungs, abdomen, reproductive tract, eye or soft tissue swellings of the skin.  To this end, Tacoma Equine Hospital is equipped with high quality ultrasound machines.  Our PICO system has superior imaging used for musculoskeletal system injuries.  Like the x-ray unit it is fully digital and your images can be downloaded and placed on CD or e-mailed to a trainer, referring veterinarian or farrier.  It also can image diseases using 3D technology and color Doppler if needed. 

Our reproductive and other soft tissue ultrasound is an Aloka 500-V, which has proven itself the workhorse in the breeding barn.

Endoscope  

Evaluation of the horses respiratory tract is easily and beautifully visualized using an endoscope.  This simple talented tool is a long thin camera that is passed up the horses nose, into the throat and down in to the lungs.  This technology is used to help us diagnose and culture diseases like sinus and gutteral pouch infections, pneumonia, nasal tumors or infection, and visualize anatomical and functional diseases of the throat.  The image quality of our Sony gastroscope is second to none.  The endoscope can also be used in special situations involving the uterus of the mare when cysts need to be visualized and removed.

Additional Services:

Preventative Care

Professional Services

Diagnostic Tools

Emergency Services