Thermal imagers diagnose animal health problems long before obvious clinical signs appear. Thanks to the IR scanner, you do not need to take the animal to the veterinarian and disturb him on a long journey. You can conduct a preliminary diagnosis yourself. The thermal image will pinpoint the exact location of the problem and help you track the effectiveness of the treatment. Thermal imaging is absolutely safe for health. Your animal will not experience discomfort and stress. If your pet is healthy, then the IR camera will help you adjust the level of load during training, assess his condition before an exhibition or competition. Our article will introduce you to the conditions that can be diagnosed with a thermal imager and talk about thermal imaging technology from a Veterinary point of view.
How it works?
The bulk of diseases are accompanied by inflammatory processes that heat the surrounding tissues. Heating can be imperceptible at the very beginning of the disease and be located in a hard-to-reach or hidden place. Outwardly, or on palpation, it is impossible to notice. A thermal imaging camera is capable of registering changes in temperature by hundredths of a degree and visualizing the location of the source of infection, injury or inflammation. The result of the study will be a thermographic image of the animal, or part of its body, with data on places with elevated temperatures. Bones, cartilage, hooves, spine, joints, soft tissues and blood vessels can be examined without resorting to ultrasound or x-rays. Note that it is possible to diagnose the disease, approximately two weeks before it becomes noticeable by external signs.
Thermography does not require any special preparation of the animal, it does not need to be immobilized or fixed. This is a non-invasive type of examination, absolutely painless and safe. Data can be stored on digital media, sent to the doctor or printed.
What is it used for?
With the help of a thermal imager, it is possible to diagnose injuries and diseases of hooves, vertebrae, muscles, ligaments, tendons, long bones, joints and teeth. The full list of diseases that the IR scanner detects has about two hundred positions. Agree, this is an excellent result. The thermogram reveals hidden bleeding, foci of inflammation and infection. It allows you to detect diseases of the blood vessels, nerve endings, can detect tumors in the early stages. In addition to diagnostics, it can be used to track the dynamics of the course of the disease and speed up rehabilitation. In particular, the observation of chronic arthritis and osteoarthritis, using a thermogram, gives visual confirmation of the success of the treatment and confirms the stage of remission.
IR optics, with success, reveals signs of recurrent laminitis, displacement of the spine and spinal discs. Damage to muscles, fascia and nerves, problems with growth plates in young animals are successfully detected. It should be noted that the scanner will reveal not only warm areas, but also cold ones. Occasionally frostbite occurs and at first it is not very noticeable. A thermal image will accurately indicate the lesion and time will not be lost.
At times, the problem does not look serious or appears intermittently. For example, intermittent lameness. Not every owner will take a Horse to the vet when there are no signs. In this case, it is worth making a thermogram. She will point to hidden causes and allow you to receive medical assistance on time. This will save the owner from unnecessary expenses and keep the animal healthy.
Therefore, thermography is at the very forefront of research and helps audit and treatment in Veterinary practice. Moreover, the owner can identify a fairly wide range of problems on his own, without unnecessary nerves and costs.
Conditions diagnosed with thermal imaging.
Conditions that can be diagnosed using thermal imaging can be associated with diseases and normal life activities.
Among the diseases, one can diagnose cancer, tuberculosis, skin diseases, vascular problems, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, dental diseases, various types of inflammation of soft, cartilaginous and bone tissues.
In addition to diseases, it is possible to detect hidden injuries of muscles, tendons, fascia, ligaments, hooves, bones and joints. Hidden ulcers, bleeding will also be visible on thermographic images and will allow the owner to start treatment on time.
Among the conditions that are not associated with the disease, we note the following. These are all kinds of rubbing. They cause an increase in temperature and will definitely be detected when viewed with an IR scanner. Using this data, the saddle fit can be perfectly adjusted. In addition, you can identify hoof imbalances and not bring your Horse to an abscess or scaphoid. In the process of training, it became possible to dose the load with the help of a scientific evidence base. The thermogram perfectly shows overstrained and injured muscles and you can see when you need to give the animal a rest, and when – an additional load.
The thermal imager successfully monitors the feeding process and detects mastopathy.
A thermal imager is indispensable when buying a Horse. The pictures will give information about the health of the Horse on site and can make a big difference in your purchase or price decision. If your Horse is going to race, then a full audit of its condition with the help of a thermal scanner will allow you to avoid fatal mistakes and not lose a valuable animal.
To avoid mistakes, we want to clarify that a thermal imager cannot completely replace all types of examinations and a visit to the veterinarian. It serves for early diagnosis and adds information to the overall treatment plan that the doctor will prescribe. In addition, it allows you to control the process of treatment at home and monitors the state of health after recovery.