Equine Guelph Releases Report on 3-D Ultrasound Research

Chalmers’ goal is to provide owners with a reliable and inexpensive way to screen horses for roaring.
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You have seen the marvels of 3-D cinema, but did you know that 3-D technology is also used in equine diagnostics? Researchers have developed ultrasound technology with 3-D capabilities, which means a more detailed picture for veterinarians when making diagnosis and an accurate, simple way to track the results of treatment modalities potentially without using a more invasive biopsy.

With a recent donation from the Equine Foundation of Canada, University of Guelph researcher Heather Chalmers, BSc, DVM, Dipl. ACVR, an assistant professor of radiology, is able to add a new dimension to her research focusing on early screening of roaring which could lead to earlier treatment. Roaring, or laryngeal paralysis, is a very common disease which can affect any breed or discipline of horse. This progressive disease results in the inability to open the upper airway at exercise which limits performance and actually leads to a roaring sound. Owners who hear a gurgling sound or an increase in noise when the horse is breathing are encouraged to seek veterinary advice.

Chalmers’ research goal is to provide horse owners with a reliable, easy, readily available, and inexpensive way to screen horses for roaring prior to clinical signs of the disease. This allows horse owners or a potential horse purchaser to career plan for their horses, determining potential or limiting factors. Chalmers is very excited about the donation of new equipment this past summer: "When it comes to ultrasound, 3-D allows us to look at the tissues in greater detail, to get a more accurate assessment of the size and exact location of abnormalities and to monitor them accurately over time."

Assessing the size of the upper airway muscles helps researchers understand more about their function and disease status. Chalmers explains, "We know from our own experience, working out in the gym, a muscle that gets bigger is stronger and more functional. After interventions the ultra sound will be able to keep track of changes to see if the smaller diseased muscle has responded with an increase in size

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