A miniature horse named Reggie was the first horse to receive an MRI at the OSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
Reggie is miniature horse who was admitted to the hospital for treatment of seizures. Dr. John Schlipf ordered diagnostic tests to determine the cause, including an MRI. The Veterinary Teaching hospital’s Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) unit is useful for gaining images of the brain and spine, as well as soft tissue of joints and the interior structures of bones, but because of its size, it has been used primarily for dogs and cats. Luckily, Reggie is so small, he became the first horse to receive an MRI at the hospital.
Although tiny for a horse, Reggie’s MRI did present some challenges. “I think one of the biggest challenges was fitting him in the gantry,” says Dr. Susanne Stieger-Vanegas. “The anesthesia team, under the guidance of Dr. Riebold, did a fantastic job and once the pony was positioned, the MRI went smoothly.” Dr. Stieger-Vanegas shared the MRI images with colleagues at other institutions. “There is not very extensive information about MRI in horse brains available and so, I have contacted neurologists and radiologists at other sites to share the MRI and make sure no lesions were missed.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Schlipf is treating Reggie with anti-seizure medication and physical therapy, including a daily walk on the horse treadmill. For Reggie, the treadmill is run on the lowest speed, and it is still a good workout for his little legs. Watch the video.
