My name is Mike Knoeckel. I’m a veterinary neurologist/neurosurgeon at Southpaws Veterinary Specialty Hospital in the Washington DC area.
In my practice, I primarily work with dogs and cats with brain or spinal disease. Most frequently I am dealing with herniated discs or tumors.
In my exam room I can determine whether an animal has neurological disease and its approximate location and the probable cause with a high degree of certainty. However, determining exact cause and location often requires more advance diagnostics, such as MR imaging.
As treatments can vary dramatically, from medicines to radiation therapy to surgery, and even the various treatments having their own risks, it is important that I have the most accurate information possible.
MR imaging is, in the majority of cases, the most important tool to achieve that aim.
AnimalScan provides me that tool and more. Before AnimalScan was set up in my area, I was required to use human MRI facilities in the middle of the night, or older, mobile units which did not give the best images. At these facilities, I had to provide the anesthesia with the equipment we could transport there as well as direct the MR technologist on the differences of scanning a person versus a dog or cat. This would result in less then ideal anesthesia and imaging.
At AnimalScan, the anesthesia is run by a board certified anesthesiologist with all the drugs and equipment you would find at an advanced hospital. This dramatically increases the safety of the anesthesia so that I don’t feel the anesthesia is a significant risk, probably less so then driving to the hospital.
Also, the technologist at AnimalScan is experienced in MRI and has had additional training in the special requirements of imaging dogs and cats. This results in much better imaging and so is much more likely to help me reach my final diagnosis and choose the most effective therapy.
With the introduction of AnimalScan, I have ready, daily access to a state-of-the-art MRI machine supported by a board-certified anesthesiologist and a well trained technologist. This guarantees me the best imaging possible. This has dramatically improved my goal of getting the most information possible in a safe and timely manner so that I can determine and apply the most appropriate treatment, getting my patient back to a healthy and happy life.
The Iam’s Pet Imaging Center in Raleigh, NC has been an asset to our referring veterinarians and clients. Our surgical specialty practice, Veterinary Surgical Referral Practice (VSRP) in Cary, NC, has utilized the MRI center since its opening during the summer of 2004.
Many of our neurosurgical (and orthopedic) patients now benefit from MR imaging rather than myelography, as the studies are more precise and informative. We place great confidence in the expertise of the AnimalScan staff and we experience excellent communication with their radiologists, Drs. Donald Thrall and Ian Robertson.
The staff of VSRP believes that this center has been of great benefit to both our dog and cat patients and their owners.
Jack Gallagher DVM, DACVS
Diagnosis of medical disorders starts with evaluation of the signs exhibited by the patient, may include assessment of a variety of blood tests and frequently involves obtaining actual images of the abnormal body part. Diagnosing neurological disorders can be very challenging because the central nervous system, (the brain and spinal cord), are protected by the skull and the vertebral column.
The protection afforded by these bones is vital to the soft tissue of the nervous system, but it does make imaging difficult. In the past neurologists relied on myelography and computed tomography to image the spinal cord and brain respectively. Although these tests can be very useful, both have limitations with respect to the diseases that can be detected and, in the case of myelography, safety to the patient.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging has revolutionized veterinary neurology because it is now possible to image the brain and spinal cord in a safe and reliable manner. High quality images can be obtained at little risk to the patient, other than the need for general anesthesia.
Different types of image sequence can be used to highlight different types of disease, making it a powerful tool when trying to reach a diagnosis. The sensitivity is such that every abnormality is detected, even those not causing a clinical problem, and it is therefore important that the imaging findings are correlated carefully to the neurological signs being exhibited.
AnimalScan located at the North Carolina State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Raleigh [also in San Francisco, Vienna, VA, and Easton, PA] has provided the neurology group at NCSU with an excellent service. The staff are friendly and competent and always provide compassionate, professional patient care.
We have particularly enjoyed working with them to develop new imaging techniques for our patients. We hope to continue to improve our ability to diagnose neurological disorders through ongoing collaborations with the Pet Imaging Center.