MRI yes or no

[Joanw]

At 20 months my Landseer Newfoundland was diagnosed with mild hip dysplasia after I noticed an abnormal gait. She took an 8 shot series of adequan and is now on monthly adequan shots. She is 23 months old.

Early January she was diagnosed with giardia and placed on antibiotics. She became severely wobbly and tipsy. I immediately informed the vet and took her off the antibiotics and put her on a different med for the giardia. She improved but seemed weaker. She is not herself.

This week, following excessive diarrhea, the vet put her back on the antibiotic. She immediately had the same adverse reaction.

Two vets have done basic neurological tests and found nothing unusual. All her bloodwork has been very very good. Because of her leg weakness the vet suggested that I might want to consider a neurology consult and MRI. Although she does seem to think it's just the dysplasia.

It's unclear if it's all related to the giardia and reaction to the antibiotic and the fact that she does have hip and elbow dysplasia.

Your thoughts and experience would be appreciated. I'm inclined to do the neurological testing/MRI but don't want to be over-reacting and cause her any more harm or stress.

 

[R Taft]

MRI can show up a lot of neurological disorders, which cannot be seen on Cat Scan (X-ray)..........MRI is good for the soft tissue. For example MS in humans is diagnosed by MRI. If you have ever seen MRI pictures, it is amazing at all the soft tissue and tendons you can see. It is not good for bone. CT (X-ray) is better for bone. All human neurological cases have MRI's. That said it would be very expensive as most dogs need a anesthetic. Which requires specialized equipment, because the MRI is a very large magnet. My Husband installs MRI's part-time....About four a year in general, so when our Zacky needed one, because he had neurological issues we had several for free, whilst a new one was being installed. The reason I am telling you this is because we taught Zacky, and now all our dogs, to lie still in "check" position. Which is either flat on their back or side. And they allow people to pull and push. It meant we did not require the anesthetic. We have even had really good hip x-rays done this way.
If you can afford it MRI is a very good diagnostic tool.



Here is an MRI of a canine spine.........It is from the teaching file Mike's company uses. They install quite a few "open" not "tunnel" MRI's at Vet Uni's
I wished I had a CT to show the comparison, as to how you can see all the soft structures instead of the bony.........Can you see how clear the spinal cord and nerves show. A bit hard to see in such a small scale and with out all the layers you would see in computer format. This is just one slice of about twenty in the same view

I have worked in a very large Radiology Department as an RN since 1987 , so i have watched MRI "take over" our imaging world Ronnie

 

[estacey]

Wow, that is so awsome to see. Not a medical person, but find it facinating all the same.

 

[ozzysma]

i have no help but sending healing thoughts to your girl!!