A brand new 3.0T MRI scanner has recently been installed at Rowe Veterinary Referrals at the Wotton-under-Edge branch, and has been hailed as an ‘absolute game changer’ for the multi-disciplinary team.

Originally, Rowe Referrals, part of IVC Evidensia Referrals, was one of only a few practices in the UK to have an onsite MRI machine when their previous 1.5T MRI was originally installed 5 years ago. But, as the machine came to the end of its life, with investment from IVC Evidensia, the referrals practice was able to replace it with a 3.0T machine.

Referrals Manager at Rowe Referrals, Meg Hayman, explains, “The difference between the two machines in amazing. The 1.5T produced very detailed scans but the 3.0T is incredible! It gives our clinicians the ability to perform more complex investigations with far greater clarity.   

She went on to say, “The 3.0T is like something else. An absolute game changer.”

One of only a few MRI Scanners of this quality in veterinary medicine in Europe, the machine will enable clinicians from all of the disciplines that Rowe Referrals offers to diagnose and implement treatment plans quicker.

The clinicians at Rowe Referrals will be able to diagnose a variety of conditions with the scans, showing much more detail than before. This means they will be able to help more animals, diagnosing conditions more effectively and efficiently.

The benefits will be seen across the whole practice, which includes Neurology, Internal medicine, Ophthalmology, Dentistry, Orthopaedics and Soft Tissue.

Ian Jennings BSc BVSc CertVDI MRCVS RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Diagnostic Imaging said, “The new 3.0T MRI scanner allows us a much more detailed view of our patients, and has been especially useful for detection of smaller lesions in our Neurological and Orthopaedic cases. Specialised sequences can also be performed in less time, allowing us a greater ability to help more patients.”

Rowe Referrals will be at London Vet Show this year in the IVC Evidensia Referrals Theatre. Kate Murphy BVSc(Hons) DSAM, DipECVIM-CA FRCVS PGCert(HE) European Veterinary Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine and RCVS Specialist in Small Animal from Rowe Referrals is one of the speakers and she will be part of the team covering Jaundice.

IVC Evidensia’s plans for their speakers this year are slightly different, to celebrate that the conference is going ahead in person.

Their plan is to have speakers talk about how they would approach a series of cases, relevant to both first opinion and referral vets and nurses. Each of the lectures has been designed to be concise and to-the-point, with the opportunity for delegates to ask questions at the end. Once the lectures on each topic have finished, delegates will have the chance to chat with the specialists on the IVC Evidensia stand. They will be able to chat, meet and feel a part of our growing collaborative IVC Evidensia network of referral and first opinion clinical teams from across the group.

The aim is to help first opinion vets and nurses understand how specialists from different disciplines assess cases and make decisions. This unique approach will showcase the expertise within the IVC Evidensia Referrals network across the UK. It will help highlight how specialist patient care is based around collaboration and team work between first opinion clinicians and referral specialists.