MRI Miracles Pet Owner Directed CASE STUDY Book FLIPPED ADDRESS 01202015

4500 Brooktree Road Suite 300 Wexford, PA 15090 “It’s good for you and GREAT for our animals.” -Jungle Jack Hanna Veterinary MRI Stories16

Presented by Veterinary specific MRI is available at the following location: The Leader in Veterinary MRI 4625 East Stop 11 Road Indianapolis, IN 46237 aipmri.com 317-534-6000Our pets are part of our family and when they getsick, we want to do everything that we can to helpthem feel better. This book shares some interestingstories about how the use of veterinary specific MRIhelped Veterinarians find out precisely what waswrong with some of our four legged friends. Theinformation revealed by the patients’ MRI scansprovided their Veterinarian with the informationneeded to help get them back on their feet so thatthey could continue doing what they do best… be aloving family member.Please take a few minutes to read these stories andask your Veterinarian if an MRI would be helpful foryour loved one. veterinaryspecialtyandemergencycare.com 2 15

Is your pet experiencing any of the following:• Seizures • Vision impairment Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the most• Heat tilt • Paralysis advanced diagnostic tool. It is especially useful for• Lumps/masses • Abdominal pain Veterinarians when diagnosing soft tissue ailments• Soft tissue lesion • Leg/joint lameness or swelling related to your pet’s brain, spinal cord and joints. Many• Neck/back pain • Nasal drainage/swelling conditions that are treatable and even curable can be diagnosed using MRI technology.Jack Hanna You may want to ask your Veterinarian if an MRI would help. Unlike CT and X-ray, MRI does not use ionizing radiation to create images. Very simply put, an MRI machine uses a strong magnetic field and radio frequency pulses to produce detailed pictures of your pet’s internal structures. Unhealthy tissues respond to radio frequencies differently than healthy tissues.Animal Imaging Partners (AIP) is the only Veterinary MRI company endorsed by Jack Hanna.This book is protected by copyright. The republication, reproduction or commercial use of any substantial part of thedocument in any manner, without prior written permission is strictly prohibited. The information, including but not limitedto text, graphics and images, contained in this publication is for informational purposes only. The information is notintended to serve as veterinary medical advice. If you have any specific questions about the health or well being of your pet,we advise that you direct those inquiries to your Veterinarian. 01142015 14 3

Patient: Lily Jasmine is a sweet cat and for the first 9 years of her life she onlyBreed: Cavalier King required routine preventative care from her family Veterinarian.Charles Spaniel When Jasmine’s owners noticed that her tail was limp and she wasAge: 3 years 6 months walking on her hocks they were quite concerned that she wasGender: Female experiencing symptoms related to a serious neurological condition.Symptoms: History of They immediately took her to their family Veterinarian where it wasscratching at left ear. explained that Jasmine’s symptoms were consistent with a few different serious conditions, including a stroke or tumor. Jasmine 4 was immediately referred to a Veterinary Neurologist at a local specialty hospital where a spine MRI was recommended. After careful consideration, Jasmine’s owners agreed to have the scan done and Jasmine received an MRI that afternoon. The Neurologist was delighted to share the findings with the family. Although Jasmine was suffering from a herniated disc, the diagnosis was far more favorable than some of the other possibilities. The Veterinarian was very optimistic that she could make a full recovery. The Neurologist surgically repaired the disc and Jasmine is now back to her old self. Her family is just thrilled to see her back in action. The family dog, Barnaby, on the other hand isn’t as enthusiastic. After a little “coaxing” by Jasmine, he surrendered back her favorite seat at the living room window. 13

Lily was brought to her family Veterinarian after her owners noticed that she was persistently scratching at her left ear. The Veterinarian completed a thorough examination and decided that an MRI was thePatient: Jasmine best way to look inside Lily’s ear. He cautioned the owners that LilyBreed: Domestic shorthair may be suffering from inner ear disease or possibly,Age: 9 years Syringohydromyelia1. Syringohydromyelia is a disease of the spinalGender: Female cord characterized by fluid filled cavities within the spinal cord2. It isSymptoms: Tail limpand walking on her also know as “neck scratcher’s disease”, because one of its commonhocks signs is scratching in the air near the neck. In short, the back half of the 12 skull is typically too small to accommodate all of the brain’s cerebellum so fluid squeezes through the hole at the back of the skull3. Unfortunately, due to breeding practices Syringohydromyelia is more widespread in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels than most other breeds. Lily was referred to a specialty hospital in the area for an MRI and the results provided her owners with wonderful news. There was no crowding of the cerebellum or Syringohydromyelia discovered. Lily’s symptoms were a result of, primary secretory middle ear disease (PSOM), resulting in excess mucus build up in the inner ear. Lily was sent back to her family Veterinarian where her condition was promptly treated. Her owners are happy to report that the scratching has stopped and Lily is back to her normal, very active, self. 1 Syringohydromyelia in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS) http://vetspecialists.co.uk/factsheets/Neurology_Facts/ Syringohydromyelia.html 2 Pet Owner’s Guide to Syringomyelia http://www.caninechiariinstitute.org/patient-center/owner-guide-to-syringomyelia 3 Syringomyelia (SM) and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel http://www.cavalierhealth.org/syringomyelia.htm 5

Patient: Daphne Milly’s owner brought her to the veterinary hospital after she startedBreed: Miniature having seizures. Her first seizure was two weeks prior to the visit.Schnauzer Last week she had another seizure and yesterday she experiencedAge: 8 years three more. Milly does not have any other known health conditionsGender: Female and does not take any medication. The seizures were incrediblySymptoms: Sudden frightening and a complete shock to Milly’s owners. An MRI scanonset paralysis was immediately ordered to rule out a brain tumor. Just like in human medicine, MRI is the veterinary tool of choice to diagnose 6 the cause of a seizure. Until recently, veterinary seizure patients did not have convenient or affordable access to MRI. Thankfully MRI is now much more readily available and is now the diagnostic tool of choice when treating seizure patients. Prior to the routine use of MRI, dogs who experienced a seizure were routinely prescribed oral medication. Unfortunately, medication does not control seizures when a dog is suffering from a brain tumor. Sadly, in years past, dogs suffering from tumors were sent home and experienced additional and progressively more severe seizures. In cases where there is no tumor, treating the patient with medication is often helpful. We are happy to report that Milly’s MRI scan came back normal and she is successfully being treated with anti-seizure medication. 11

Daphne jumped off the couch and was left in an immediate state of paralysis. She was rushed to her family Veterinarian, who offered possible causes for the paralysis and cautioned her owners that the outcome of any of the diagnoses was not good. Daphne’s family wasPatient: Milly told that they needed to be prepared to make the difficult decision toBreed: Boston TerrierAge: 8 years humanely euthanize her. The next morning Daphne, still fullyGender: FemaleSymptoms: Seizures paralyzed, was referred to a specialty hospital. The Veterinary 10 Neurologist performed a thorough examination and offered the owners a little glimmer of hope that Daphne’s condition may in fact be treatable. He told her owners that the only way to definitively diagnose her condition was through an MRI. Daphne was scanned and a diagnosis of Fibrocartilaginous Embolism (FCE) was confirmed. FCE is thought to be caused by a small fragment of intervertebral disk material that migrates into the blood vessels of the spinal cord. This material blocks the blood supply to the spinal cord causing a “stroke”. Some feel the Miniature Schnauzer is at higher risk for FCE as this breed tends to circulate excess blood fats and cholesterol that may predispose them to embolism4. Daphne was put on a specific physical therapy plan of treatment and after a few weeks of therapy with the great folks at her family Veterinarian’s office, she was back on her feet and running. Before MRI was widely used in Veterinary medicine, it would not be uncommon for a dog with Daphne’s severe symptoms to be humanely euthanized immediately. 7 4 Fibrocartilaginous Embolism (FCE) http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=1663

Patient: Sasha Sasha’s owner brought her to the emergency veterinary hospitalBreed: Dachshund after she began holding her head down and lifting her left paw up.Age: 7 years 7 months Her owners explained that the symptoms came on suddenly andGender: Female they did not recall any recent injury. Sasha was clearly in pain andSymptoms: Holding her owners were just beside themselves with worry. During thehead down and physician examination, Sasha continued to scream out in pain. X-screaming out. Also rays of her spine were taken but they came back inconclusive. Thelifting up left paw. Veterinarian suggested that Sasha undergo an MRI scan. MRI is excellent at differentiating soft tissue and is the gold standard in 8 diagnosing conditions related to disease of the spine. An MRI was performed and Sasha was diagnosed with Intervertebral Disk Disease (IVDD). IVDD is a hereditary disc herniation disease, not an injury. It is more common to find this condition in dogs, such as Dachshunds, with dwarfed legs. IVDD causes spinal discs to lose moisture and harden, therefore the discs age prematurely and become more susceptible to herniation5. The MRI revealed that, in addition to IVDD related herniation at C2-C3, Sasha was also suffering from left-sided herniation causing compression on the spinal cord. Since Sasha’s condition was quickly diagnosed, the proper course of treatment was immediately put into place and she is now comfortable and pain free. 5 Clark’s Fast Facts: Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) http://users.cyberport.net/~milnerwm/fastfacts.html 9