Ethos Veterinary Health
  • Veterinary Teams
    • Ethos Discovery
    • Clinical Studies
    • VetBloom CE
    • Ethos is Hiring
    • Learning & Development
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Executive Team
    • Our Hospitals
  • Advancing Medicine
    • Meet Our Medical Leadership Team
    • Medical Excellence
    • Medical Operations
    • New Product Committee
    • Specialty Advisory Board
    • Veterinary Science Consultancy
    • Blood Bank Programs
    • Clinical Studies
      • Open & Enrolling Studies
      • FAQs: Clinical Studies at Ethos
    • Ethos Discovery
  • Ethos Updates
  • Careers + Development
    • Ethos is Hiring
      • Career Opportunities
      • Employee Benefits
      • Meet Our Talent Teams
      • Referral Program
    • Learning & Development
    • VetBloom
    • Careers Unleashed
    • Veterinary Nursing Programs
      • ER Immerse Nursing
      • Approved Veterinary Assistant (AVA) Program
      • RECOVER Certification
      • Fear Free Certification
    • Veterinary Student Programs
      • Vet Student Externships
    • Veterinary Programs
      • Internship and Residency Programs
      • ER Immerse
      • ER ABVP
      • 6 Tips for a Stress-Free VIRMP Application Process
    • Veterinary Conferences
Ethos Veterinary Health
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Executive Team
    • Our Hospitals
  • Advancing Medicine
    • Meet Our Medical Leadership Team
    • Medical Excellence
    • Medical Operations
    • New Product Committee
    • Specialty Advisory Board
    • Veterinary Science Consultancy
    • Blood Bank Programs
    • Clinical Studies
      • Open & Enrolling Studies
      • FAQs: Clinical Studies at Ethos
    • Ethos Discovery
  • Ethos Updates
  • Careers + Development
    • Ethos is Hiring
      • Career Opportunities
      • Employee Benefits
      • Meet Our Talent Teams
      • Referral Program
    • Learning & Development
    • VetBloom
    • Careers Unleashed
    • Veterinary Nursing Programs
      • ER Immerse Nursing
      • Approved Veterinary Assistant (AVA) Program
      • RECOVER Certification
      • Fear Free Certification
    • Veterinary Student Programs
      • Vet Student Externships
    • Veterinary Programs
      • Internship and Residency Programs
      • ER Immerse
      • ER ABVP
      • 6 Tips for a Stress-Free VIRMP Application Process
    • Veterinary Conferences
  • Veterinary Teams
    • Ethos Discovery
    • Clinical Studies
    • VetBloom CE
    • Ethos is Hiring
    • Learning & Development

Our Blogs

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for Animals

MRI is the most common diagnostic imaging tool used in both human and veterinary medicine to visualize the nervous system. It is the current gold standard for imaging the nervous system in dogs and cats.  It provides high quality images with excellent detail and resolution of the brain and spinal cord compared to other imaging tools, such as computed tomography (commonly referred to as a CAT scan).

Common examples of MRI use in animals include paralyzed dogs with disc hernaition, brain tumors, stroke, and many other conditions such as rupture cranial cruciate ligament.

MRI techniques for animals are exactly the same as those for humans. The imaging technique is exactly the same whether a “human MRI” machine or a “veterinary MRI” machine is used.  The only difference between people and animals receiving an MRI is that animals will not lie still when asked. In general, it takes approximately 45 minutes to perform a MRI scan.  Thus, animals must be under anesthesia for the scan.  Prior to this, blood tests and X-rays often are performed to make sure that your pet is as safe an anesthetic candidate as possible.

MRI is very safe and complications associated with anesthesia are rare.  The MRI is read by a board-certified neurologist for patients with brain or spinal cord disease or by our board-certified radiologist for non-nervous system MRI scans.

Share

Related Posts

  • What to Expect When Your Pet Needs an MRI
    Read Article
  • When to Get a CT Scan and Rhinoscopy for Your Pet: Nasal Signs & Symptoms
    Read Article
  • The Importance of Computed Tomography (CT) for Exotic Animal Medicine
    Read Article
  • A Lameness Puzzle
    Read Article
  • CT Scan for Pets: What You Need to Know
    Read Article
  • Facts About Meningioma Brain Tumor in Cats
    Read Article
  • Veterinary Radiographs (X-rays)
    Read Article
  • Case Study: Progressive Behavior Change in a Cat
    Read Article
  • Ultrasound for Cats & Dogs
    Read Article
  • Patient Care Enhanced in Hawaii via MRI
    Read Article
  • Interisland Referrals: Steps to Take When Traveling to VERC
    Read Article
Ethos Veterinary Health
  • Veterinary Teams
    • Ethos Discovery
    • Clinical Studies
    • VetBloom CE
    • Ethos is Hiring
    • Learning & Development
© 2025 Ethos Veterinary Health Privacy Policy
Website Design by Jackrabbit