Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service has installed a £1.4 million Siemens Magnetom Sola 1.5 magnet scanner, believed to be the first of its kind in the UK veterinary market.

Willows' Head of Imaging Andrew Parry, an RCVS and European Specialist in Diagnostic Imaging (pictured on the left with Clinical Director, Toby Gemmill), said: "There are very few veterinary hospitals anywhere in the country which would have the case-load or the complexity of cases to justify such a sizeable investment. Additionally, this magnet will bring multiple opportunities for clinical research which could ultimately lead to improvements in animal health."

Andrew added: “To my knowledge, we are the only centre in the UK that has fully replaced a high-field magnet MRI with a complete new solution.

"This is very unusual as scanners tend to be upgraded from a high field to higher field, rather than replaced altogether.

"However, our aim wasn’t to purely upgrade the equipment, it was to have access to the best diagnostic imaging equipment available, in order to ensure high quality images are obtained and interpreted, providing the most accurate and rapid diagnosis for our patients. This can make a significant difference to the level of care we are able to provide for pets."

For more information, visit: willows.uk.net

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