Diagnostics and Treatment What to Expect
Home »
At Southeast Veterinary Neurology (SEVN), our veterinary neurologists use the most advanced diagnostic and surgical equipment to treat our patients' neurological conditions. A neurologist is on premises during operating hours, and our experienced veterinary nurses provide loving medical care 24 hours a day. Rest assured, your beloved companion is in the best possible hands.
Examining Your Pet
We take a thorough approach to treatment, which means getting to know you and your pet and reviewing all aspects of their health and medical history to ensure that we’re moving in the right direction. In addition to a full physical, we will perform a neurological examination to evaluate your pet’s brain, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles. This brings us one step closer to understanding your pet’s condition. However, while physical and neurological exams can answer some questions, a definitive diagnosis depends on what our diagnostic tools reveal.
Going a Step Further with Diagnostics
Most of the conditions we evaluate require advanced imaging to accurately diagnose our patients. Our state-of-the-art equipment includes the most powerful MRI machines for animals, a multi-slice CT scanner, an ultrasonic aspirator for brain tumor removal, and tools to evaluate hearing and check for muscle and nerve disease.
Some of our diagnostic services include:
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
- CT (computed tomography or CAT scan)
- Spinal Radiography (X-rays)
- CSF Analysis (cerebrospinal fluid analysis)
- EMG (electromyography)
- Nerve Conduction Studies
- BAER (brainstem auditory evoked response) Hearing Test
Many neurological problems require MRI for definitive diagnosis. MRI is the advanced imaging modality of choice for the soft tissues of the body, including the brain and spinal cord, because it can show diseases that radiographs (X-rays) and CT scans can’t. SEVN uses the most powerful MRI available to animals, and we routinely find abnormalities that other imaging services miss.
Will my pet need to stay overnight?
Because our MRI equipment and other tools are on site, we can run tests for your pet on the same day of your consultation in most cases, or the following day as needed. However, in some cases, it may be necessary for your pet to stay overnight. We’ll be sure to tell you exactly what the plan is once we’ve examined your pet and helped you decide on the next steps.
Treatment Options
Neurological conditions can look scary. But even symptoms that look dramatic can improve with proper treatment. Once a diagnosis is achieved, our neurologists can tailor treatment specifically to your pet’s condition. Based on your wishes and your pet's particular condition, we will discuss all of the possible treatment options with you to help you make the decision that makes the most sense for you and your pet.
Neurological treatment options include:
- Medication
- Physical Rehabilitation
- Surgery
While some conditions and pets are best treated conservatively, other cases will need surgery. We use a Carl Zeiss neurosurgical operating microscope and/or surgical loupes for all neurosurgical procedures. This equipment provides better visualization and magnification compared to the naked eye. We have completed thousands of neurosurgical procedures with a success rate of over 95%.
Some of the neurosurgical procedures we perform include:
- Spinal Surgery
- Intervertebral Disc Surgery
- Stabilizations (atlantoaxial, lumbosacral, fracture)
- Cyst Resection
- Tumor Removal
- Brain Surgery
- Tumor Removal and Biopsy
- Foramen Magnum Decompression
- VP Shunt Placement
- Nerve and Muscle Biopsy
