Large Animal Hospital at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine excels in equine imaging
GRAFTON, MASS., August 28, 2025 – Veterinarians at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University now have the ability to look for lameness, brain damage, and other conditions within horses by using the first equine-capable high-strength magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology in New England.
The equipment will be instrumental in diagnosing a variety of equine musculoskeletal conditions—many of which can not be delineated as well using other testing methods. The high strength of the magnet provides far higher quality images than low-field-strength, or portable, MRI technology, which is currently in use at veterinary practices throughout New England. Staff at the Cummings School have performed the procedure on multiple horses including diagnosing joint inflammation in a nationally competing equine athlete that is now expected to regain performance in time for this season’s competitions.
“Better diagnostics mean better treatment for horses—especially equine athletes—and we are so proud to be able to offer this capability to horse owners in New England and beyond,” said Dr. Steve Rowell, DVM, director of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine’s Foster Hospital for Small Animals and its Hospital for Large Animals. “Pioneering this procedure was no easy task on an animal this size, and I applaud the hard work of the individuals who made this happen while ensuring the safety and health of our patient animals and staff.”
The Cummings School completed construction in December of a 2,100-square-foot hospital addition that houses the 1.5 Tesla Siemens magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. Valued at over $1 million, this state-of-the-art equipment is the most technologically advanced MRI unit being used in a Central Massachusetts veterinary facility, and enables Cummings School’s Diagnostic Imaging Section to provide enhanced imaging capabilities for patients receiving treatment at both the small and large animal hospitals at the school. The equipment is the capstone of the newly named Leveen Family Fund MRI Wing.
A leader in veterinary imaging, the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine has been performing MRI diagnostics on animals since around 1992. Starting in March of 2000, the school began performing on-site MRI with a 1-Tesla mobile unit, and the hospitals have performed MRIs on between 9 and 12 animals—mostly dogs and cats—per week ever since. Since the recent upgrade to the 1.5-Tesla, permanent unit, hospital staff are now able to use MRI to diagnose pigs, foals, alpacas and llamas—and now full-grown horses.
Having a permanent MRI center at the school also means that MRI services for hospitalized patients and those referred by area veterinarians are available Monday through Friday. Previously, the school used a smaller, mobile MRI unit that was available only three days per week.
An MRI system relies on a powerful magnet, radio waves, an antenna, and a sophisticated computer system to deliver precise images of internal organs and tissue. Patients must lie perfectly still during this diagnostic procedure, which means that animals must be anesthetized before undergoing an MRI procedure.
The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University utilizes board-certified radiologists and clinical specialists to conduct the MRI scans, assisted by specially-trained MRI and anesthesia technicians. Because of the cost of the equipment, specialized training of the radiologists and technicians, and time required to conduct the test, most veterinarians refer patients needing MRI scans and related specialty services to large veterinary hospitals like those at Tufts’ Grafton, Mass., campus.
“Cummings Veterinary School radiologists are looking forward to increasing the availability of MRI and expanding into areas in cardiology, cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) flow, and equine lameness studies,” Rowell added.
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