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PET technology now available at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital

by Pat McKenna

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today highlighted the availability of positron emission tomography (PET) at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The PET machinery is now in place at Rood & Riddle, where it is available for use throughout the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and during the entirety of the 2024 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course, which opens on July 11 and continues through September 2.

“Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital is excited to provide PET scan technology to the racehorse population in New York this summer,” said Dr. Katherine Garrett, Director of Diagnostic Imaging at Rood & Riddle. “This is a valuable tool that allows us to further evaluate musculoskeletal problems and enhance racehorse safety."

PET scans, which are performed without the use of general anesthesia, assess metabolic activity in a variety of tissues and can be used to identify abnormal metabolic activity in bones that may indicate early signs of injury.

“NYRA is committed to expanding the use of advanced equine imaging to help prevent serious injuries and improve scientific research around thoroughbreds in training,” said David O'Rourke, NYRA President and CEO. “We thank Rood & Riddle for making this technology available at Saratoga for the first time.”

PET is unique in that it may detect abnormalities at an earlier stage than other types of diagnostic imaging techniques such as radiographs, CT, or MRI. PET also has high enough resolution to pinpoint the specific abnormal anatomic area of a bone which has implications for accurate diagnosis of high-risk abnormalities.

For additional information about PET at Rood & Riddle, please visit https://roodandriddle.com/saratoga-springs/.