A cancer diagnosis for a beloved pet can be an overwhelming experience for pet owners. As general practitioners, you are often the first point of contact, the ones delivering the news and helping families navigate their options. Although all cancer cases may benefit from referral to a specialist, some are more critically time sensitive than others. Additionally, referring the client to the right specialist can significantly affect the pet’s outcome.

The veterinary profession is already stretched thin, with demand for services far outweighing supply. General practitioners (GPs), you should be empowered to feel confident in your role as a patient’s primary veterinarian while acknowledging what you know, recognizing where additional expertise is needed, and understanding that guiding pet owners through this journey is as much about communication as it is about medicine.

The reality is that GPs manage diverse cases, from dermatology to cardiology, orthopedics, and behavior. Expecting any GP to be fully up to date on every cancer treatment is unrealistic.

Some pet owners may have researched their pet’s specific cancer more thoroughly than their primary care veterinarian has had time to, and that is not a failure; it is simply the nature of modern veterinary medicine and the information age in which we live.

One of the biggest challenges facing GPs is knowing when and where to refer. Sending a case to the wrong specialist or delaying a necessary referral can negatively affect the patient’s outcome. For example, suppose a patient with a soft tissue sarcoma is sent to a medical oncologist instead of a surgical or radiation oncologist. In that case, 2 months might be lost waiting for an appointment, time that could have been used for definitive treatment.

Additionally, access to specialists is a growing concern. Medical oncologists often have long appointment wait times. With fewer than 150 active diplomats certified in veterinary radiation oncology by the American College of Veterinary Radiology,

 pet owners may need to travel significant distances for treatment, making early decision-making even more critical.

Top hurdles pet owners face after a cancer diagnosis

Every day counts and the sooner the patient can be prepped, the quicker they can make treatment decisions.

In addition to getting more information faster, your patient will appreciate spending less time and money on consults that they may need from other local specialists.

Your office benefits from providing care in-house, you stay involved in your patient's treatment journey and it helps strengthen the relationship you have with your client and patient.

The specialty clinic can work faster at providing treatment options when they receive a pet who has already been diagnosed and worked up.

For pet owners, the cancer journey is not just a medical one; it is emotional, financial, and logistical. Some of the biggest challenges pet owners face include the following:

Access to specialty care: Finding an oncologist, especially for radiation therapy,
can be challenging. Treatments such as stereotactic radiation therapy have gained popularity because of their shorter treatment timelines (3-5 days vs weeks of daily conventionally fractionated radiotherapy).
• 

: Many pet owners struggle with risk vs benefit decisions. They need clear, unbiased information from specialists who handle these cases daily.
• 

: Owners often worry about anesthetic risks, but it is crucial to help them understand that without treatment, their pet will die from the disease. The risk of a negative outcome from anesthesia is less than 1%.2 We must reframe the conversation to address the real risk: doing nothing.
• 

: Pet owners often hear conflicting opinions from friends, family, and coworkers: “Why would you spend $10,000 treating a dog?”, “Isn’t it cruel to put them through this?”, and “Are you doing this for them or for you?” It is important to convey to pet owners that it does not matter what
others believe but what the owner believes. Ultimately, the pet owner must be comfortable with the risk-benefit analysis and prognosis for the pet.

: Veterinary oncology treatment can be costly. A 3-day radiation treatment might cost $12,000 and be due in a single payment 3 days after treatment was started. Although chemotherapy, a longer treatment process, can be even more costly, the payments are spread out over months rather than days. Pet insurance can be a game changer for those who have it, but less than 4% of the dogs and cats in the US are insured.

 Therefore, pet owners should consider how paying for treatment will affect their lives before agreeing to treat.

: Many owners ask, “Am I crazy for treating my pet?” Some need reassurance that their decision is valid, whether they choose aggressive treatment or palliative care. Our job is to guide, not judge.

: Cancer treatments are evolving rapidly, and many GPs are unaware of the latest treatment options. Rather than feeling overwhelmed, the key is knowing when and whom to ask for help.

: Chemotherapy and radiation may require frequent visits, long-distance travel, or weeks of commitment, making treatment unfeasible for some families.

Setting expectations: What pet owners want from their primary veterinarian

GPs are in a challenging but powerful position. Clients expect you to:

• Be honest about what you know (and do not know): You do not have to know everything, but you should know where to find the right answers. It is OK to say, “I don’t know, but I know who will have clear answers.”

• Provide a clear path forward: Cancer is overwhelming. Pet owners look to you for the next steps, not just a diagnosis. Knowing when to refer and which specialist is the right one is critical.

• Present options nonjudgmentally: Your clients want to know that you will support their decisions, whether they choose aggressive treatment, palliative care, or no treatment at all. They fear being judged for whatever decision they make.

• Communicate urgency where it matters: Some cancers, such as lymphoma, progress rapidly. If treatment is delayed, a pet who could live 12 to 18 months with treatment may only have weeks left.

 This again underscores the importance of referring to the right type of specialist.

• Offer emotional support: The way you present the diagnosis sets the tone. Clients need to feel that they have a trusted guide through the journey.

• Help them understand why: Most owners do not just want to know what to do next—they want to understand why a treatment is or is not recommended. If your client has information that is new to you, let them know that you will research it or put them in touch with someone with more expertise in that area.

Veterinary GPs play a critical role in a pet’s cancer journey—not just in initial diagnosis and referral but also in guiding families through an emotional and sometimes overwhelming process. You do not need to be an oncology expert to effectively advocate for your patients. What matters most is ensuring they reach the right specialist at the right time, presenting options without judgment, and helping them make informed, compassionate choices.

Whenever possible, initiating a basic diagnostic workup, such as cytology, baseline laboratory work, or imaging, can help expedite the referral process and improve patient outcomes. Even small steps taken in advance can significantly affect how quickly a specialist can act on the case. That said, not every situation allows for it, and that is OK—the most important step is getting the patient to the right specialist without delay.

History of ACVR. American College of Veterinary Radiology. Accessed May 5, 2025. https://acvr.org/who-we-are/history-acvr/

Brodbelt DC, Blissitt KJ, Hammond RA, et al. The risk of death: the confidential enquiry into perioperative small animal fatalities. 

. 2008;35(5):365-373. doi:10.1111/j.1467-2995.2008.00397.x

North American Pet Health Insurance Association State of the Industry Report 2024. North American Pet Health Insurance Association. April 9, 2024. Accessed May 5, 2025. https://naphia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/NAPHIA-SOI2024-Report-Highlights_Public-May16.pdf

Vail DM, Pinkerton ME, Young KM. Canine lymphoma and lymphoid leukemias. In: Vail DM, Thamm DH, Liptak JM, eds. Withrow and MacEwen’s Small Animal Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Elsevier; 2019:688-715.

Articles

One of the biggest challenges is knowing when and where to refer a client

Guiding pet owners through the cancer journey: The general practitioner’s role

A renovation can bring new life to your hospital. It can show your clients and future clients the importance you place on the care of their pets. It can also show your team the importance you place on the work they do and their well-being. It can help you serve more clients and patients, and it can help you serve them better.

Regardless of whether you want to simply modernize and refresh your hospital or rework your entire building, there are some concepts that can help you make the most of the process.

The specialty services lobby at ARISE Veterinary Center in Queen Creek, Arizona.

Digital record keeping for client files and artificial intelligence technologies for charting, handheld tablets, and wall-mounted computer screens can all help free up space within your hospital. This space savings can translate to a smaller reception desk that allows more room for client seating or maybe even an additional exam room. It can reduce the size of work surfaces needed in exam rooms, making these spaces more flexible for accommodating larger families or providing floor exams. Going digital will also help you keep surfaces in your hospital less cluttered, for a more professional appearance and a better working environment for your team.

Small changes can have a big impact. Change the color on the walls. Add a new accent wall feature behind your front desk. Clad your front desk in a new (but durable) material and put a solid surface material on the counter. Update your lighting fixtures and switch to LEDs if you haven’t already. Change out the seating in the lobby and the exam rooms. Add artwork that is cohesive, wellthought- out, and modern throughout the building.

This might also be the time to consider a rebrand. If you are the new owner of an existing practice or you are looking to attract new clients, or it’s just time for a change, consider the message you want to send about who you are and the type of medicine you practice, and communicate that through the style of your front-of-house spaces. Match or complement the colors in your new branding to your building interior and exterior design.

The Humane Society of the Boulder Valley Veterinary Clinic in Boulder, Colorado. 

Not only can you attract new clients with a simple renovation, but you can also attract new clients and upsell existing clients by providing improved and new services. Can you live without office space to add a dental suite or another exam room or 2 to reduce wait times and/or increase the number of clients you can see? Is telemedicine a big part of your practice, and could you make it bigger by adding a small, dedicated phone room perfect for making video calls to clients? Do you have an underutilized boarding area that could be better as just a dog day care? Is there a specialty service that is underrepresented in your community that you could add to your services, such as diagnostics, physical therapy, or specialty surgery? There are new portable CT machines on the market, for example, that require very little space and are self-shielded.

Creating or improving dedicated space for your team is also a great renovation investment. A doctor at Raintree Animal Hospital in Timnath, Colorado, intentionally placed a window into the dog day care from the break room so his staff could enjoy watching the dogs play. That kind of thoughtfulness can go a long way to hiring and retaining great team members. Include a covered or shaded outdoor patio with a table and chairs. Consider that different people decompress differently and include options for comfortable seating in your break room. Make sure the break room is well equipped. That could include simple things like an ice maker, a fancy espresso machine, an electric kettle, or a charging station.

Taking care of your team should extend beyond the break space. Natural light is important for everyone’s well-being. If you can’t punch holes in the exterior walls to bring more light in, perhaps you can add a Solatube skylight to bring light into interior spaces or replace some solid doors with Dutch doors or doors with windows. This also has the advantage of making communication across the hospital easier. Ergonomics are important too. Sit-stand desks, adjustable stools, and adjustable treatment surfaces can greatly improve the day-to-day life of your team members.

If you have the funds for a large renovation, remember that this is a major investment in the future of your practice and consider how you can best serve your clients and your community for years to come. Marry that investment to the way you personally want to care for clients and pets when deciding what changes to incorporate. Large budget or small, a renovation of your hospital can breathe new life into not only the physical spaces you practice in but to your practice of medicine as well.

Indoor/outdoor dog daycare at Raintree Animal Hospital in Timnath, Colorado.


A variety of methods can help refresh the look and efficiency of a practice

Renovate to revitalize

In this panel discussion, Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, 

All love. All species. All welocome!

This panel discussion is sponsored by VCA Animal Hospitals. 

As we continue to celebrate Pride Month, the members of the LGBTQ+ community, and allies within the profession, dvm360 welcomed Leslie Soper, CVT, and Maria Libonate, RVT, to an open discussion with host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA. Throughout the panel, the trio discussed their journeys as allies and members of the LGBTQ+ community, ways hospitals can show their support, the importance of having great mentors, and how the landscape of veterinary medicine has become more inclusive throughout the years. 

Below is a partial transcript, edited lightly for clarity:

When we talk about creating that inclusive environment, what steps can organizations like VCA take to foster a more inclusive environment for the LGBTQ+ associates and also the clients that we serve?

I think we've been doing a pretty good job thus far and just continuing to do that by being really open and visible about our support and our inclusion and diversity in general...As long as we continue to do that, we can show not only our own associates, but our clients and the community at large that we do support inclusivity. We do support diversity. This is an important thing for all of us. 

And, you know, it's so major for us to be able to share that and we do things like...the Pride in a Box where we have...a little pride kit that we send out to our hospitals to help promote Pride events. Ot has a little flag, a t-shirt that you're wearing right now, and things like that to help promote all of the inclusivity that we're really big on. 

Videos

All love. All species. All welcome!

Toni L. Trego, DVM, shares her experience with the using the Vetlen pouch in this interview with dvm360

Video interview with Toni L. Trego, DVM 

On March 3, 2025, a 5-year-old male neutered shih tzu was brought to Amboy Veterinary Clinic in Amboy, Illinois, immediately for vehicular trauma on his left hind leg. Toni L. Trego, DVM, owner of the clinic, stated in a case study regarding the patient that, remarkably, no bony injuries were identified in the patient. However, the patient’s skin extending from just proximal to the hock down to his toes was avulsed from the underlying tissue. The team at the clinic approached the patient with conservative management, including a drain, bandage, oral antibiotics, and pain medication, but all of the affected skin sloughed. A week after the patient arrived at the clinic, the veterinary team obtained a culture during debridement on March 10.

On March 12, a pouch flap was created on the left body wall, and the left hind leg was inserted into the flap and sutured into place with a fenestrated drain and a 10-mL Vetlen Pouch, the first time that Trego had used the product.

“[Vetlen] actually offered a free sample, and I had signed up for that online, and they sent me a free sample. So it’s been sitting in my clinic for quite a while, and then this case came along, and I thought at first that we might be able to use it within the wound, but then it was clear that all of the skin was necrotic. So then when I decided to make the pouch flap, it’s like, I know this is going to need antibiotics, there’s no question,” explained Trego in an interview with dvm360®.

Through the pouch, the patient was initially given ceftiofur sodium, 50-mg dose, up to 9 mL total volume with 0.9% sodium chloride from March 12 to 21. A culture was then performed that revealed multidrug-resistant Enterococcus faecium along with Streptococcus canis and Staphylococcus schleiferi. The result of culture findings led the doctors to switch the patient to vancomycin hydrochloride, 30-mg dose, up to 6-mL total volume with 0.9% sodium chloride beginning on March 22 and stopping on April 1.

The drain was removed from the patient on March 15, and an antibiotic treatment was administered through the pouch. The client had disclosed to the team that administering oral medication to the patient had been a challenge for them, so they were grateful to discontinue oral antibiotics once the switch to vancomycin was made.

The flap of skin from the patient was excised from the donor site and closed over the left distal limb on April 2, and the Vetlen Pouch was then removed and discarded. The team noted that parts of the flap became necrotic and sloughed, but the majority survived with only small areas of open granulating wounds remaining. The patient has made progress healing, and the client is delighted with the results of the ordeal.

For Trego, she explained to dvm360 that normally, being a small practice in a rural town, she would refer emergencies out. However, with this case, that was not in the client’s budget, so she decided to try the Vetlen Pouch to make it work for the client and now is looking forward to trying the product out on one of her larger animal patients. Trego explained that after this case, she would recommend this product to other veterinary professionals, and offered some advice on how to use the product.

“I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. I would say read all the directions. And I think it was very advantageous to us to have a culture so we knew what antibiotic to use. I mean, that’s just good antibiotic stewardship to begin with. But there is a limited list of antibiotics that diffuse well through the pouch. So getting that culture so you’re on target would be really helpful,” explained Trego

“As far as ease of use goes, it’s great,” she concluded.

The 5-year-old canine's left hind leg was treated after experiencing vehicular trauma.

Shih tzu recovers from leg injury using a pouch implant

Colic is most often attributed to the gastrointestinal system; however, other organ systems can contribute to the general, often nonspecific clinical signs associated with colic. Owners may describe anything from lethargy or inappetence to inability to rise, and deciphering an owner’s description of clinical signs is often the first hurdle in a colic workup. The next hurdle is often deciding whether management at the farm, referral to a hospital, or euthanasia is warranted.

What can you do in your on-farm workup to decide on the best course of action for both your patient and owner? Consider the following: 

: This is the simplest part of your colic workup and can sometimes provide the most useful information for deciding what may be going on with your patient. A heart rate greater than 60 beats per minute or discolored mucous membranes, including brick red, purplish, or with a toxic line, are suggestive of surgical or severe medical colic conditions. If you are managing a patient with colic in the field, serial physical examinations can be key in understanding whether your efforts are improving the primary condition or whether referral after initial therapy on the farm may be warranted. Always remember to take a temperature prior to the administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories or rectal palpation.

: This is typically the procedure that follows physical examination during colic workup in the field. Large volumes (> 4 L) of reflux often accompany small intestinal lesions, including strangulating lesions, nonstrangulating small intestinal obstructions, or enteritis. Differentiating enteritis from obstructive lesions can be difficult, particularly with limited laboratory work on the farm; however, one hint can be how the horse behaves following relieving stomach distention—small intestinal strangulations will typically remain painful even after stomach decompression, while enteritis cases may become more comfortable but show depression or lethargy. If you obtain reflux and referral to the hospital is an option for the patient, leave the tube in place and cover the end with a 1-way valve (taping a glove finger with a hole cut in the end works great). Although this won’t always prevent a stomach from rupturing, it will at least provide a route for excess fluid to exit the stomach while en route.

: Some gastrointestinal lesions have very classical rectal exam findings, while other times you can identify that something doesn’t feel right but may not be able to definitively decide what you are feeling. Some rectal exam findings that suggest referral or euthanasia include distended small intestine, which often feels like loops of balloon animals or sausage, or a severely distended large colon. It isn’t uncommon for colon torsions to present with colon gas distention severe enough to prevent the ability to perform a rectal palpation. 

Other diagnostics that are often overlooked on the farm but can help with decision-making in euthanasia, referral, or on-farm management can include abdominocentesis or fast localized abdominal sonography (FLASH) ultrasound.

: For most horses, all that is needed is a 1.5-in 18-g needle, sterile gloves, and a red top blood tube. Abdominocentesis is typically performed at the lowest point of the abdomen when looking at the horse from the side, directly on midline. An area should be clipped and aseptically prepared in standard fashion.

This author typically will perform abdominocentesis with the patient lightly sedated but does not routinely locally anesthetize the site when using a needle for sampling; however, a small amount of local anesthetic can be injected into the proposed site. Following aseptic preparation and donning sterile gloves, the abdominocentesis can be performed. This author typically uses a 1.5-in 18-g needle—for an average-sized horse, holding the needle halfway for the initial stick will embed enough of the needle that it won’t dislodge easily if the horse moves but will not typically be deep enough to enter the abdomen.

This author will stick quickly on midline up to where the needle is held, ready to move if the patient kicks or otherwise objects (however, most lightly sedated horses do not respond). Once the needle is seeded in the abdominal wall, it should be slowly (1-2 mm at a time) advanced until it is within the peritoneal cavity. With slow advancement you can typically see movement of the needle as the intestine shifts around it (often a ticking or rocking of the needle not associated with respiration)—at this point the needle may need to be advanced slightly further but is very close or within the peritoneal cavity. If no fluid is obtained, the needle should be spun to move the bevel in relation to the omentum and viscera. If still no fluid is present, a sterile, empty 5-mL syringe can be used to push a small amount of air into the abdomen through the needle: This may help to push omentum off the needle or start a siphon to encourage fluid to exit the needle. Once fluid is noted in the hub, it can be caught using the blood tube with the stopper removed. Once fluid is obtained, the needle can simply be removed.

Even without additional equipment, the color and turbidity of the fluid can provide keen insight into the lesion present in the abdomen. Normal abdominal fluid should be straw-colored and clear (

). Turbidity of the fluid typically suggests increased cellularity. Strangulating lesions result in leakage of cells from the vasculature, creating serosanguinous abdominal fluid (

). Frank blood may be suggestive of a hemoabdomen or, more likely, splenic sampling. Additionally, grossly brown or green fluid with or without feed material may indicate viscera rupture or enterocentesis. For both situations, a second abdominocentesis should be performed before drastic measures, such as euthanasia, are performed to confirm findings. If you see colic cases frequently, a handheld lactometer can be extremely helpful in deciding referral or euthanasia—an abdominal fluid lactate greater than the systemic lactate occurs with strangulating lesions but may take a bit of time to increase in the abdominal fluid; many practitioners view an abdominocentesis to blood lactate ratio greater than 2 as highly suggestive of a strangulation.

An echoic layer within a loop of distended and fluid-filled small intestine.

: FLASH ultrasound can be performed in 10 to 15 minutes and can provide considerable information regarding potential causes for colic and greatly aid in the decision to refer or euthanize. This procedure is well described in literature and provides an excellent overview of the locations and possible findings.

 Horses with small intestinal lesions, be they medical or surgical, often show loops of dilated small intestine. Motility of dilated small intestinal loops can be assessed in real time, with nonmotile intestine often showing sedimentation of ingesta, identified as an echoic layer within a loop of distended and fluid-filled small intestine (

). Strangulating small intestinal lesions typically will have several different populations of intestine, including dilated with a normal wall thickness (intestine orad to the obstruction), dilated with thickened wall (the strangulated portion), or empty (intestine aborad to the obstruction). Enteritis may also have thickened wall, but often it is not as thick as strangulating lesions and often is more diffuse compared with the distinct populations present in strangulating lesions. Colon volvulus cases can also develop colon wall thickening, as can colitis (

). Horses with colon displacement or volvulus may have colonic blood vessels, which can be visualized on ultrasound because of movement of the vasculature from the axial aspect of the colon to a site closer to the skin and superficial to any gas shadowing from the colon lumen.

 Additional findings that may be helpful include evidence of stomach dilation, increased free abdominal fluid, and presence of viscera in the nephrosplenic space.

Decision tree for farm management vs referral vs euthanasia

The decision for on-farm management, referral for more intensive medical management or surgery, or immediate euthanasia is a decision that needs to be made based on workup findings, patient factors, and owner wishes. Rapid referral for surgical conditions or severe medical colics improves prognosis. However, there are times, such as if rupture has already occurred or situations where clinic management is necessary and not an option for the patient, where euthanasia on the farm will reduce additional suffering for the patient. Being able to discuss options with your owner, including approximate costs, potential therapy, and ballpark prognosis can aid them in making an informed decision regarding their horse’s care.

 shows some of the most common causes of equine colic and this author’s suggestions for management. Keep in mind that many listed in the on-farm management category may be better managed in a clinic setting, and referral instead of on-farm management is never a bad idea. Additionally, if referral isn’t an option, there will be a line between when horses refractory to on-farm treatment may warrant euthanasia—for example, impactions that have been managed for several days without improvement on rectal palpation or increasing pain or systemic compromise. These cases need to be assessed frequently and discussions between the owner and veterinarian continued to give the patient their best chance at colic resolution, but not causing undue suffering if on-farm management is going to be unsuccessful in the end.

At the end of your colic workup, you need to decide, along with the owner, the best course of action for your patient. Although a large portion of this decision will be based on your colic workup, cost and logistics also play a role in large animal veterinary medicine. One tool that can be very helpful in the decision-making process for your owner is being able to give them some estimates if a referral for medical management or surgery may be pursued. Most referral facilities can provide an idea of approximate costs for colic workup in the hospital or average colic surgery costs given the findings on your exam.

Evaluation on the farm of patients with colic is the first step in successful management of the acute crisis. Thorough evaluation on the farm and prompt referral for cases requiring additional care can contribute considerably to the overall prognosis for your patient.

, is an American College of Veterinary Surgeons–boarded large animal surgeon and currently working on a PhD in biomedical and biological sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. In addition to clinical and research work, Secor enjoys trail running, baking, and enjoying time in the woods with her husband, son, and Morgan gelding.

Radcliffe RM, Liu SY, Cook VL, Hurcombe SDA, Divers TJ. Interpreting abdominal fluid in colic horses: understanding and applying peritoneal fluid evidence. 

(San Antonio). 2022;32(S1):81-96. doi:10.1111/vec.13117

Busoni V, De Busscher V, Lopez D, Verwilghen D, Cassart D. Evaluation of a protocol for fast localized abdominal sonography of horses (FLASH) admitted for colic. 

. 2011;188(1):77-82. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2010.02.017

Manso-Díaz G, Bolt DM, López-Sanromán J. Ultrasonographic visualization of the mesenteric vasculature in horses with large colon colic. 

. 2020;186(15):491. doi:10.1136/vr.105468

Identifying the cause is important in determining a management plan

Decision-making for colic workup in the field

The FDA has cleared a 1.5 tesla (T) platform for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)—the Magnetom Flow.Ace—by Siemens Healthineers, a global provider of health care equipment. The system features a closed helium circuit and no quench pipe that significantly reduces its reliance on helium, according to Siemens.

The Magnetom Flow.Ace is the company’s first MR scanner designed for veterinary radiology and general radiology markets. It features a 60-cm bore and covers a comprehensive range of MR applications.

According to Siemens, the system has image reconstruction that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to provide faster scans with improved image quality. Specifically, the AI allows for reduced exam times. Moreover, the tool features Deep Resolve image reconstruction technology that allows for faster image acquisition, eliminates noise, and improves the acuity of small structures.

Magnetom Flow.Ace (Image courtesy of Siemens Healthineers)

The product is the company’s second MR platform that is “virtually” helium free, after its 0.55T Magnetom Free platform.

 According to Siemens, the new system only needs 0.7 L of liquid helium for cooling. In contrast, traditional MRI scanners generally require more than 1000 L of liquid helium.

The reduced amount of helium needed for the Magnetom Flow.Ace platform can be attributed to its magnets, which use DryCool technology that reduces its dependency on helium refills, consequently saving resources and lowering costs. The system also does not need a quench pipe, a feature that was traditionally necessary to safely vent large volumes of gaseous helium into the atmosphere during emergency shutdowns. “This lack of a quench pipe, combined with the scanner’s compact size, can reduce installation requirements and costs compared with those of other 1.5T MR scanners,” Siemens stated in a company release.

“With the FDA clearance of the Magnetom Flow.Ace, Siemens Healthineers is pleased to introduce our first helium-free 1.5T MR scanner,” Katie Grant, head of magnetic resonance at Siemens Healthineers North America, said in the release.

 “This 60-cm bore system is also available for veterinarians, with the same intelligent, high-end technology that we’ve offered to the general imaging community, at a highly attractive total cost of ownership.”

The product contains a variety of contour and dedicated MR coils that can be used for human anatomies, alongside coils that can be used in veterinary settings. “It's animal-friendly, high-density contour coils, which are available in [3] sizes, are flexible and adaptable to different anatomies,” Siemens stated.

The coils feature an integrated BioMatrix Position Sensor that facilitates automated patient positioning for “potentially” quicker exam setup. A complete range of specialized imaging coils is also offered, including those designed for the brain and spine.

According to Siemens, the new product uses more than 30% less energy each year compared with the company’s older MR scanners. It also has an Eco Power Mode feature that automatically turns off energy-intensive parts when they are not in use.

Siemens Healthineers receives FDA clearance for Magnetom Flow.Ace, company’s first helium-free 1.5 tesla magnetic resonance scanner. News release. Siemens Healthineers. June 26, 2025. Accessed June 26, 2025. https://www.siemens-healthineers.com/en-us/press-room/press-releases/magnetom-flow-ace-fda-clearance 

The Magnetom Flow.Ace also uses AI technology for faster scans and image reconstruction.