The following MRI practice guidelines were developed by the AAVR for use by the veterinary community. These protocols were developed based on the experience of the MRI Practice Guidelines Team.

Recommended Veterinary MRI Protocols

Canine Protocols:

Brain

Cervical

Low Field Cervical

Thoracolombar Spine

Pelvis

Carpus

Abdomen

Nasal

Brachial Plexus

Equine Protocols:

Foot

Head

Suspensory

Fetlock

Carpus/ Tarsus

Meet the AAVR MRI Practice Guidelines Team: 

Seth Wallack DVM DACVR: Dr. Wallack received his veterinary degree and completed a four-year radiology residency at University of California, Davis. He is board certified in radiology and has special interests in MRI, small animal ultrasound and exotic animal radiography. He has published scientific articles specific for MRI and authored “The Handbook of Veterinary Contrast Radiography.” He has lectured on various topics, including MRI, emergency ultrasound, and radiography, in both regional and national meetings. His most recent projects include founding the AAVR, creating the Ultrasound in Emergency Situations Course (USES) for the AAVR, and developing the thyroid to background ratio for feline hyperthyroid therapy.

Patrick Gavin DVM DACVR: Dr. Gavin received his DVM from Washington State University, Pullman in 1971, and PhD at Colorado State University in 1980.  He has been at Washington State University since 1979 and is currently a Professor Emeritus in Radiology and Radiation Oncology. Dr. Gavin is a Diplomate in the American College of Veterinary Radiology and is also boarded in the ACVR Radiation Oncology Affiliate. He currently owns his own consulting company, MR Vets, Inc. He is a consultant for protocol development and image interpretation for the Iams Pet Imaging Centers in Vienna, Virginia; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Redwood City, California. He also provides CT and MRI case interpretation for practices throughout the world, including Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, California, Oregon, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Florida, and Washington, along with groups in Belgium, Australia and the UK.  You can review more information at www.mrvets.com .

Carter Judy DVM DACVS: Originally from Pasadena, California, Dr. Judy attended the University of California, San Diego for his undergraduate work in Animal Physiology and Neurosciences. He then attended the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis. After achieving his veterinary degree, he completed an internship in large animal medicine and surgery at Texas A&M University and a residency in equine surgery and performance evaluation at U.C. Davis. Having successfully completed the strenuous board accreditation process, Dr. Judy is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Dr. Judy has joined the veterinary team at Alamo Pintado and now resides in the town of Ballard.

Travis Saveraid DVM DACVR: Dr. Saveraid received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Iowa State University, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.  After practicing in Maine for two years, he completed a radiology residency at Washington State University where he acquired extensive training in equine and small animal MRI.  Following his residency, Dr. Saveraid was a clinical faculty member at the University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine, where he led development of the small animal and equine 3T MRI clinical imaging program. He currently works at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, and owns a diagnostic imaging consulting company, VetRadiologist, LLC.  Dr. Saveraid serves as a consulting radiologist in small animal and equine MR imaging for veterinary hospitals nationally and internationally. His email is This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

John Posh RT(R)(MR): Dr. Posh is a professional imaging technologist with over 20 years experience in MRI operations, education, research, and management. He has been a consultant nationally and internationally on the design and operation of veterinary imaging facilities, MRI safety issues, and technologist training and education. He is currently the Chief Veterinary MRI Technologist for AnimalScan.

Matt Wright DVM DACVR: Dr. Wright received his degree in veterinary medicine from the VA-MD Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. After a one-year internship at the Pilchuck Veterinary Hospital in Snohomish, WA, he completed a residency and received his masters degree in radiology at Auburn University. Dr. Wright was the staff radiologist at the Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital in Boston. Dr. Wright specializes in ultrasound and digital imaging and has also published scientific articles and lectured on topics such as geriatric radiology, portosystemic shunt imaging, DICOM, and digital radiography purchasing decisions for veterinarians. Recently, Dr. Wright published a book titled A Practical Guide to CT for Veterinarians and Veterinary Technicians. He is also the chair of the ACVR Digital Imaging Standards Committee, secretary of the DICOM working group for veterinary medicine, and maintains a website about veterinary digital radiography at Animal Insides.

Anne Sheehan (Siemens Medical Systems): Marketing Manager of Open Field MRI Products for Siemens Medical Solutions, Malvern, PA

Russell Tucker DVM DACVR: Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman