We read with interest Cheryl Lewis-Arnold's letter about veterinary imaging services in Maryland ("MRIs for pets aren't so novel," April 18).
It is certainly true that imaging techniques have been used in veterinary practice for some time, and that pet owners in this region have access to several dedicated high-tech facilities such as those Ms. Lewis-Arnold mentions.
However, Johns Hopkins brings many unique benefits to the table for veterinary patients with specialized needs. We are able to perform not only cutting-edge imaging, including high-field MRI scans at 1.5T and 3T, computed tomography (CT), nuclear medicine scans, angiography, fluoroscopy, etc., but also minimally invasive diagnostic and treatment procedures.
In addition, being embedded in an academic medical center enables us to adapt innovative medical procedures for use in pets. And as noted in the original article ("Johns Hopkins begins using high-tech equipment on pets," April 7), a major mission of our Center for Image-Guided Animal Therapy is to drive veterinary care forward through research — an activity with which Johns Hopkins University is a recognized world leader.
Dara Kraitchman and Rebecca Krimins, Baltimore
The writers are veterinarians at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine's Center for Image-Guided Animal Therapy.