Veterinary ultrasound finance
Ultrasound is the classic movable veterinary asset — portable, serial numbered, resaleable, and therefore easy for funders to say yes to.
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Can you finance a veterinary ultrasound?
Yes, and veterinary ultrasound is one of the more straightforward assets in the sector. The machines are portable, individually identifiable and have an active second-hand market through specialist dealers, so a funder’s downside is real rather than theoretical. Cart-based systems, laptop scanners and handheld probes are all fundable, usually with the transducers on the same schedule. The point buyers miss is that probes are where the money is and where the damage happens: a dropped rectal probe can cost a significant fraction of the whole system, and the agreement keeps running regardless.
Used kit: Yes — used veterinary scanners are widely funded, commonly up to around eight years old where a dealer supplies them with probes tested and a warranty.
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What would a veterinary ultrasound cost per month?
Asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what the buttons show, with the equivalent APR beside it. Your exact rate depends on the asset, the term, the deposit and the lender.
Prime is an established, profitable business with clean credit. Specialist covers newer businesses and credit that needs explaining — the asset itself carries part of the risk, which is why finance is often available where an unsecured loan is not.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 5.15% flat rate (equivalent to 9.9% APR representative), you would repay around £628 a month; total amount repayable approximately £30,150, of which £5,150 is the cost of finance. This calculator is for illustration only — it is not a quote or an offer of finance, and the rate and repayments you are offered will depend on the asset, term, deposit and your circumstances. CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and will receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Rates shown are indicative flat rates with the equivalent APR alongside — the two are not the same number. Indicative only and does not constitute a quote or an offer of finance. Subject to status and lender approval.
How lenders treat it
Underwriters are comfortable here because the asset behaves well. It moves, it holds value, dealers will buy it back, and the borrower is an RCVS-registered professional running a business with recurring client income. Several funders will approve on light paperwork against a trading practice. The interesting variable is income seasonality: a farm-heavy practice earns unevenly across the year and a sensible underwriter accommodates that, while a generalist one sometimes misreads it as instability. Ownership structure matters too, since group-owned practices are assessed against the parent. Common reasons for decline are applicants with no premises, used machines bought from private sellers with no proof of clear title, and vets trying to fund a scanner personally when the practice that will use it is a separate company.
Makes and models we fund
Examples of the machines we are asked to fund. This is not an exhaustive list — if what you are buying is not here, it does not mean we cannot fund it. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.
| Machine | What it is |
|---|---|
| Esaote MyLab X8 VET | Console ultrasound system for practices |
| Esaote MyLabOne VET | Portable ultrasound unit for ambulatory work |
| Mindray Vetus E7 | Console ultrasound system for referral work |
| Mindray veterinary portable ultrasound | Laptop-style scanners for practice use |
| IMV imaging Easi-Scan:Go | Handheld scanner for cattle work |
| IMV imaging ExaPad Mini | Portable tablet-style veterinary scanner |
| GE Vivid T8 | Console system with cardiac imaging package |
| GE LOGIQ V2 Vet | Portable ultrasound system for practices |
| Butterfly iQ+ Vet | Handheld probe-based scanner for mobile work |
| Clarius HD3 wireless scanners | Wireless handheld ultrasound probes |
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Who buys one
Small animal practices adding abdominal and cardiac scanning so cases stop going to referral, and equine vets buying portable units for tendon and reproductive work on yards. Farm and bovine practitioners buying scanning systems for pregnancy diagnosis are a distinct group with distinctly seasonal cash flow. Referral-level cardiology and imaging clinics sit at the top of the range, buying systems with specialist probe sets.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
How it is treated for tax
Bought on hire purchase, business plant and machinery normally qualifies for capital allowances on the full cost even though you pay for it monthly, which is a large part of why hire purchase is the common structure. On a finance lease you generally set the rentals against profit instead. The rules change between budgets and your position depends on how you trade, so treat this as the direction of travel and get your accountant to confirm the detail before you commit.
Veterinary ultrasound finance questions
Are probes financed with the machine or separately?
On the same schedule wherever possible. Probes are high value and serial numbered, so funders are happy to list them as assets, and it avoids you running a second small agreement. If you add a probe later it is usually written as a new facility rather than bolted onto the old one.
Our farm income is very seasonal. Will that count against us?
Not with a funder that understands the sector. Seasonal receipts are normal in farm practice and a healthcare or agricultural desk will look at the annual picture. It is worth flagging it with us at the start, because a generalist underwriter reading three thin months in isolation can draw the wrong conclusion.
Can I buy a used scanner privately and finance it?
It is difficult. Funders want clear title, a proper invoice, a VAT position they can verify and confidence the machine is not already on someone else’s agreement. Private sales satisfy almost none of that. Buying through a dealer costs a little more and makes the finance considerably simpler.
I am a locum vet. Can I finance my own handheld scanner?
Sometimes, on a sole trader basis with a couple of years of self-assessment returns behind you. The ticket is small, so an unsecured facility is often the practical route. Without trading history it becomes a personal lending decision rather than a business one. Having a settled arrangement with one or two practices you regularly cover will also help the case.
Does a scanner used in a vehicle need anything special on the agreement?
You should tell the funder it is mobile and make sure your insurance covers it in transit and overnight in the vehicle. Agreements require you to keep the asset insured and in good order. An uninsured theft from a car is an awkward conversation nobody wants to have.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
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Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
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Tell us what you’re looking to fund and Conor will come back to you personally — usually the same day.
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