We’re used to being X-rayed, CT-scanned and being put under anesthesia. But now these very services are being offered to animals through something called the TRU animal health technology program.
According to a story at The Daily News of Kamloops, B.C., Canada, a new avenue of study has opened up for those wanting to take care of the health of animals in a state-of-the-art way.
Courses now being offered in this type of program include laboratory work, diagnostic imaging, anesthesiology, medical and surgical nursing, surgical assisting and veterinary office management.
Classes are taught at various universities in Canada and the US, including Oklahoma State University, and Thompson Rivers University and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, accredited by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, claims that 100 percent of its students get jobs, following graduation.
It may seem like a joke, or something that only the very rich can afford. But animal technology is “a serious and important new feature of veterinary medicine,” according to a story by Bob Haring.
Dr. Steven Hodges, internal medicine specialist for Oklahoma Veterinary Specialists, told Haring that CT scans are especially necessary for dogs with back problems, because it “can identify if it (the problem) is a compression of the spinal cord due to a bulging disc, a severe fracture or a tumor,” as well as bone diseases or nose problems.
Interestingly, the routine for scanning is pretty much the same for animals as it is for humans, Haring reports. Equipment is typically comparable to what humans would see, Hodges told Haring, except for one big difference. As you might expect, since animals can’t be told to move his or her hips slightly, a light anesthetic is required for scanning so surgeons can manipulate limbs to see where problems might lie.
Edited by
Jennifer Russell
