We all love our pets, which means veterinary medicine practice is thriving in spite of everything. It’s also one that is changing faster than almost any other due to technological advancement.
Technological advancement doesn’t just affect humans – many of them will and will immensely improve the lives of pets and other animals, and veterinary medicine has made great strides in the technology department in recent years.
There was a time when veterinary technology was little more than a few basic manual instruments like cholangiogram forceps and xenon lamps. Then came things like MRI scanners and safe surgical scrubs, like those from Uniform advantage and while all of these three things are important to this day, they have been joined by some modern day friends who make the diagnosis and accurate treatment of animals easier than ever.
Below we’re going to discuss some of the best modern technologies that are improving results for popular animals everywhere, as well as mankind’s working life that is far more productive and rewarding than ever.
Less invasive surgical procedures
Perhaps the greatest blessing of technology In the veterinary world, the fact is that minimally invasive surgery has become more possible than ever. Veterinarians can now perform a variety of surgeries on pretty much any part of the body without causing major injury to the affected animal. This is great news for pets as it will take them much less time to recover and get back to their normal selves. This is good news for veterinarians too, as the likelihood of losing patients to the operating table is far less than it was in the past.
3d printing
There was a time when it was hard to imagine printing a written document, let alone an object, in 3D, but the future is really here, helping veterinarians and the animals they treat every day.
3d printing is especially useful when it comes to performing surgeries on animals as it allows veterinarians to get very accurate information about the muscle bones of the animal they are treating, which was not as easy using only X-ray and MRI scans knew about what was going on in a pet.
Now a veterinarian can actually scan the affected area and print out an exact replica of it in all of its 3D glory, which means they can create very detailed and bespoke muscle and bone models that will enable them to do a lot more efficiently targeted operations and treatments. You take a lot of the guesswork out of the operation, and that can only mean better results for the animals concerned.
3D modeling is also changing veterinary medicine for the better by allowing veterinarians to design custom-fit prostheses for animals that lose limbs. Finding a suitable prosthesis that is comfortable for an animal to wear can often be a long, difficult, and costly proposition, but 3D printing is really changing that, just like in the world of human prosthetics.
Portable devices
We know everything about wearable human devices like Fitbits and Apple has been watching how many steps you can count, how many calories you burn, and even accurately measure your heart rate. But did you know that animal wearables are a thing too?
Most people are unfamiliar with animal wearables, but they are available and are a great tool for monitoring pet health. These pet wearables can do everything from monitoring a pet’s heart rate or body temperature to tracking their pH. That said, if a pet is sick, they can speed up the diagnostic process by constantly monitoring various health variables that would otherwise be difficult to track.
Microchip break detection
Microchip fracture detection is an amazing technology that can diagnose a fracture in an animal very quickly. You’d think this would be easy anyway, but if a fracture isn’t prominent it can be harder than you might think, not least because animals don’t always show they are in pain. In addition, by using a microchip to detect fractures, animals can be exposed to less x-rays during their lifetime, which is not bad for anyone, animal or human.
Oral tablet cameras
You may be familiar with cameras for oral pills as they are now used regularly to detect various health problems in humans, including stomach ulcers and colon cancer, which can be difficult to see on scans. Nowadays they are also used by veterinarians for the same reasons.
Oral tablet camerasAs you’d expect, they are basically tiny cameras that can be swallowed by a pet to get 360-degree pictures of their insides. It may seem so simple, but it really changed veterinary medicine forever
It allows for a very clear view of what is going on inside.
Big data
Big data Not only is it used by big corporations to spy on you and sell you more of their stuff – it can also be a force for good. How is it changing veterinary medicine? The more data that is gathered about animal diseases, treatments and potential threats to pet health, the more informed veterinarians can make when it comes to treating their patients.
Evidence-based veterinary care is what we need for our animals, and big data makes it easier than ever to collect and analyze that evidence to gain vital insights into the nature of veterinary care – it really is that simple.
Telemedicine
The veterinary practice has gone digital, and that means that many pet owners can currently access many of the services their animals need online without having to drive to the veterinarian’s office. This is great news for those pets who hyperventilate with every trip through the OR!
Obviously, Telemedicine will always be a small part of the veterinary practice, but it is good for owners to know that there is always someone on the other side of a phone or screen to discuss various health issues with. It is even possible to send photos of, for example, injuries and worrying growths so that veterinarians can take a first look at them before making an appointment.
Another benefit is that owners can get veterinary advice for their pets faster because they can access a telemedicine service at the touch of a button without taking time off from work or worrying about the veterinarian’s time, which means more problems are recognized earlier so that they can be treated quickly and hopefully have a better result. They were especially helpful during the pandemic too!
Predictive biomarker tools
Predictive biomarker tools are a must in the veterinary world. They will allow veterinarians to intervene in treating animal diseases sooner than ever, obviously leading to better outcomes for the animals they are helping.
They work by determining the likelihood that an animal can get a certain disease, which means you don’t even have to wait for the animal to actually have the disease before you can start treatment, whether through preventative Measures or other medical interventions. RenalTech is a good example of this type of technology – it is able to accurately predict whether a cat is likely to develop chronic kidney disease based on data accumulated over many years – something that is often only discovered when it comes to effective treatment is late, and they can do it by just looking at six medical biomarkers, which is pretty amazing when you think about it!
While this type of technology is still in its infancy, it looks promising and will certainly be a tool to look out for if you are in any way interested in the future of veterinary medicine.
Collaborative software
Veterinarians often need to collaborate with other veterinarians in treating their patients as expertise is often required. Hence, it can be said that having collaborative software that makes it easier for veterinary practices to send electronic medical records is a real boon for the industry. Of course, this is more the business than the medical level, but it’s still very important as it speeds up the process for veterinarians and their patients alike.
As you can see, working in veterinary medicine has never been more exciting. Veterinarians tend to be kind, caring, and compassionate people, and this, and the many technological changes that will occur after this article is published, will make it easier for them to get the job they want to do – take care of people’s lives and they are saving animals everywhere!