Vet care involves diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders, injuries or abnormalities of animals. Most veterinarians also perform surgery and other medical techniques as part of client-veterinarian relationships. Veterinary care encompasses all aspects of a client’s pet’s health, including vaccinations and flea control. Veterinary care differs from human medicine in that it is concerned with the life cycle of animals. In animal medicine, wound healing, pregnancy and reproduction, neonatal care, and nutritional management are all important functions that help to ensure the health of both pets and their owners. Advancements in vet care for pets have made it possible to treat pets more safely, and veterinarians are now seeing more animals through surgery when they would have previously been euthanized.
Some of the advancements in vet care for pets.
Below are some of the advancements that have been made in veterinary care for pets.
- Wearable devices
The development and availability of wearable devices has transformed how veterinarians can monitor pets and their owners. FitBark’s dog activity monitor and Whistle’s pet tracker use GPS technology to map the exact location of a pet. This helps vets to locate and help lost animals as well as to inform owners on their pets’ regular activities such as exercise and rest. The technology can also be used to monitor health conditions like activity levels, heart rate, stress levels, rest time, drinking water, barking times and more.
- 3D printing
3D printing is gaining popularity in veterinary medicine, as it has the potential to decrease the price of getting a new complex prosthetic limb for a pet. 3D printers now create custom-fitted plastic prosthetics that are lighter and less expensive than traditional materials. These new limbs allow pets to run, play and walk normally like other animals, depending on specific needs.
- Stem cell therapy
Stem cell therapy is a recent and innovative treatment for pets with bone or joint injuries. In the past, stem cells have been used to treat non-releasable pets that are suffering from infections, but it is now becoming popular to use stem cell therapy to treat injured pets. Stem cells are created from adult tissue (bone marrow), and placed into sockets in order to help joints heal faster.
- Fiber optics
Light is invisible and undetectable, but fiber optics can easily identify different colors via light. By using fiber optics, veterinarians can now access the brain to examine tissue, so they can determine or diagnose problems. Veterinarians use fiber optics to access the inside of a dog’s head, which is highly sensitive and has been difficult until recently.
- Laser surgery
Veterinarians are using laser surgery to perform a wide range of procedures, such as: helping pets with cancer; treating animals with hair loss and other skin disorders; helping pets that have been injured; treating wounds and broken bones; and for the removal of tumors. Laser surgery requires a smaller incision than traditional surgery and has less chance of spreading cancerous cells. Laser surgery can also be used to treat animals with neurological disorders and other conditions, such as blindness, deafness or lack of mobility because the laser can correct conditions at the source.
Conclusion
As advancements in vet care for pets continue to advance and update the medical field, and more veterinarians are trained to diagnose & treat with new therapeutic methods, and as more people become educated on these treatments, they will likely become more common. The future may hold even more advancements in vet care for pets.
