The engineer, Sir Godfrey Hounsfield, earned the Nobel Prize, but his most unexpected legacy had to do with pets.
Hounsfield’s work on CT scanners led to the development of a unique 3D imaging technology. This technology creates detailed models of pets’ heads, helping veterinarians see hidden fractures, infections, and bone loss that would be invisible on 2D X-rays.
Today, the impact of engineers can still be felt in veterinarian clinics across Canada, particularly in dental care. Here are three ways that pets benefit from the inventions of engineers.
Beating cancer with radiosurgery
It used to be difficult to treat the oral tumours of pets. Surgery could be invasive. Recovery times could be long. Thankfully, engineers built a solution: robotic arms that use tiny radiation beams to target tumours. This destroys cancer, protects healthy tissues, and lets pets eat normally while they recover.
Illuminating hidden health issues
When it comes to the dental and oral health of pets, diagnoses may require exploratory surgery or x-rays that are poor at showing soft tissues. For less invasive and more thorough diagnoses, veterinarians started using a tool originally developed by engineers for humans: endoscopes. These thin tubes have high-definition micro cameras that can see inside the body, helping diagnose problems in nasal cavities, salivary glands, temporomandibular joints, and more.
Healing pets with therapeutic lasers
Electrical engineers are to thank for therapeutic laser devices. They engineered handheld units that produce wavelengths of light that penetrate tissue and stimulate cellular repair. These tools reduce inflammation, alleviate pain, and accelerate the natural healing process of oral tissues.
The power of life changing technology for animals
For many pet owners, these devices have been life changing. Even the tools used in routine dental checkups can make all the difference. During these checkups, vets look for more than teeth and gum problems. They’ll check for signs of other health issues that could manifest as oral symptoms, impacting the overall wellbeing of pets.
Unfortunately, pet dental treatment can be expensive too. Depending on the clinic and province, routine dental care can cost over a thousand dollars. To make matters worse, very few pet insurers cover such care. Those that do often require pet owners to pay for an extra add on.
For these reasons, pet owners often choose to insure their furry friends with Petsecure pet health insurance. Petsecure is one of the only insurers that covers routine dental care. This coverage is included in all their plans at no additional cost. Petsecure also reimburses for the costs of any treatment for the teeth and gums of pets.
That means if a veterinarian wants to utilize the latest engineering tech to help an animal, pet owners can say “yes” without hesitation.
