Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 10 : Fall 2011 | Page 65

kidney transplant.

Your everyday animal hospital now contains
amazing technologies to provide fast and accurate
diagnosis and treatment for cats, dogs and other
animals. Full in-house laboratories can give your
veterinarian an assessment of your pet’s liver
function, kidney function, pancreatic function,
hydration, and check for signs of anemia and
infection all in less than 20 minutes. Digital x-rays can
provide images less than a minute after putting your
pet on the x-ray table, with the ability to enlarge and
enhance parts of that image for a closer look, email
it to a radiologist for consult, or send it to a colleague
in advance for referral. Lasers are replacing scalpels
for blood-free, faster healing surgeries and drug-free
therapeutic treatments. Endoscopes are becoming
more common for less invasive surgical procedures.
Medications and special diets are becoming more
advanced to target specific conditions, and the
terms “physical therapy” and “sports medicine” no
longer apply just to humans.

These technological changes are very
important because pets have become more
important. Dogs no longer sleep on the porch to
sound the alarm; now they’re in bed with the kids.
Cats are much more than just rodent catchers in
the barn; some often live entirely indoors, happy
to play and purr and be loved as family members.
Obviously, those families want them to have a long,
good quality life and that means the best medical
care possible.

In fact, the lifespan
of the average dog has
more than doubled
since Herriot’s time.
The lifespan of the
average cat has
tripled. Sure, there is no doubt that somewhere a
veterinarian is delivering a calf and somewhere a
veterinarian is stitching up a horse. Undoubtedly,
there are several veterinarians in cities across the
country chastising old ladies for over-feeding their
plump dogs. Some things never change; after all,
veterinary medicine will always be a field focused on
the compassionate care of animals. But the tools of
the trade are ever changing and growing!

“Veterinary medicine will
always be a field focused on the
compassionate care of animals.”

FALL 2011

65