CAT SCANNER? WELL SURE, IT DOES THEM TOO

POTENTIALLY deadly diseases in animals will be able to picked up by a new state-of-the-art CT scanner.

Six Geelong vets combined their resources to buy Geelong’s first CT imaging scanner so pets in need of scans no longer have to travel to Melbourne for medical treatment.

The 64-slice humanquality scanner is based at Geelong Animal Emergency Centre in South Geelong.

Vet Dr Amanda Nave said the machine could complete a full pet scan in a few seconds.

“The service will allow more comprehensive imaging of pets with medical and surgical problems that previously would have needed travel to Melbourne or else gone undiagnosed,” Dr Nave said. “These images can then be either read on the spot or sent to a specialist radiologist. Images are saved permanently.”

The newly opened Geelong Veterinary Imaging is a joint venture of Bellarine Veterinary Practice, North Geelong Veterinary Practice, Torquay Animal House, Belmont Veterinary Centre, Leopold Pet Hospital and Advanced Vetcare.

“The CT scans will help vets with clinical decision making and image locations such as the brain and spinal cord, which previously were unable to be imaged in Geelong with just radiography,” Dr Nave said.

Patients can gain access to the CT Scanner via referral from their regular vet.

Picture: PETER RISTEVSKI PATIENT PET: Bailee the dog on Geelong’s first CT scanner for pets and, above, with vets Amanda Nave, John Quinane, Ali Moore and Mark Yee.