Mobile CT scan van revolutionises pet care

AUSTRALIA’S first mobile veterinary service is making waves across the region by bringing state-of-the-art CT scanning technology directly to animals.

This eliminates the need for pet owners to travel to distant and often more expensive facilities.

Founder of Insight Mobile Veterinary Diagnostics and Australia’s first mobile veterinary CT scanner Dr Clint Yudelman said the idea behind the mobile service is to provide high-quality veterinary care while reducing the stress and inconvenience for both pets and their owners.

“The aim is to take the CT scanner to the animal rather than having the owner and the animal drive to a traditional, inconvenient, and often more expensive referral centre,” Dr Yudelman said.

Dr Yudelman said that the service primarily caters to dogs and cats, but it can also accommodate other small animals.

“Typically, it’s just dogs and cats, but we’ve scanned rabbits and even some small exotic animals from the zoo,” he said.

“We’ve done a monkeys cotton top tamarins, leadbeater possums, and other small animals.”

“Basically, any animal that’s small enough to fit in the scanner can be accommodated.”

The process involves sedating or anaesthetising the animals to ensure they remain still during the scan.

“They generally undergo general anaesthesia to keep them calm and still while we perform the scan,” Dr Yudelman said.

“This allows us to get the best possible images for diagnosis.”

The mobile CT scanner is used to diagnose a variety of conditions, from broken bones and fractures to more complex issues like pneumonia and tumours.

“We look for things like broken bones, pneumonia, foreign objects inside the body, and unfortunately, tumours as well,” he said.

“By bringing the CT scanner to the animal, we make it easier for pet owners and reduce the stress on the animals.”

The mobile service is based in Melbourne, but it travels throughout Geelong, Bellarine and the Surf Coast.