MedRX Video scope and Olympus Endoscope:

Some of the most up to date technology is now at Wateree Animal Hospital. We have recently acquired a METRX Video scope and Olympus Endoscope. These two items have allowed us to greatly expand our diagnostic capabilities. With the METRX Scope we can view, over the video monitor, the inside of the ear as well as the eardrum. The working channel on the scope allows us to perform treatments for diseased eardrums or to retrieve foreign bodies in the ear. This same scope can be used to view and take biopsy of internal organs such as the liver and spleen with only a 1-inch incision made behind the patient's last rib. The 6- inch rigid endoscope attached to the MetRX video monitor allows us to view nasal passages, inside the bladder, cervix, vagina and uterus. The Olympus Endoscope is a very useful tool and can be utilized to view the esophagus, stomach and small intestines. This tool allows us to diagnose diseases that cause chronic vomiting and diarrhea such as acid reflux, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer and histopasmosis. We can also use the endoscope to retrieve foreign bodies in the stomach, which can eliminates surgery in most patients. This new equipment allows us to perform a myriad of diagnostics and procedures that helps us meet our mission statement of excellent client service and excellent patient care.

Microchipping:

Wateree Animal Hospital offers the HomeAgain microchip identification system. It is a safe, simple, and permanent form of pet identification designed to quickly identify lost pets and reunite them with their owners. Over 10 million pets become lost each year. One out of every three pets is lost during its lifetime, and only 1 in 10 lost pets is ever found. The HomeAgain microchip system is a proven way to successfully recover your pet if it should become lost. We insert a small transponder (about the size of a grain of rice) under the skin that contains a unique ID code that can be read by a scanner. This procedure can usually be done in seconds by just numbing the skin locally. It is safe for all breeds and ages of cats, dogs, and ferrets. Once entered in the nationwide recovery database, your information can be recovered 24 hours a day in order to reunite you with your pet.

Radiosurgery:

Wateree Animal Hospital recently purchased a Ellman Surgitron radiosurgical unit for our surgery suite. This state-of-the art technique uses high frequency radio waves to cut tissue and coagulate blood. There is less blood loss during surgery due to the quick coagulation of blood vessels resulting in less surgical time. This procedure also seals nerve endings as they are cut to decrease pain. Radiosurgery causes less tissue damage than electrocautery due to lower heat generation at the surgical site, therefore reducing the post surgical healing time. Radiosurgery also sterilizes as it cuts and thereby minimizes the risk of infection.

Blood Pressure Monitor:

Wateree Animal Hospital has recently purchased a Cardell Plus pulse oximeter and blood pressure machine. This device can be used to closely monitor patients while under anesthesia as well as routine monitoring of patients with kidney and/or heart disease. The pulse oximeter utilizes an infrared beam to detect the pulsating of small arteries in the skin or tongue. It then measures the oxygen concentration in the blood and displays this information as well as the pulse of the patient. Values can be selected by the veterinarian for highs and lows and an alarm will sound if the patient falls out of these ranges. The blood pressure measurements are taken very similarly to humans with a small cuff and a very sensitive sensor to detect the pulses in an extremity. This is useful to determine the blood flow quality away from the heart.