Page 5 - Paws & Hooves - Spring 2020

STORIES FROM
RVC HOSPITALS
Advanced CT for all creatures great and small
T here are so many different shapes and sizes to manage in a veterinary radiography department, and radiographers become experts very
quickly at the best way to position an animal for its scan.
One member of the RVC radiography team originally worked in an NHS setting so working with animals was quite an adjustment, but one that she says she absolutely thrives on, even more so when dealing with more unique cases, like an otter and a snake that visited the RVC recently...
Otter-ocious tooth ache
Aysha is an Asian small-clawed otter. She visited the RVC Small Animal Referrals Hospital from Marwell Zoo (marwell.org.uk) after experiencing problems with her teeth. Aysha was in considerable pain, but using the CT scanner, the RVC team were able to isolate what had been bothering her: fragments of her teeth were found in soft tissue of her lower jaw causing significant swelling in her neck and lymph nodes.
Using the scans, the team could diagnose her quickly and begin work on treatment before Aysha returned to Marwell Zoo.
Dr Sarah Jayne, Zoo Veterinarian, said: “Aysha recovered very well from surgery and was able to re-join her family group that evening. She is, once again, a bright and healthy youngster who enjoys swimming and eating.”
Betsy’s pain is hiss-tory
Betsy Davis is a beautiful Rainbow Boa snake. Betsy required a CT scan after presenting at the RVC Small Animal Referrals Hospital with a fractured pre-cloacal vertebra (the middle of the snake). The fracture led to the swelling of soft tissue causing her pain and difficulty in moving.
The CT scanner gave the RVC vets a fast and detailed look at the entire snake body resulting in a quick diagnosis of the fracture. Treatment could then begin, and Betsy returned home after only a short hospital stay.
Paws & Hooves Spring 2020
3