Man’s best friend gets hospital to match

BY MICK ROBERTS

City dog owners now have access to Australia’s most advanced specialist canine equipment following the opening of a $2.3 million state-of-the-art veterinary hospital at Camperdown.
The opening of the University of Sydney’s new Canine Teaching Hospital represents a major advancement in animal medicine after funding from the Veterinary Science Foundation allowed the upgrade of the existing Parramatta Road veterinary facility.
The official opening by University of Sydney’s Chancellor Professor Marie Bashir on May 20 permits Sydney’s pet owners access to a new CT scanner – the only one of its kind in Australia – and a purpose-built veterinary recovery unit.
The 50 ‘bed’ dog hospital provides a 24-hour veterinary care service and boasts medical technology that only in recent decades has been marveled at when undertaken on their two legged owners. Besides general medicine services, the hospital offers nuclear medicine, high tech diagnostic imaging, MRI, ultrasound, orthopaedic surgery, soft tissue surgery, and animal dentistry.
For the first time outside Germany, procedures such as liposuction and ultra-sounds are now undertaken on ‘man’s best friend’ by Associate Professor of Surgery, Geraldine Hunt.
Dr Hunt used the new laparoscopy and liposuction equipment for the first time to perform a major double surgery on a Staffordshire bull terrier to remove a fatty tumor. In the past, the procedure would have required risky invasive surgery.
“As a result of new surgical techniques and the new equipment at the Canine Hospital, it was possible to remove the fatty tumor, examine the dog’s liver, and take a biopsy using keyhole surgery,’ she said.
As a consequence Pharaoh required only two stitches rather than two big surgery wounds and was home with his owners less than 24 hours after surgery.
Dr Hunt introduced the surgery into Australia two years ago, and has carried-out the $2,000 procedure on 15 dogs. She said most liposuction procedures were undertaken to remove benign fatty tumours, but could also remedy medical problems with overweight dogs. Weight reduction through liposuction could reduce pain on arthritic joints, she said.
Canine Teaching Hospital Director, Dr Sanaa Zaki said new technology is revolutionising early diagnoses of animal diseases, replacing radiology or x-ray methods.
She said the facilities have also attracted some of the best veterinarians in their field.
“Pet owners now have access to a wonderful facility to ensure their dogs receive the best standard of care. The Canine Hospital will complement the existing Valentine Charlton Cat Clinic which was opened three years ago,” Dr Zaki said.