News & Events

Jan 2025

Gizmos and Gadgets

On a daily basis technology is advancing at a bewildering speed. My Commadore 64 was out of this world and when we got a remote control for our television (which was an enormous, boxy appliance with a tiny screen that weighed the same as a small car) I thought my mind would explode.

Things have certainly moved on and now there is a plethora of technology that can help us look after our pets. Nelson (the Jack Russell in the photograph) is wearing an LED collar which makes for easy spotting on early morning jogs. He is also equipped with a tracking device (the small white box on his harness). This links to an app on my phone so if he were to get lost it would help track him down. This device uses GPS tracking to locate your pet but even attaching a more basic AirTag to your dog or cat’s collar could help reunite you if they were lost.

The simple cat flap has come a long way. Some now come with microchip scanners that allow only selected cats (and not the bully Tomcat from next door) inside. Similar devices are available for automatic feeders. So, for example, if one animal in the house is on a special diet the flap only opens when that pet’s chip is scanned.

In a clinical setting technology is also being utilised for some amazing applications. Capsule endoscopy is being used in some specialist veterinary hospitals to get a good look at your pet’s digestive tract (but the technology to retrieve the capsule is still a glove and a really dedicated owner!). AI is now being used to help interpret pathology samples and even review complicated x-rays. Of course, all this needs to be carefully monitored and scrutinised and whenever such technology is utilised careful quality control measures need to be in place.

Change can be a little daunting, and I am certainly not the quickest on the uptake, but technology isn’t all scary and if it helps bring your lost dog home or your vet to get a diagnosis quicker and more accurately it’s definitely worth embracing.

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