The RAPS Animal Hospital has received an unprecedented expression of support from some of the world’s top veterinary medicine technology companies – to the tune of close to $1 million!

The extraordinary windfall came from conversations RAPS Animal Hospital doctors and team members had during a major veterinary industry trade show a few months back. 
 
“Our model of community-owned nonprofit veterinary care really resonated with some of the industry representatives we spoke with, says Eyal Lichtmann, CEO of the Regional Animal Protection Society. “The enthusiasm was so great that some of the firms stepped up to provide us with hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of new equipment.”
 
These gifts-in-kind are especially welcome as the RAPS Animal Hospital patient load has been increasing dramatically and that is stretching capacity on all fronts, says Lichtmann. 

RAPS Medical Director, Dr. Tom Homer, walked us through the panorama of new tools. He says most of the new equipment are items the hospital had before, but by doubling the number of machines able to analyze tests – hematology, biochemistry and urine tests, for example – it eliminates wait times and allows doctors to get results faster, make speedier diagnoses and therefore get right to treatment conditions – or sending the healthy pets home sooner!
 
There are plans to accommodate many more patients (stay tuned for more big news to come!) but the new equipment the hospital has received is already streamlining services to animals.
 
Dr. Tom, who walked us through the panorama of new tools, says most of the new equipment are items the hospital had before, but by doubling the number of machines able to analyze tests – hematology, biochemistry and urine tests, for example – it eliminates wait times and allows doctors to get results faster, make speedier diagnoses and therefore get right to treatment conditions – or sending the healthy pets home sooner!
 
“Now we don't have to wait for results of basic bloodwork, chemistry, some of the viral testing that we do, and the urinalysis,” says Dr. Tom. “In an event where we have two or three sick patients at the same time, we don't want to have to prioritize getting results while making another patient wait.”

In just one example of where timing matters, the new IDEXX VetStat Electrolyte and Blood Gas Analyzer can give crucial information almost instantly.

“This assesses the acidity or the alkalinity of blood,” says Dr. Tom. “In the sickest of patients, that can really determine how stable they are. It also tests electrolytes as well, so this can give us an idea of if we have certain types of diabetes, DKA, diabetic ketoacidosis – the only way you can actually diagnose that is when you check blood gases. Without this test, we could make an educated assumption that that's happening but we wouldn't be able to confirm it.”
 
If a diabetic animal is very sick, it is urgently necessary to determine whether DKA is the issue or if some other factor is at play. The rapidity of getting this information and acting on it can be lifesaving.
 
In the next issue of the RAPS Animal Hospital Newsletter, we’ll go on a deeper dive into the new technologies and what they mean for the well-being of your pets. For now, we’re just thrilled to share the news that our hospital has increased our ability to get test results and analyses faster, increasing testing capacity by 100% – or more in some cases. 

We have only touched the tip of the iceberg in this report – next month, we’ll get more technical and explain many of the specific types of technology we have. These include new items that improve our ability to deliver the most responsive, prompt and comprehensive assessments of potential problems – allowing our medical teams to act even more quickly, particularly in cases where timing is especially critical.
 
Stay tuned for more exciting developments …

Nine months ago, Boots underwent a sudden and major personality change.

​The two-year-old cat stopped playing with their other cat and started aggressively attacking his own tail – so intently that he did permanent tissue damage requiring amputation of the last 7 centimetres of his tail.
 
Even after he was healed from that surgical procedure, he was required to wear an Elizabethan collar (AKA, the cone of shame) or he would continue to further harm his tail.
 
His personality – once lovable to his humans and frisky with his feline sibling – turned hissy and aggressive.  
 
Boots’ human, Leon, who works with Applewood Auto Group, RAPS’ most awesome corporate community partner, was at his wit’s end.
 
“Seeing him every day in pain, there was no light at the end of the tunnel,” says Leon.