Technology is rapidly changing our world, including veterinary medicine

Dr./D^r John Kastelic

Dr./D^r Tim Ogilvie

It is clear technology is having wide-ranging and substantial effects on all aspects of our lives, including our health and well-being, as well as work, transportation, communication, interpersonal relationships, leisure, and recreation. The veterinary profession has also been greatly affected by technology, including 3D printing (1) and telemedicine (2), both of which have been previously highlighted in this space. In addition, technology has innumerable effects on our profession, with a few selected items highlighted below.

There is an increasing array of wearable medical devices for animals (and of course humans). Similar to the pedometers that many use to determine step count, there are a variety of motion monitors attached to the leg or neck of dairy cows to measure movement. Once an individual baseline of activity has been established, activity that exceeds a specific threshold is interpreted as a sign of estrus and used for timing artificial insemination. There are even devices to assess fetal well-being in the last few days of pregnancy in the dog (3), as well as another device that provides an alert of impending foaling, with the manufacturer stating that it can also be used for detecting the onset of parturition in sheep, llamas, and cattle (4).

Initial wearable technologies in dogs simply determined the animal’s location, but subsequent refinements incorporated other functions, including monitoring vital signs (temperature, pulse, and respiration). These devices enable collection and assessment of data regarding pet health and well-being (5), with potential to identify new conditions or to provide on-going monitoring of previously identified problems (6). Wearable devices for humans typically involve skin contact, which is, of course, much more difficult to achieve in most pets. Therefore, there are apparently alternative approaches, including motion detection, that are being used to monitor pulse and respiration in dogs (7).

In the Canadian dairy industry, there is increasing adoption of automatic milking systems (also known as robotic milkers), which wash the udder, milk the cow, and then apply teat dip. These systems record the timing and duration of milking, and milk yield, with automatic alerts for cows that are not meeting expected standards. In addition, most systems dispense feed, and some can assess products in the milk, including progesterone concentrations (to monitor reproductive function) or measurement of a variety of biomarkers to detect mastitis or metabolic diseases. Given recent developments in testing body fluids for several health diagnostics in humans, there is no doubt that in the future, a broader array of compounds will be monitored to better assess animal health and function.

Artificial intelligence uses computer technology to “think like a human” and almost instantaneously identify patterns and associations that may or may not be recognized by humans and if so, only after considerable time and effort. In veterinary medicine, artificial intelligence is being used for a variety of diagnostics, including interpretation of radiographs, thereby improving our ability for earlier detection of abnormalities (6). It was stated that “Artificial intelligence and other digital tools won’t replace a veterinarian, but they will replace a practitioner who doesn’t use them” (5). There is no doubt that there will be rapid increases in the kind of data collected, and how it is interpreted and used. We need to be prepared to adopt and use current and emerging technologies to enhance patient care, and to better address the ever-increasing expectations of our clients. We are on the cusp of exciting developments; stay tuned, as there seems little doubt that things will become increasingly interesting as new technologies become available!