I have been around veterinary medicine since 1960. "THAT WAS THEN." I have seen a lot of changes in our profession, and since I am "a toy kinda’ guy" I try to stay abreast of the new technologies. All that I write about I have experienced in one form or the other.
Brown bottles of Equithesian (sp) with brown rubber tubing that slipped over the bottle neck. A stainless steel needle placed in the horse’s jugular, and the drug was bolused to get the horse on the ground. The horse would thrash, and I was instructed to "get on the head and cover the eye. Very dangerous, but THAT WAS THEN. Now, we have various kinds of pre-anesthetics for all species, and so many chemical and gas anesthetics for all species. THIS IS NOW.
In the early days a pet’s teeth got nasty and we pulled them or they fell out. On some occasions we used hand instruments to "scrape the tartar off," but we did not know much about periodontal disease or the gingival pockets. THAT WAS THEN. Today, we have access to all the equipment that your personal dentist uses, we have seminars on dentistry, and we have specialists. Today, you can have your technician(s) trained with an excellent video program for about $125.00 and dental equipment is one of the points in my F.E.A.R. article. THIS IS NOW.
Many of us had an "old picker-clicker" x-ray machine of Viet Nam, Korea, or WW II vintage. We would measure a broken leg and say something like "that should be about 3 clicks." An abdomen or chest might be 5 or 6 clicks. Don’t expect to stop the heart or see much. And, you think you have to repeat x-rays now...."you ain’t see nuttin’" until you use one of these." The machines even rolled around so you could take them and x-ray a horse’s foot. The ma, or kvp setting were...not the best to say the lease. Radiation scatter was everywhere. THAT WAS THEN. Now any clinic should be able to afford good x-ray equipment, automatic processors, and adequate view boxes and high intensity lights. THIS IS NOW.
How would you like to hand write all of your notes on records, then hand write all of your receipts, and then hand write all of the rabies reminders for next year, and then hand write any short term recalls for cases you want to see back, and then hand write Rx labels (which some failed to do even then), and then go out and buy more pens...but not at Office Max, Sam’s, Office Depot, or Wal-Mart because we didn’t have them. THAT WAS THEN. Now, a good computer system will do all or most of these things. You can even order your pens online or National Pen Corp. will send them to you with your advertising. THIS IS NOW. I could go on and on with examples of "THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW," but I think you get the point.
Many of you know that when I started doing relief work I bought a nice new ultrasound to carry with me. I eventually sold it to an EC because I wasn’t using it enough. I have attended a number of ultrasound seminars and wet labs. I know the veterinary radiologist at the Army’s dog training facility in San Antonio, so I spent a couple of days with him doing ultrasounds. I have attended Todd Tams/Mike Willard’s Endoscopic Course one weekend.
I have been looking at a piece of equipment for about 4 years now. I attended a seminar/wet lab on Sunday, 3/18/01 that utilized this equipment. This piece of equipment is "cutting edge." I first became acquainted with it or something like it 7 years ago in my dentist’s office. She was fitting my granddaughter for a "night guard" for her teeth. This type of equipment was utilized for client education.
This technology is something you can use with every physical exam you do. This piece of equipment will help you diagnose disease of a particular organ system MUCH BETTER THAN YOU CAN DO IT NOW. This product will pay for itself in a year IF YOU USE IT TO IT’S POTENTIAL. Let me demonstrate the learning curve for this equipment.
Ultrasound:
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Endoscope:
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******THE MedRx VIDEO VETSC OPE: |<---->|******
I believe that this is "the single best ancillary piece of equipment" for your practice after you have provided the 17 basics I outlined in F.E.A.R. If I find a permanent position in a single practice, or in a group of practices, and they do not have this equipment, I will buy it for myself. Disease of the external ear canal is a special interest of mine. This piece of equipment can be used in every exam room physical. How many times do you see ears that need to be treated? How many times do you wish you could give the client a picture of what you see? How many times do you wish you had a way to show the client what you find on dental prophys?
I have looked at the other ear diagnostic scopes. None will allow you to do what this one does, and without having to refocus the instrument at each level of the exam.
The learning curve is SHORT! You will start making money with this immediately. That will not happen with an ultrasound or an endoscope. I don’t want to detract from those two pieces of equipment, but they have limited use in any practice whereas, the MedRx Video VetScope will be used as soon as you get it. You can make money now, not when a particular case comes in that needs ultrasound or endoscopy.
The two other adjuncts to this piece of equipment are, Louis N. Gotthelf’s book: SMALL ANIMAL EAR DISEASES and DERMAPET’S EAR & SKIN PRODUCTS. I bought this book as soon as it was released. It is excellent as was the author---who was the speaker at the seminar. The seminar was excellent and had much to convey concerning why ear disease does not clear up, but keeps returning. How many times has a client come in with a bag full of old ear medicines and the dog miserable? This does not have to continue. You can get a better handle on the situation. The DermaPet line of ear products and skin products are what works in the ears. I use a few added products, but my main armament after proper diagnosis are these products. Even without the MedRx Video VetScope I achieve better success with Dr. Steve Melman’s DermaPet products than I had before I started using them 3 years ago.
Finally, I want to encourage you to call MedRx and ask them for references. There were nearly 40 people at the meeting and about 12 had the units already. You should have heard the testimonies of the improved ability to diagnosis and treat various conditions, and some of them only had the unit for a few weeks. MedRx provides training, but I believe you can make money day one with the simplest procedures. It was amazing to watch people who had never touched the scope take to it like a duck to water. You can call Kenny Keith at 1-800-392-1234 and ask any questions about MedRx. You can email Steve Melman, VMD at dermapet@aol.com. You can email Dr. Louis N. Gtotthelf.
Finally, (a second time), skin and ear disease is a problem we deal with all day every day. Dental disease is a condition we deal with every day. If you have all of equipment that I outline in my article F.E.A.R. then this is the first ancillary piece to buy. Otoscopes, Panalog, Gentocin Otic, Tresaderm, Otomax all have/had a place, BUT, THAT WAS THEN. Now we have MedRx Video VetScopes, the DermaPet line of ear products, and the first book devoted to the disease of ears in small animals...THIS IS NOW!
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