In significant parts of the world, and America in particular, people’s pets are often considered part of the family. It’s 
common for pet owners to spend thousands of dollars on healthcare for their animals, including fees for CT Scans, MRIs, C-Arms, Ultrasounds and general X-Rays… money that they don’t spend on dream vacations, better vehicles, and other creature (no pun intended) comforts. It’s also common for wealthier individuals to spend exorbitant amounts on their pets’ care, just because they can.
I’ve been in healthcare for almost 25 years, and gone to facilities around the country and on other continents. There was a time that I went with a well-to-do friend to a veterinary hospital on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, NY and was astonished at the state-of-the-art facility, including the Medical Imaging Systems. Quite frankly, it was better than many clinics, and even some hospitals, serving humans that I’ve been to both domestically and abroad.
Money is out there to be spent on Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging.
As any owner of a veterinary practice knows, it is a competitive business. Sure… the vast majority of vets are initially drawn to the field by an altruistic love of animals, but it’s a business, plain and simple. The most talented and patient-centric vet can’t exercise their gift if clients aren’t coming in.
It doesn’t matter your focus, there’s a place for either an X-Ray system, or a CT Scanner, or a MRI System, or an Ultrasound, or all of the above in your practice. Sure… you can refer pets out to a different facility, but this is clearly something important in the lives of your clients. They’ll talk about it to their friends. There’s a strong chance of a friend telling them: “Ohhhhhh, my vet is great, and they have an X-Ray on site, and I’m pretty sure an Ultrasound, too…. you should give them a try and maybe switch.” I’m thinking this is a conversation you do NOT want them having. Granted, not every community can bear this kind of expense, but if your practice is in a substantially populated area, or your focus is on breeding or competition animals, having some Diagnostic Imaging Equipment is all but mandatory.
The primary concerns in this process are cost and space. For cost, firms like Atlantis Worldwide are wonderful options for Pre-Owned Imaging Systems. Unless your clientele is fabulously wealthy and throwing money at you, there’s no reason to spend the money on a brand new imaging system from one of the major new equipment dealers (e.g. GE, Siemens, Philips, etc.). There are 2nd tier manufacturers that focus solely on vet needs, but many of their products don’t go through the FDA approval process… do you and your staff really want to be exposed to those systems for years? You’re probably better off going with a used version of a trusted manufacturer’s product, something that is readily available from Atlantis Worldwide. For space concerns, that will be obvious rather quickly. If you’re in a tight space in a large city where real estate is at a premium, you probably don’t want to be looking at a CT Scanner or MRI, like many farm focused vets might require, but you can easily fit in a Mini C-Arm as your Portable X-Ray system with additional perks, especially if you do surgeries. Throw in an Ultrasound, too, and you’re competing full swing with a minimal sacrifice on cost and space. You owe it to you practice and your clients. Let Atlantis Worldwide help you with this. Please contact Alex Silbergleit at 212-366-9100 or email alex@atlantisworldwide.com
Some blogs you may have missed:
- How to Choose the Best Veterinary CT Scanner for your Practice
- 4 Tips On Maintenance & Service for Your Medical Imaging Equipment
- How Much Does it Cost to Lease a C-Arm?
- Plan Ahead For Medical Imaging Equipment Purchases
- Top 13 C-Arm Articles!
Meet the Author: Erik Baum
