ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s a major upgrade for the ABQ BioPark, which is now just one of a handful of zoos in the country to have a critical piece of medical technology. “We have anesthetic monitors that we can watch the animal’s heart rate, respiration rate remotely from the control room,” Dr. Carol Bradford, Senior Veterinarian, ABQ BioPark.
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Senior Veterinarian Doctor Carol Bradford said the new CT scanner is a big deal for hundreds of the BioPark’s animals. “In the past, historically, we would take them to a specialty veterinary clinic off-site, which means longer anesthesia time and travel time, and that could pose a higher risk to the animal and also the people involved in handling the animal,” said Bradford.
But now, as one of less than a dozen zoos in the country with a CT scanner on site, Dr. Bradford said her team can do a better job with preventive care for Albuquerque’s zoo residents with quicker onsite diagnosis and treatment. “CT is very good for bones and soft tissues. It can highlight things like organ size and shape, and also if there’s tumors in there, sometimes something we’re kind of screening for,” said Bradford…