Veterinary Specialty Center
The medical facility where the Veterinary Specialty Center is located has three other units. Premier Imaging houses the diagnostic imaging equipment. Fast Care is a 24-hour emergency clinic for people that the VSC relies on for blood work. And the Cancer Treatment Center houses a linear accelerator for radiation therapy.
Photo credit: Photo by Malinda Larkin
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64-slice CT scanner
The VSC equipment, such as this 64-slice CT scanner, is leased from Premier Imaging, so the center doesn’t have to pay for the equipment, maintenance, or technicians. Income from the VSC is divided between Premier Imaging and Mississippi State University.
Photo credit: Photo by Malinda Larkin
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Dr. Andy Shores
Dr. Andy Shores (far right), service chief and clinical professor of neurology, likes telling the story of how he called a clinician at the VCA Hospital in West Los Angeles who specializes in pituitary tumors to consult on a case. They both agreed surgery and radiation therapy were needed because of the complicated nature of the case, but Dr. Shores’ colleague doubted that the VSC would be able to provide radiation therapy as precisely as was required. Dr. Shores asked what kind of linear accelerator the other veterinarian used, which was located at the University of California-Los Angeles. It was the same model as the one located at the VSC.
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Dr. Shores
Dr. Shores says, “We have something good to offer here. We’re flexible. We understand the economics and decisions that need to be made. If the owners are willing to invest, we have the tools available.”
Photo credit: Photo by Malinda Larkin
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Tucker the pit bull
Tucker the pit bull had a neurofibrosarcoma of the vertebrae. This was his ninth of 15 radiation treatments. He went in once a day, Monday through Friday, for three weeks.
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Moldable form
Each patient has their own moldable form for the linear accelerator. These are necessary because the machine delivers radiation to such a precise area that the patient must be in the same exact position for each treatment.
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Aiming of the radiation beam
A radiation technician fine-tunes aiming of the radiation beam during a treatment session.
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VSC staff member and puppy
The VSC has three examination rooms, a pharmacy, and a special procedures room along with a small outpatient facility. Patients that require hospitalization are transported to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
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