Rudro
Dogs are man’s best friend. To ensure their best health and condition veterinary doctors are always doing their best. So, as for the veterinary students the teaching quality should improve as well in order to create better doctors for the future. With that notion in mind, SynDaver Lab, a Biotech Company based in Tampa, Florida, USA, has brought their latest synthetic dog, that will breathe, bleed, and die for veterinary students, on the surgical study beds.
The idea was first proposed by David Danielson vice president of veterinary technology at SynDaver Lab, as he always felt guilty about performing test surgeries on live animals. Sorry to ruin your day, but for practical hand-on knowledge gain most veterinary students around the had to perform a ‘Terminal Surgery’ once in their academic time. The reason it is called Terminal Surgery, because the surgery involves anaesthetizing the cat or dog, that are euthanized after the study procedure. Veterinarian Danielson mentions told Erin Maloney at Bay News, “I do feel I carry that sin. I still feel guilty about it.” Since, he also had to operate on live dogs in his vet school to learn everything from neutering to brain surgery.
The company explains, “The canine utilizes SynDaver’s patented SynTissue, which mimics living tissue, includes a full list of functioning bodily systems, and has the capability to simulate customized diseases, illnesses and medical complications.” The company even promises to donate 20 of these US$28,500 synthetic dogs to a number of accredited veterinary colleges around the world. They also said, “The campaign will begin to end a process known as terminal surgery labs.” Fortunately, for past decade it is phasing out and the vet schools been adapting other forms of alternatives. Currently, the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine is testing out the first synthetic dogs.