Livestock Endoscopy
When evaluating farm animals such as cows, pigs, llamas, alpacas, sheep, and goats, a physical examination and more traditional diagnostic tools like x-rays, ultrasounds, and laboratory tests can only provide so much information. Sometimes, this information is adequate for reaching a diagnosis. Other times, however, obtaining more information is necessary.
When this is the case, highly invasive exploratory surgery would have previously been the only diagnostic option left. Endoscopy, however, offers our livestock veterinarians an alternative, highly useful, and minimally invasive tool in assessing livestock health and diagnosing and treating farm animals.
What Is Livestock Endoscopy?
Endoscopy is like having a set of eyes that can travel throughout a patient’s body. It is a minimally invasive procedure that allows our livestock veterinarian to look within a farm animal’s organ or body cavity to gain diagnostic information. This includes visually evaluating an overall area of interest in addition to obtaining tissue for a histopathologic evaluation.
An endoscopic procedure uses an endoscope to obtain visual information and collect samples. The endoscope consists of a long tube that is either flexible or rigid with a small camera and light attached at the end. During an endoscopic procedure, our veterinarian will insert the endoscope into the animal into a strategic access point from which it can easily reach the targeted location.
How Is Endoscopy Used in Treating Farm Animals? Minimally Invasive Diagnostics and Surgery
Visual Diagnostics Made Possible by Livestock Endoscopy
Endoscopy makes a variety of diagnostics possible:
- Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (stomach and intestines)
- Bronchoscopy (airways and respiratory system)
- Esophagoscopy (esophagus)
- Tracheoscopy (trachea)
- Otoscopy (ears)
- Rhinoscopy (nose and throat)
- Thoracoscopy (lungs, lung surfaces, and pleural spaces)
Minimally Invasive Surgery With Endoscopic Tools
Our livestock veterinarians also use endoscopy as a visual aid during minimally invasive surgical procedures. These procedures are referred to as laparoscopic surgeries.
During surgery, an endoscope enables our veterinary surgeons to make only a small incision for the endoscope and a small incision for the surgical tools. Although not every surgical procedure can be performed with the aid of endoscopy, its use, when possible, greatly reduces anesthetic loads and patient recovery times.
Livestock Endoscopy With Our Farm Animal Veterinarian in Tucson
To learn more about livestock endoscopy or the comprehensive list of veterinary services available for farm animals with the livestock veterinarians at Adobe Veterinary Center in Tucson, we welcome you to contact our office today. We can answer any questions you might have about your animal’s test results or guide you through the process of establishing the care of your livestock with Adobe Veterinary Center.
