SASKATOON

Vet college to get Canada’s first PET-CT scanner for animals

CTV Saskatoon Published Monday, August 13, 2018 1:14PM CST

A PET-CT scanner for animals at the U of S vet college is set to be operational next year. (Courtesy Colorado State University)

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Saskatoon will soon be home to a new tool that will help treat animals in the province.

The University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine has bought a positron emissions tomography (PET) – computed tomography (CT) scanner specifically for animals.

The new unit will be used for animal health care, teaching and research, the college said in a news release.

Veterinarians at the college said one of its biggest benefits will be its ability to detect cancer cells much earlier than standard imaging tools.

This will be the first PET-CT unit specifically for animals in Canada. Only five other veterinary colleges in North America operate a PET-CT unit for clinical use in animals.

The college was able to get the machine thanks to a $2.5 million donation — the largest private donation the WCVM has ever received.

The suite which will house the unit is under construction and is expected to be complete by the end of the year. The scanner is set to be in operation by early 2019.