Veterinarian Health Physics Services
The veterinarian community has fully embraced the role radioactive materials can play in the diagnosis and treatment of our fury companions. From the long-standing use of I-131 for the treatment of Feline hyperthyroidism to the implementation of new drugs such as Synovetin OA (Sn117m), veterinarian use of radioactive materials has steadily increased in recent years.
Radioactive Materials
With this increased use of radioactive materials in veterinarian practices comes the increased oversight of applying for and maintaining a radioactive materials license. With the understanding that regulations governing human use and regulations governing animal use of radioactive materials are nearly indistinguishable, means these applications are highly regulated and highly technical. Our human hospitals ensure they have the technical experts available to them to administer their radiation safety programs. Our animal hospitals should too.
Olympic Health Physics can provide expert technical advice and be your “go-to” resource for establishing a new radioactive materials program or maintaining an existing program. We routinely work with veterinarians using Feline I-131 as well as Synovetin OA (Sn117m). Our services range from a full Radiation Safety Officer service, to Health Physics Audits, to simply being a resource to call with questions.
Veterinarian Imaging & Shielding Design – CT, X-Ray, & Dental
Most veterinarians implement the use of X-Ray, Dental, and/or CT into their practices. When working with machine-produced ionizing radiation, several factors should be considered. These include facility design, shielding design, dosimetry programs, and radiation safety training.
Olympic Health Physics can assist new facilities in the design of their department and perform the necessary shielding designs for CT, X-Ray, and Dental spaces. In addition to the required shielding designs, we can also assist in performance testing of the equipment to ensure optimal operation and superior image quality of the equipment.
Resources
We have a number of free resources available to our veterinarian partners. Head on over to our Resources Page to check them out!