Cat-scan.edu
March 7, 2013 1:49 PM   Subscribe

Although the VetMouseTrap™ was originally designed for small animals such as cats (YT), rabbits and tiny dogs, O’Brien recently developed a larger version for use with medium-sized dogs such as Labradors and golden retrievers. And he is developing a model with a perch inside so birds can be immobilized and passed through the scanner. (via)
posted by obscurator (21 comments total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
Worth watching the video for the hilarity of the bird "perch", which involves wrapping the bird for fragile shipping, apparently.
posted by maryr at 1:54 PM on March 7, 2013 [4 favorites]


I have no idea how these people got their cats wedged into their scanners, or why.
posted by The White Hat at 1:56 PM on March 7, 2013 [16 favorites]


This is really interesting. I work at another major veterinary teaching hospital, and something like this could be pretty revolutionary. I am a bit dubious about using it on all animals, though. There are many cats and dogs we see that I imagine could flail around pretty good in that little tube, unlike the patient little fellow we saw in that video.
posted by Rock Steady at 2:07 PM on March 7, 2013


I can't imagine anyone being able to get a bird wrapped up like that without losing a finger.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 2:08 PM on March 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


I have no idea how these people got their cats wedged into their scanners, or why.

Shouldn't that be: "at last, we have some idea about how these people got their cats wedged into their scanners; still no word on why"?
posted by yoink at 2:08 PM on March 7, 2013 [6 favorites]


yoink: Shouldn't that be: "at last, we have some idea about how these people got their cats wedged into their scanners; still no word on why"?

"Previously, general anesthesia was required to get cats wedged into our scanners, but today we ask, 'Why?'"
posted by Rock Steady at 2:11 PM on March 7, 2013 [3 favorites]


Upon reviewing the images: "I have no idea how these cats got these objects wedged into their thoraxes, or why."
posted by McCoy Pauley at 2:12 PM on March 7, 2013 [3 favorites]


I may be confusing catscans, petscans and mri's. But one of them is really noisy and would get our cat to squirming around.
posted by notreally at 2:26 PM on March 7, 2013


Look, I took the liberty of examining that parrot when I got it home, and I discovered the only reason that it had been sitting on its perch in the first place was that it had been wedged into place with a piece of foam!
posted by uosuaq at 2:41 PM on March 7, 2013 [5 favorites]


How much cat Valium had they given the cat they put in the tube on? Because I just kept waiting for it to freak the fuck out or flip the lid over -- especially once they went to put the cover over it.

(My experiences with feline transport may be different than others.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 3:26 PM on March 7, 2013


I am a bit dubious about using it on all animals, though. There are many cats and dogs we see that I imagine could flail around pretty good in that little tube, unlike the patient little fellow we saw in that video.

Reading between the lines of the press release, I think they use foam inserts for the cats just as they demonstrate with the bird. I wonder if they thought that actually showing a cat held in place by foam inserts would be too disturbing for some cat lovers.

On another topic, some dog breeds tend to respond poorly to anaesthesia, so any way to mitigate the number of times it needs to be administered is a huge plus.
posted by muddgirl at 3:28 PM on March 7, 2013


Reading between the lines of the press release, I think they use foam inserts for the cats just as they demonstrate with the bird. I wonder if they thought that actually showing a cat held in place by foam inserts would be too disturbing for some cat lovers.

That makes sense.
posted by Rock Steady at 3:43 PM on March 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


Those shots of the cat-capsule slowly moving back into the MRI look strangely ominous, as if the cat is being either sent back in time, or through a stargate.
posted by MysticMCJ at 4:00 PM on March 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


I can definitely see that working for cats. Most cats are pretty calm about being confined in a small space, at least once that confinement is fait accompli. Now getting the cat confined in that small space is a totally different problem...
posted by wotsac at 5:14 PM on March 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


We used to use "The Immobilizer" in pediatrics. It was a big flat sack of styrofoam beads with a little vacuum pump on it. Put a baby in, wrap up the limbs in a few folds of beads, suck the air out and voila! The beads were firmed up in whatever shape they were in, and the babykins was not going to wiggle, completely comfortable if you threw in a binky to suck on. This was great for things like ultrasounds but apparently didn't work for scanners.
posted by SLC Mom at 6:45 PM on March 7, 2013


The revolutionary thing here is that previously inside of a dog was too dark to read.
posted by maryr at 7:31 PM on March 7, 2013 [3 favorites]


How much cat Valium had they given the cat they put in the tube on? Because I just kept waiting for it to freak the fuck out or flip the lid over -- especially once they went to put the cover over it.

(My experiences with feline transport may be different than others.)


I was just carrying our cat around in a large shoe box (around the size of that tube) in which she seemed quite happy. It probably depends quite a bit on the cat.
posted by JiBB at 7:53 PM on March 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


I met a veterinary neurologist who got a bit famous for being the first person to put a living shark through an MRI. Can't help but imagine him phoning these people and asking for a four-foot-long SharkMouseTrap.
posted by cmyk at 8:22 PM on March 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


How much cat Valium had they given the cat they put in the tube on? Because I just kept waiting for it to freak the fuck out or flip the lid over -- especially once they went to put the cover over it.

I think that cat was oretty close to freaking out. First of all, some cats go relatively still when scared - taking my cat to the vet, you might think she was fine until you looked a bit closer and notice she's shaking. I think the cat in the video looks pretty nervous, but I think it is naturally a pretty chill cat and it clearly trusts people. Still, the cat has to be held in to capsule until the top is on and starts to get out as soon as the lid is removed. When picked up by the professor in the suit at the end, the cat is clearly considering an over the shoulder escape.
posted by maryr at 8:32 PM on March 7, 2013


item: "Finally I can see how adorable my little fuzzfucks are on the inside, too."

Heh.

Fuzzfucks.

(Yes, I am a proud feline co-habitant. Owner just doesn't seem to be the right word for the relationship, other than me having his power of attorney.)
posted by Samizdata at 2:56 AM on March 8, 2013


How'd you get him to sign the form?! I've been working on mine forever, but I can't seem to get her to hold the pen, no matter how many treats I promise.
posted by maryr at 11:38 AM on March 8, 2013


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