Thermography as a Diagnostic Tool in Marine Animals
IAAAM Archive
Michael Walsh, DVM; Tracy Turner, DVM; Samuel Dover, DVM; Christopher Wood; Linda Wood
Sea World of Florida, Orlando, FL; Clinical and Population Sciences, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, St. Paul, MN; Sea World of Ohio, Aurora, OH; Equine Thermal Imaging, Orlando, FL

The clinical diagnostician often depends on multiple techniques to gain a full appreciation of the factors related to an illness. Evaluation of internal anomalies may involve more commonly utilized techniques such as blood work, radiography, ultrasound and endoscopy. External evaluation is often limited to visual inspection though thermography may be applicable or an adjunct to external examination. Illness or injury which may result in inflammation can result in temperature differences which nay be detected with heat sensitive cameras. Conditions which have been observed include skin disease, tooth infection, sub-dermal trauma, and abscessation. Thermography may also be utilized as a prognostic tool. A decrease in inflammation may indicate therapeutic success and allow the clinician to lengthen or suspend treatment. This technique has been used in cetaceans, pacific walrus, manatees and a leather back turtle. The potential of thermography as a research tool has not been fully explored.

Speaker Information
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Michael T. Walsh, DVM
SeaWorld of Florida
Orlando, FL, USA


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