Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Novel use of FaceTime video calling in a deployed setting to assist with the care of a military working dog.
- Journal:
- Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgie
- Year:
- 2018
- Authors:
- Donham, Benjamin & Wickett, Megan Lee
- Affiliation:
- Department of Emergency Medicine · United States
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
In a military setting in Iraq, a working dog became critically ill, but there were no veterinarians available to help right away. The medical team used FaceTime to connect with the dog's veterinarian back in the United States, allowing them to get expert advice on how to evaluate and treat the dog. This approach helped them prioritize the dog's medical evacuation to get the care it needed. The use of video calling proved to be very effective and could be a useful tool in similar situations where immediate veterinary help isn't available.
Abstract
In deployed settings, veterinary recourses are limited and nonveterinary medical providers frequently are required to provide medical treatment to military working dogs (MWDs) until veterinary specialty care can be provided. We present the case of a critically ill MWD who presented initially to a Canadian NATO Role II facility in Iraq that lacked immediate veterinary support. Through the use of FaceTime interactive video calling, the Role II medical providers were able to consult with the MWD unit’s veterinarian in the United States and provide effective evaluation, treatment and prioritization of medical evacuation (MEDEVAC). FaceTime video calling was extremely effective and should be considered in future situations where specialist care is not immediately available and transmission of visual information would be beneficial.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30418010/