Banfield Pet Hospital Donates $100,000 Towards Oregon Zoo's New X-Ray Machine

By Bill LaMarche

Portland, OR - How do you X-ray a tiger, a bear or an elephant? You might want to say, "Very carefully," but for the Oregon Zoo the answer is a gift from a long-standing member of the community.

The animals can thank Banfield for assisting in their care. The pet hospital donated $100,000 for a new, state-of-the-art digital X-ray machine.

"Our practice is honored to support Oregon Zoo veterinarians through our digital X-ray donation," said Karen Faunt, vice president and chief medical officer at Banfield. "We know this diagnostic tool will help provide the best veterinary care to zoo residents by minimizing anesthesia and examination time for patients and digitally archiving images for later comparison."

For the zoo, this generous support could not have come at a better time. Its previous X-ray machine was dated and had been designed for use on humans. The new machine, specifically designed for veterinary use, is much more efficient, cutting down the amount of time animals are examined and anesthetized for medical procedures.

"Digital radiology is a faster way of getting the X-ray results, so we can minimize stress and anesthesia time for the animals," said Mitch Finnegan, lead veterinarian at the zoo.

The machine allows the zoo to digitally archive pictures for easier review and comparison to previous X-rays. It also enables the zoo's veterinary staff to send images via e-mail to consultants or other zoos for further analysis.

The new machine has been helpful in the zoo's effort to treat its black bears. After three overweight, geriatric black bears arrived at the zoo, the new X-ray machine was able to assist zoo veterinarians in quickly diagnosing their furry patients with arthritis.

"We never could have done this before," said Margot Monti, a veterinary technician at the zoo. "The sheer size of the bears would have never allowed us to properly X-ray them. Our new machine is now appropriately designed to take X-rays of the very big and the very small."

The new digital technology was also crucial in the diagnosis of the arthritis.

"This machine produces X-rays with significantly more detail and clarity than the previous machine," Monti said. "Through X-rays and the machine's state-of-the-art magnification capabilities, we were able to monitor the bears' condition and determine pain-medication dosages to alleviate each bear's arthritic condition. The treatments have been successful, as guests can see when they visit the Black Bear Ridge exhibit."

The new X-ray machine gave the Asian elephant Chendra an opportunity to take a field trip as well. Walking the trails before the zoo opened, Chendra took a morning stroll to the veterinary hospital for a checkup on one of her teeth. After a quick examination and a few X-rays, Chendra was out of the doctor's office and back with her herd at the elephant barn.

Established in 1955, Banfield strives to make the best veterinary care affordable and convenient in the communities it serves. Because pets play such a valuable role in families' lives, Banfield pet hospitals provide the finest doctors, computerized medical records, Optimum Wellness Plans® for preventive care and extended operating hours. Located nationwide, Banfield helps to extend the lives of more than 4 million pets each year.

The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Washington's pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles, Oregon spotted frogs and Kincaid's lupine. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.

The zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63. Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.

General admission is $9.75 (12-64), seniors $8.25 (65+), children $6.75 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo's Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $2 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.

Photo #1: Oregon Zoo Veterinary Technician Kelli Harvison listens to the breathing of Mikhail, an endangered Amur tiger. An image taken by the zoo's new digital X-ray machine is visible on the monitor in the background. The Banfield pet hospital donated $100,000 to the zoo for this state-of-the-art equipment. Photo by Michael Durham, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.

Photo #2: Chendra, the Oregon Zoo's smallest adult elephant, walked to the zoo's veterinary hospital recently to receive an X-ray of her lower jaw. The Banfield pet hospital donated $100,000 to the zoo for this state-of-the-art equipment. Photo by Michael Durham, courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.

Oregon Zoo " 4001 SW Canyon Rd. " Portland, Oregon 97221 " 503-226-1561