BBC“She's my world,” said Anthea Slade, as she clutched her seven-year-old cat Blossom in the waiting room at Royston Veterinary Centre.
It is a sentiment felt by many pet owners, but Ms Slade just came very close to losing her companion to an aggressive cancer and is convinced artificial intelligence (AI) played a big role in saving her.
“She had a runny nose. I thought it was a bit of a cold, but then it started bleeding and I knew I had to get help, so I brought her here,” she said.
“Within hours, they knew what it was, they operated, and Blossom's still here.”
The surgery on the Hertfordshire/Cambridgeshire border is one of a growing number of veterinary practices which use AI to speed up the diagnosis of illnesses in animals.
Ms Slade, who lives in Royston, said: “The technology saved her life, I'm sure it did.
“They said any longer and her chances of survival would have been very slim.”
The centre's clinical director Dr David White believes the technology also makes the diagnosis more accurate.
“Yesterday I saw a dog with a nasty tumour,” he said.
“Without AI I'd have had to remove the tumour and possibly part of the dog's toe, but the AI allowed me to see it was a tumour that will get better by itself, so it saved the stress and expense of surgery.
“Traditionally it was a lot of trial and error- ‘We'll try this treatment and if it doesn't work we'll scratch our heads again'.
“AI means I can diagnose and treat with confidence and so it's no more expensive to the pet owner because we're more likely to get it right first time.”
So how does it work?
Staff prepare a slide with a sample from the pet. It is then placed under a microscope where, instead of a vet examining it, it is analysed by the AI which is programmed to produce scans and to flag up any areas of concern.
Specialists are also available 24/7 if a vet needs clarification.
Dr White said it could produce results in “a couple of hours… whereas before we were looking at overnight as a minimum, but usually up to four days”.
Cancer is common in pets. It can be hereditary, or caused by factors such as obesity, sunlight, and secondary smoking from owners.
Veterinary nurse Jordan Mumford said the AI helped to detect far more than cancer.
“The Vetscan Imagyst technology can analyse samples of faeces for worms, it can look at blood samples and give us results in about 10 minutes and it can find crystals and infections in urine,” he said.
It can also analyse skin, which was particularly helpful for 13-year-old English springer Scooby Doo.
“He started frantically licking himself and scratching. He was losing fur on his body and around his eyes. It was awful to watch,” said Jane Green from nearby Melbourn, who adopted the dog when he needed rehoming.
In cases such as these, the AI is looking for the presence of bacteria and allergies which may be causing the itching.
Identifying the cause can also reduce the need to prescribe precautionary antibiotics.
“We had the results so quickly that within a couple of days, Scooby was already much better,” said Ms Green.
Tara, a four-year-old German shepherd, was the first pet to be diagnosed with AI at the surgery.
Her owner, Averil Dongworth from Barley, said her pet also had a skin condition.
“As with human medicine, you usually have a really anxious wait for results, but we found out in two hours that Tara had an allergy not an infection,” she said.
“It meant that her treatment started straight away. I was amazed.”
Dr White, who has been a veterinary surgeon for 43 years, said he believed AI was one of the most exciting changes in the profession.
“Years ago computerised records were seen as a revelation and I imagine we will also take AI for granted in another few years,” he said.
“We have to innovate. This AI means I spend less time peering into a microscope and more time with the patient.”
AI has been used in human healthcare for several years and, across the UK, vets are now also using it to help with note-taking, ultrasounds and X-rays.
But the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons is keen to ensure that all innovation is done responsibly.
A spokesperson for the professional body said: “AI could be an important tool in improving veterinary medicine and patient outcomes.
“However, the technology must be used responsibly and the veterinary surgeon must remain the final decision-maker for patient diagnosis and treatment.
“AI could enhance, but should not replace, this crucial responsibility for veterinary surgeons.”
