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I’ll reflect on some approach and handling tips we use at work during Thermal Imaging of our patients. This is a series of 25-30 images taken around the pets entire body and they are primarily asked to stand still. This isn’t the simplest task for some of our patients! Some pets are nervous and many are used to being asked to sit and become confused.
I typically always start with a side profile of the pet (mostly dogs) as it’s a more comfortable positioning between us. I usually end with either the anterior-posterior or posterior-anterior images as they’re often more nervous with me being behind them or the camera facing directly at them. I let nervous pets sniff the camera before I begin. We also do Thermal Imaging either after a consult or regular gait analysis, which allows new patients time to explore the room and meet me and gives current patients a simpler task they’re use to first (walking down our pressure sensing walkway). We also have a rug available to aide the pets who struggle with tile floors
For dogs that are wanting to sit instead of stand we need to utilize some handling tricks. We have a platform they can stand on which helps give them a better sense of the boundary they’re meant to be in. For food motivated pups, we spread a lickable treat on a spatula- this helps the owner guide the dog into position, helps distract from wanting to sit, and often I find using the target to lower the head raises the butt (if they’re already standing). And if necessary, we will use a set of slip leads with one around just in front of their back legs to encourage them to stand. Front body imaging they can sit for, so for those that really want to sit we will do all front body images first then use the slip leads afterwards to image rear body, giving them the more comfortable option first
<font size=”3″>Some tricks that have been shared with clients to consider teaching to aide imaging are chin resting, “look” (hold eye contact), target training, and stand.</font>