Veterinary Technology Works Best With Human Judgment and Compassion

Veterinary technology earns its place when it helps a team make a better decision for an individual animal. A scan may reveal a tumor before it causes signs, or help show that an invasive procedure can wait. In both situations, the value comes from pairing the information with clinical judgment and a clear conversation with the family.

That distinction matters in cancer care: about one in four dogs will develop cancer during their lifetime. Over the past two decades, advanced diagnostics, artificial intelligence and minimally invasive methods have widened what veterinary teams can investigate and treat. But more detail does not automatically mean better care. The practical question is whether a test’s result is likely to change the plan in a way that benefits the patient.

Use imaging to answer a clinical question

Advanced laboratory tests and imaging can provide a closer view of anatomy, biological activity, disease progression and response to treatment. Earlier detection may create more treatment options, while clearer staging can help teams choose an approach and, in some cases, avoid a more invasive procedure.

Still, an image rarely tells the whole story. A finding may need additional testing before a diagnosis is clear, and an unexpected abnormality can lead to follow-up procedures that don’t help the patient. Before recommending a test, teams should ask what decision its results could change. That keeps the focus on useful information instead of simply collecting more of it.

PET/CT can help guide action—or restraint

Positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography, or PET/CT, illustrates how different forms of information can work together. CT shows an abnormality’s location, size and physical features. PET uses a radiopharmaceutical tracer to show areas of metabolic activity. Together, the images can help clinicians assess both structure and biological activity.

PET/CT is most familiar in oncology, where it may help identify lesions and stage disease. It can also be considered when investigating problems such as a fever with no clear cause or unexplained lameness. Two dogs examined at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, show how the same technology can lead to different, patient-centered choices.

In one case, a dog had PET/CT for an unrelated concern. The scan revealed a small lesion beneath the skin that had not previously been recognized. An excisional biopsy identified it as a mast cell tumor. Finding the lesion before it progressed or caused signs gave the veterinary team an opportunity to provide timely treatment that was likely curative.

Another dog had an atypical cystic lesion in the liver. PET/CT showed no uptake of the radiopharmaceutical tracer, suggesting that aggressive disease was less likely. That information supported avoiding a high-risk liver biopsy and surgery. Follow-up ultrasound examinations found that the lesion remained stable. One scan helped prompt treatment; the other helped the team support a decision to monitor.

Make the plan fit the animal and family

Two animals with the same diagnosis may need different plans. Age, temperament, expected quality of life, family goals and the burden of treatment all affect which choices make sense. A diagnostic result can make that conversation more informed, but it cannot decide what matters most to a particular family.

Before recommending an advanced test, veterinary teams can consider whether its results are likely to alter treatment, clarify prognosis or quality of life, and justify the cost and practical demands. Those demands may include anesthesia, travel and additional appointments. Teams should also be ready to explain what the test can show, where its limits lie and what uncertainty remains.

These questions help clients and veterinarians weigh medical, emotional, ethical and financial considerations together. The most technically advanced option may not be the right choice for every patient. Technology should support shared decision-making, with the animal’s needs at the center.

AI needs oversight and training

AI tools already support diagnostic work, medical documentation, client communication and administrative tasks. When they reduce time spent organizing information or completing records, they may give veterinary professionals more time to focus on patients and their owners.

These tools can also produce incomplete, biased or incorrect results. A veterinary professional must check their output against the full clinical picture. Practices need clear procedures for data privacy, appropriate use, human oversight and verification. Training matters, too: a 2026 study of 673 veterinary workers found that 72.3 percent expected AI to change the profession, while 90.5 percent reported little or no formal training in its use.

Invest in the people using the tools

Equipment is replaced and software changes; the skills teams build can last. Mentorship, internships, residency programs and continuing education help veterinary professionals understand new tools, question their limits and use them responsibly. That learning supports collaboration within a hospital and builds trust with referring veterinarians and clients.

New technology is most useful when the people involved understand why it is being used and what its findings can and cannot establish. The next advance may be another imaging method or an AI platform. The lasting responsibility remains the same: choose tools that inform care, explain the choices clearly, and use human judgment to guide each animal’s plan.

Peter S. Chapman, BVetMed, DECVIM-CA, DACVIM, MRCVS, earned his veterinary degree from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, in 1998. After completing a small animal rotating internship and an internal medicine residency there, he served as staff and faculty at the University of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2009. He then practiced internal medicine at BluePearl in Levittown, Pennsylvania, from 2009 to 2025, where he also directed the residency program and served as medical director. He is medical director at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, an emergency and specialty hospital within National Veterinary Associates (NVA).

References

1. American Veterinary Medical Association. Cancer in pets. https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/petcare/cancer-pets
2. Ofer O, Pearl DL, Singh A, Appleby R. Veterinary workers report low knowledge of artificial intelligence but positive attitudes toward its adoption in diagnostic imaging and the workplace as a whole. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 2026 Jun 1;264(6):1-7. https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/264/6/javma.25.08.0545.xml