A VETERINARY practice in Poole has a new state-of-the-art CT scanner which is the first of its kind in Dorset as part of a £250,000 investment.

Natterjacks in Waterloo Road, which has been extended, now boasts a consulting room, dedicated dental theatre, an additional operating theatre and new staff rooms.

The CT scanner produces highly-detailed 3D scans which can reveal the tiniest abnormalities in pet patients that were previously impossible to obtain using traditional x-ray machines.

Andy Matthew, clinical director at Natterjacks Vet, said that an extension had to be built onto the practice to house the CT scanner, and it would vastly open up the availability of this technology in the south west of England.

He said: “These are some groundbreaking additions to the practice that will ensure that we continue to provide our growing family with the highest level of veterinary care possible.

“We have made optimal use of the space available for us to expand and the fantastic new equipment, particularly the revolutionary CT scanner, will mean we will be able to accurately investigate and treat a wide range of conditions that we would not have been able to diagnose before.

He added: “We all love watching The Supervet on television but for local pet owners it will mean they have this sort of technology right on their doorstep. We will also be offering the CT scanner to all local practices for use on an outpatient basis.”

The CT scanner is particularly good for spotting skull, bone, joint, respiratory and cancer conditions.

The technology also works extremely fast, minimising the time an animal is anaesthetised or sedated.

Natterjacks Vet also has a branch in Christchurch Road in Bournemouth which benefitted from recent investment including an endoscopy suite, extra consulting room and dedicated dental theatre.