WATERBURY – A course on Infrared Thermography (IRT) will be offered as part of the Tiekyo Post University equine program.

Dr. Donna Harper, a veterinarian from New Mexico, who is an expert at using and reading infrared Thermography images for diagnostic purposes, will be conducting this course. Dr. Harper has experience with a wide variety of horses including hunter-jumper, dressage, western event horses, and both quarter and thoroughbred racehorses.

She has been deeply involved in thoroughbred breeding as well as pioneering work in equine prosthetics. She will teach participants how to perform thermographic examinations on animals, particularly horses. Successful graduates would work with veterinarians trained in interpretation of these IRT exams to produce diagnostic information that supplements the physical examination of equine patients.

The proposed course, slated for spring 2004, would be about two weeks in length. This would be followed by monitoring of participants’ work over an extended period, leading to potential certification as a veterinary thermographic technician. Training of veterinarians in IRT interpretation can also be arranged through this program.

Infrared thermography is a completely non-invasive diagnostic tool. Unlike other diagnostic methods such as x-ray and ultrasound, IRT does not result from the infrared camera emitting any type of waves, rays, radiation, or other form of energy.

For information, contact Carole Baker at Teikyo Post University at 1-203-596-4631 or email her at cbaker@teikyopost.edu.