Limitations to veterinary applications of new technologies in treatment and diagnostics.

Technology promises to improve the lifestyle and life quality of humankind. As a rule, wherever human medicine goes, veterinary medicine is sure to follow. Nevertheless, the promise of technologic advances does not shine as bright for veterinarians as for human physicians. This trend is echoed in the business of animal health as pharmaceutic company after pharmaceutic company spins off or otherwise eliminates their animal health division. Instead, a small group of strictly animal health-oriented companies compete for the animal health dollar, promising that fewer and fewer expensive technologies are likely to be incorporated into the standard of veterinary practice. All is not lost, however, because as progress is made in the field of human biotechnology, the cost of the technology should eventually come down, permitting at least some of the advances in human medicine to become available to the veterinarian.