Unlike the scale you use at home, vet scales are weight measuring tools specifically designed to gather accurate weight measurements of animals. Veterinary scales come in a variety of sizes and can provide precise weight measurements for everything from cats and dogs to horses, zoo animals, and livestock.
The reason vet scales are more accurate than the standard digital scale you use at home is mostly due to the distribution of weight. Humans only need to place two feet on the plate, requiring little space. However, most pets distribute their weight across four feet, requiring a longer platform on the scale.
And because animals very rarely stay still, especially on a weighing scale, vet scales are also equipped with a dynamic weighing mode that considers the constant movement and calculates the average force exerted over a certain period of time.
Why accurate weight measurement is important
Is your pet looking a little chubby? While you might want to tip the scale number to make your furry friend feel a bit better, understanding your pet’s exact weight is extremely important for various reasons.
Collecting accurate weight data helps veterinarians to notice patterns of excessive weight gain or weight loss. It can also help them determine if you’re overfeeding your dog (too many table scraps?) and the dosage size for medications, deworming and flea and tick preventatives, and supplements. Without knowing the exact size of your dog, it could lead to underdosing, rendering the medication ineffective, or overdosing, providing toxic levels of the medicine.
Can vet scales break?
Of course, like any equipment, it is possible that a vet scale can break. However, it is highly unlikely. Like other veterinarian equipment, vet scales are built with the notion that they’ll suffer a lot of abuse. Vet equipment manufacturers, like TriStar Vet, use highly-durable materials and damage-resistant designs to protect equipment and guarantee accuracy.
Most vet scales can take on the weight (literally) of almost anything that’s thrown at them. Typically, they are designed to withstand a series of tough falls, kicks, drops, and whatever else they may face at a veterinarian’s office. It’s also common to see rubber mats added to the top of the scale to protect the metal plate (the weight of the mat is calculated into the system) and low profile designs that make it less frightening for animals to step onto.
Get professional vet scales and equipment
At TriStar Vet, we’ve dedicated our business to providing veterinarian clinics across the U.S. and Canada with high-quality, durable, and affordable vet equipment. From a sturdy veterinary exam table to highly accurate and smartly-designed vet scales, we can supply you with the equipment you need to operate your business. Shop our products today to see the difference.