March 3rd is World Wildlife Day and, to mark the occasion, we are looking at the world of veterinary translations. New technologies in animal healthcare are on the increase, and it isn’t just wildlife that is benefitting from the latest tech. With more of us getting pets during lockdown, tech to keep our furry friends happy and healthy is advancing with many start-ups leading the way.
What are the benefits of new technology for animals?
As with human healthcare, veterinary healthcare also benefits greatly from technological advances. New tech can help to improve treatments, update owners on appointments and make the process of exchanging information between healthcare providers both easy and secure. The pet healthcare industry is not all that different to that of human healthcare – the patients may have paws instead of hands and a little more fur, but the basic goal remains the same: providing effective, efficient treatment.
It isn’t just ailments that animal technology can help with – as our lifestyles become increasingly busy, apps and products can help to feed pets treats or provide comfort at the touch of a button when owners can’t be there in person.
When it comes to wildlife, one of the biggest challenges is conservation. Advances in technology, such as the use of drones in tracking animals, help to increase the safety of both wildlife and conservationists. Satellites can also provide information on animal habitats and behaviour, giving a better understanding of their needs. Machines have also developed enough to be able to detect animal DNA for analysis – this includes dedicated SnotBots for whales. This clever tech takes secretions from the animal for analysis.
Smart farming is also another area of growth. We live in an age that demands increased productivity and sustainability, as well as rightly, proper animal welfare. Smart farming is helping agriculture to meet these standards and work productively. With so much innovation and study going on in the sector worldwide, all of this needs supporting by timely, quality animal and veterinary translations.
Veterinary translations – how is language helping technology?
It’s no secret that any new innovation requires carefully selected language to support its rollout. Veterinary translations are no different. Being able to explain technical jargon to pet owners is one challenge. Providing user guides and support for the rollout, plus software localisation is another.
Animals can be emotive for humans, both as family pets and wildlife. Marketing of new technologies needs to take this into careful consideration. In some countries, specific animals are considered sacred. In Egypt, for example, cats are sacred, while in the UK, 23 percent of households now own a dog, making it the most popular pet. In order to accurately localise animal tech content, translators may need to use transcreation (the art of creative translation) where the content is made appropriate for a specific culture.
Larger industries adopting cutting edge tech to conserve animals in the wild, or provide breakthrough animal veterinary treatments, may require a more comprehensive communications strategy. They may need to secure investment and gain buy in from crucial industry decision-makers, which means that concise, clear translations are required. This could involve anything from providing information to gaining support from animal welfare bodies around the world, right through to reporting on and analysing findings.
Are your veterinary translations meeting your company’s goals? Could communication be developed to be more effective and precise? Speak to our team of language experts today!