K9 Diesel, a new canine medical simulator, has been released for commercial availability by TraumaFX, a division of Kforce Government Solutions and global provider of human and canine medical training simulators. Developed jointly with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), K9 Diesel offers 28 different features and medical intervention sites. The simulator builds on the TraumaFX K9 Hero model released in 2016, which offered a rugged design and life-like skeleton. K9 Diesel’s added features include: Adjustable, realistic breathing Added audio cues (including four different sounds an injured dog might make) Interchangeable limbs Packable axillary wounds Decompression for gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV) Realistic venous and arterial bleeding for hemorrhage control training. Additionally, users are able to easily preprogram training scenarios, which can be named and saved for future use, allowing instructors to focus on the techniques of the learner while the simulator functions on its own throughout the exercise and captures the results for later review. “With K9 Diesel, operational K9 care is realized for the first time via simulation,” said Carolyn Hollander, vice president of TraumaFX. “Working closely with DOD operational K9 teams, we have been able to replicate many more real-world medical situations.” The simulator offers critical education and skills development capabilities ideal for military applications, as well as universities, veterinary hospitals, police and federal working dog teams, and civilian first responders. Key among them: Intubation and tracheostomy (lifelike airway) Adjustable bilateral pulses Bilateral cephalic IV with flash cue Bilateral needle decompression Bilateral intraosseous infusion (tibial and humeral) GDV decompression CPR with mouth to snout resuscitation. “Diesel’s wide range of features combined with its incredible fidelity will allow learners to practice critical interventions never before offered for canines in a simulated experience,” said Hollander. “It will greatly improve knowledge and skills related to canine emergency medicine and enable responders to deliver exceptional care.”
