Vet-TROMA program prepares U.S Army veterinarians to care for Military Working Dogs on the battlefield.
Tampa, Florida, Mar. 13, 2024 – To honor K9 Veteran’s Day, BluePearl™, in partnership with the U.S. Army Office of the Surgeon General and U.S. Army Veterinary Corps, announced the Veterinary Trauma Readiness and Operational Medicine Agility (Vet-TROMA) program. Through this first-of-its-kind veterinary military-civilian partnership program, BluePearl specialists provide industry-leading specialty and emergency veterinary care training to U.S. Army veterinarians to enhance their abilities to treat Military Working Dogs (MWDs) combat casualties.
The U.S. Army Veterinary Corps provides medical and surgical care to more than 1,600 MWDs on active duty who deploy and can be injured just like Soldiers. Vet-TROMA is an additional training experience available for U.S. Army veterinary personnel to prepare them to provide lifesaving care to MWDs at their time of greatest need.
Vet-TROMA is currently offered at two BluePearl hospitals near U.S. Army facilities in Lakewood, Washington, and Cary, North Carolina, with plans to expand to additional BluePearl locations. U.S. Army veterinarians complete 67 hours of didactic distance learning followed by an intensive three-week clinical rotation at the BluePearl sites.
“U.S. Army veterinary teams are often faced with trauma situations in which split-second, life-or-death decisions must be made,” said Dr. Richard Stone, Chief Medical Officer at BluePearl. “The advanced training offered through Vet-TROMA helps create more skilled and confident veterinarians—qualities that are necessary to care for canines in combat. We are already seeing the program’s impact in the field, and we look forward to growing this partnership and giving more options for U.S. Army veterinarians to feel confident caring for Military Working Dogs injured in combat.”
Captain Abbey Calvo, formally a veterinary team leader from the 218th Medical Detachment (Veterinary Service Support), was the first Veterinary Corps Officer to complete a clinical rotation with BluePearl as part of the Vet-TROMA program. During the three-week onsite immersion, Captain Calvo saw 105 emergency cases, including a dog with a gunshot wound to the chest, acute toxicities, and patients requiring blood transfusions—all which MWD’s may experience on the battlefield.
“Military Working Dogs are an irreplaceable asset to our military and loyally work to protect our service members, so I need to be prepared to save them if they get injured or become ill on the battlefield,” explained Captain Calvo. “The training I received from BluePearl through the Vet-TROMA program was life-changing for me and the dogs I serve, giving me additional tools, I need to ensure I am ready to assist our canine counterparts when they need me most.”
Part of the Mars Veterinary Health family of businesses, BluePearl provides exceptional specialty and emergency care through shared passion, knowledge and talents, with the aim of creating A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS®. To learn more about BluePearl and the Vet-TROMA program, visit bluepearlvet.com or follow us on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.
About BluePearl Pet Hospital.
Founded in 1996, BluePearl is one of the largest specialty and emergency veterinary practices in the U.S. today. BluePearl has more than 110 hospitals in 30 states that together employ 8,000+ Associates, including 1,100+ veterinarians, 4,000+ veterinary technicians, and 1,600+ other professionals. Each year, our compassionate teams provide high-quality care for more than 1.1 million pets and their families. BluePearl clinicians also participate in clinical studies to discover new treatments and procedures that improve pet health. As part of the Mars Veterinary Health family, BluePearl is committed to its purpose — A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS® — because pets make a better world for us. Learn more at BluePearlVet.com.
About U.S. Army.
The U.S. Army Veterinary Corps was established on June 3, 1916, to care for the large number of animals used by the U.S. military during World War I. The Army is the only military service that delivers veterinary support within the Department of Defense to include providing veterinary medical and surgical care to working animals, decreasing the potential for transmission of diseases from animals to humans, safeguarding the food supply for service members and their families, and supporting military research and development efforts. There are currently over 800 U.S. Army veterinarians on both active duty and in the Reserves providing care to MWDs globally.
