After School Pro

When most people think of a scale, the first thing that comes to mind is a bathroom scale, the meat-weighing scale at the butcher shop, or the hanging scale that a large fish might be hung from. The world of scales is much wider than most of us know. Scales can be found in health care, office supplies, food and retail, and the industrial sector.

In the health care industry, weight is an important measure of health. Doctors scales, which give a standing patient’s height and weight, can be found in any doctor’s office in the country. Pediatric clinics use infant and toddler scales that allow a small child to be placed on a flat surface for a weight measurement. Flat scales are available to weigh a person in a wheel chair. Even some hospital beds have an internal scale that can be used to measure a patient who is lying down.

In the office, scales can be found in many places. Postal scales allow a company to weigh letters and small boxes to calculate postage rates. Parcel scales let shipping departments weigh larger boxes to determine shipping weight, which allows the shipper to know the price of shipping the item before it is even picked up by the shipping company.

In the food and retail world, more types of scales are available than just the food scale found in the meat department. Point of sale scales allow the check-out clerk to weigh produce and other items that are priced by weight. The scales are usually connected straight to the point of sale system so the price is automatically calculated and added to the total. Hanging produce scales are found in every produce section, allowing customers to weigh fruits and vegetables before purchasing to know how much they will be buying. Food portioning and home use kitchen scales allow portion-conscious people to measure exactly how much food will be served in a portion, making weight loss and calorie counting easier.

The industrial sector uses scales for many different functions. Floor pallet scales make it possible to weigh a pallet full of material by simply wheeling the pallet over a sensor pad. Parts counting scales let the user count the number of small parts available. A single part is weighed first to determine the weight that represents one unit, and then the system calculates the weight of the rest of the parts and gives the user a final, accurate tally. This is a far more efficient manner than hand counting which saves precious time for warehouse workers during inventory assessment time.

Scales are also used regularly in scientific laboratories. Analytical balances allow scientists to weigh very small amounts of material with extreme precision. High capacity balances give the same level of precision, but let the user weigh heavier materials.

Scales are found in almost every industry in America. They provide us with accurate data necessary to make produce purchases, health decisions, ship packages cost effectively, and mix the right amount of chemicals to make pharmaceutical drugs. Though most people never give scales a thought, they are a vital tool, which we cannot live without.

Doctors Scales Price Computing Scales Jewelry Scales Detecto Scales Health O Meter Scales Seca Scales Ohaus ScalesPelouze Scales Analytical Balances Moisture Analyzers

As a veterinary professional in rural northeast Texas, I am challenged with the care of many different species on any given day. I decided long ago, straight out of Texas A&M, that I wanted to specialize in large animals. So far, that dream has been realized. I didn’t always have such targeted goals.

When I was still in school, during my first year of residency, I dealt with my fair share of domestic cats and dogs. I lost count somewhere around five hundred patients. I saw many different breeds and enjoyed seeing the animals interact with their owners.

I understand the special relationship that can come about from adopting an animal. I, my self, have had a dog since I was a boy. I hunted with him, slept with him, and played with him constantly. I was there when he was picked out as a three month old pup and I was there when we put him down. Please don’t mistake me for a man that doesn’t feel. I feel plenty. I loved that dog, but I understood when his time had come. It was at that point that I realized that it would be mere selfishness to continue his life and thus his suffering.

I opted to not dedicate my career to seeing this scenario play out time and again. As a rural vet, I have seen and will continue to see many dogs and cats euthanized. The brunt of my day, however, is dedicated to maintaining livestock. Whether bovine or equestrian, I can’t help but appreciate their strength of form.

The men and women who entrust their animals to me are counting on me to protect their investments and their outright livelihoods. This is always at the top of my mind. While I want the animals to feel as little displeasure as possible, it never escapes me that an extra procedure or three could ruin a small cattle operation.

Some of the equipment that I use in my practice is pretty bulky, as you could imagine. I have a shoot, cattle trailers, horse trailers, a one ton truck, like just about every other rancher that hires me. I have an equestrian floor scale to weigh the larger animals that arrive at my facility. It has a 2500 pound capacity, so it handles all but the very largest of livestock out there. In fact, I have yet to come within three hundred pounds of its upper limit.

The cattle I see are usually in small groups, but I have seen as many as five hundred head at one time. Obviously for these situations, I make house calls. Frequently I will be asked to vaccinate the entire herd. Now, this is a full days work. If you have never run cattle through a shoot before, you’d be in for a treat. They are large animals, but they usually just follow the leader. The tricky part is when you have a rogue one that has to be coaxed into compliance. I mean, all we are doing is holding their neck in a metal contraption and rotating them on their side with a table. Then we just give them a shot and maybe a brand while we are at it. Now, if it’s a boy, we may be taking a little away, too. That’s for another story.

Digital Scales Baby Scales Bathroom Scales Counting Scales Floor Scales Food Scales Hanging Scales Kitchen ScalesMedical Scales Postal Scales