Services > Animal Critical Care
Animal Critical Care services include diagnostic monitoring as well as specialized treatments. Our doctors will assess the patient's critical needs and inform the owners of the best course of action. Many critically ill or injured patients require constant attention, oxygen therapy, placement on a ventilator, placement of chest tubes or indwelling urinary catheters, and scheduled monitoring of blood parameters. Monitoring blood pressure, ECG, and controlled fluid therapy are all tasks taken on by our nursing/technical staff.
Heart Monitoring (ECG) - monitoring the ECG (Electrocardiogram) is very important during surgery, in evaluation of cardiac disease, in cases of severe electrolyte disorder, and in some post-operative cases where arrhythmias are a common problem.
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 Blood Pressure - We use a special animal blood pressure unit which is equipped with cuffs small enough for small cats, and even rabbits. Animals can develop abnormal blood pressures due to certain diseases (such as hyperthyroidism), blood loss and shock, anesthetic complications, or heart disease.
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 Oxygen Therapy- We have two state-of-the-art oxygen units which can provide more than double the oxygen available in room air. The oxygen cage can house one large patient or two smaller pets. The temperature, humidity and oxygen flow can be controlled to exact levels to ensure that the patients are comfortable and receiving the proper oxygen level for their condition.
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 Fluid Therapy- All patients placed on intravenous fluid therapy are given their own IV pump to control the exact amount of fluids they receive every minute. The nursing staff closely monitors all IV medications, and institutes any changes directed by the attending emergency doctor.
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 Blood Monitoring- Blood gas, blood (sugar) glucose, protein levels, electrolyte monitoring and clotting ability are all important factors in serious metabolic conditions. Evaluating the pH of the blood in relation to the oxygen, carbon dioxide, and bicarbonate levels is important in critically ill patients with either lung or heart problems. These tests can be performed within minutes of obtaining a blood sample.
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