Critical Care

The heart of the program is outstanding patient care. A fully staffed Intensive Care Unit at the College of Veterinary Medicine is operated 24 hours per day by highly qualified and skilled veterinary clinicians and technicians, who use all the progressive diagnostic and therapeutic equipment essential to the needs of critically ill pets. In addition to the urgent care provided at arrival, consultation services are available with specialists in surgery, neurology, ophthalmology, oncology and dermatology during a patient's hospital stay. Critical care clinicians communicate daily with pet owners and involve the referring veterinarian in the ongoing management of their patients.

The research component of the program involves projects that focus on diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of acute diseases in dogs and cats. Areas of ongoing research include nutrition, cardiovascular drug therapy, infectious disease, critical care monitoring techniques and transfusion medicine. (Patients are never involved in research projects without the consent of the pet owner and the Auburn University Animal Care and Use Committee.)

Faculty, residents, interns and students also report important findings that have been learned through the management of cases involving critically ill patients. This information is distributed to colleagues across the country through published reports and annual meetings.

Auburn University is home to some of the most highly qualified specialists in the nation.

Serving on the Critical Care Program faculty are:

• Dr. Douglass Macintire, ACVIM, ACVECC, Small Animal Critical Care
• Dr. Jim Wohl, ACVIM, ACVECC, Small Animal Critical Care

The College of Veterinary Medicine established the Critical Care Program in summer 2001 for the betterment of critically ill small animals. If you would like to make a financial gift to the Critical Care Program, contact Sam Hendrix, Director of Development, at 317 S. College St., Auburn University, AL 36849; (334) 844-1446.