Serving All Creatures Great and Small

It’s spring in Iowa, and that means one thing for the large animal hospital at Iowa State University’s Dr. W. Eugene and Linda Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center (LVMC): foaling season is in full swing. Dozens of pregnant mares — many of them valuable show horses — have come to the facility to participate in Iowa State’s "foal watch" program.

Photo of the recently dedicated large animal facility at the Dr. W. Eugene and Linda Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center.

The mares are here for many reasons — perhaps their owners had to be away during this crucial time, or are simply uncomfortable with delivering the foals themselves. Often, however, the mares are brought in because of a problem or anticipated problem with the delivery, and Iowa State is the best place for them to receive the 24/7 observation and care they need. (To read more about the foal watch program and view an ultrasound of a foal in the womb, click here.)

"Much of the work we do here changes with the seasons," says Dr. Sally Prickett, director of the LVMC. As spring moves into summer, the foaling, calving and lambing will make way for other activities that reflect the yearly cycles of both animals and people. For example, when the nearby Prairie Meadows Racetrack starts its horseracing season, Iowa State’s equine veterinarians will be busy treating horses for lameness and other illnesses and conditions.

This year is different from all previous years, however, thanks to a construction and renovation project made possible by gifts from more than 4,000 donors, alumni and friends from around the country. As they move through the seasons of 2009, veterinarians, owners and animals are reaping the benefits of the facility completed in phase I on this project, the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center. Dedicated in October 2008 and named after Dr. W. Eugene and Linda Lloyd, who provided the lead gift for the facility, the LVMC has given the Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine an additional 108,000 square feet of new and renovated space to care for and treat horses and production animals. The ultra-modern hospital features equine and food animal diagnosis areas, treatment and surgery suites, advanced imaging facilities, an intensive care unit, and new entry, reception and waiting areas for patients and clients.

One of the most modern — and timely — features at the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center is a new isolation suite for the study and treatment of contagious animal diseases. "Infectious diseases are more on people’s minds these days, with the H1N1 flu making news," says Dr. Prickett, and it’s important that veterinary schools prepare students for work in this area. Students at Iowa State learn "immense and exacting protocols" to reduce the impact and halt the spread of these diseases among both animals and people.

Architect’s rendering of the completed Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center, including both the large and small animal facilities. Construction is slated for completion in 2012.

The new hospital is already having an impact on teaching and learning at the college. "One excellent example of [new and improved teaching resources] is our rounds rooms," says Dr. Prickett. These areas feature large, up-to-date technology systems where all diagnostics such as x-rays, ultrasounds, lab work, and other data can be displayed for students. In the rounds rooms, it’s easier for the college’s clinicians and students to "talk about all of the facets of a case at one time and in one place," Dr. Prickett says. "It’s an outstanding environment for learning."

Large animals aren’t the only ones to benefit from the construction at the College of Veterinary Medicine and the generosity of thousands of donors and friends. Iowa State’s small animal hospital is looking forward to its upcoming expansion and renovation that will double its size and provide even more resources for the care and treatment of companion animals and support research into the issues affecting the health of all small animals. The new facility will feature up-to-date surgery suites, state-of-the-art diagnostic and imaging equipment, safe and sanitary treatment wards, reception and waiting areas designed for more efficient and welcoming patient flow, and more effective building security.

A cat gets a CAT scan at Iowa State's small animal hospital.

The new and enhanced resources at the small and companion animal hospital will be made possible by a combination of private and public funding, including the recent allocation of $38 million from the Iowa legislature. The improvements will allow the college’s faculty and students to continue — and even expand — the valuable outreach programs already offered to people and animals in central Iowa and beyond. These programs include seminars on small animal care that are free and open to the public, 24-hour emergency and critical care services to all animals, and a pet loss support hotline.

Already, faculty, staff and students are looking forward to the completion of the project, slated for 2012. "Teaching in small groups or one-on-one is the only way to teach our senior students, interns and residents in clinical veterinary medicine and surgery," says Dr. Claudia Baldwin, associate professor in the college’s small animal program. "Our new facility will give us the room to work more efficiently and teach more effectively. The space, along with state-of-the-art equipment, will [also] allow us to offer the level of care our clients’ desire."

For more information about giving to the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine — including a number of naming opportunities in both the large and small animal facilities — please contact Shane Jacobson at 515.294.4675 or shanej@iastate.edu, or Jeff Spielman at 515.294.8562 or spielman@iastate.edu. To read about more news and events from the College of Veterinary Medicine, visit vetmed.iastate.edu.