By Christopher Outcalt
Colorado State University is opening a 15,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art livestock hospital this week as part of an ambitious, ongoing construction project on the University’s South Campus. Construction also includes the Veterinary Hospital and Education Complex, or VHEC, a centerpiece of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences’ focus on training the next generation of highly skilled veterinarians. The complex is scheduled to open later this summer.
The new Livestock Hospital is equipped with facilities to accommodate medical, surgical, and ambulatory support needs, meeting current and future demand for large animal care. The building is located adjacent to the existing Johnson Family Equine Hospital, consolidating CSU’s large animal services, including pharmacy, support staff, anesthesia, and animal care teams, into the same area.
Livestock clients will check in at the equine hospital front desk and then be directed to the hospital for their appointment.
“The reason veterinary colleges developed in land grant institutions was to respond to the societal need for livestock and equine care at the turn of the twentieth century,” said Dr. Sue VandeWoude, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “Though the profession has evolved considerably since the inception of veterinary colleges, our livestock hospital remains critically important to our constituents and the vibrant Colorado agricultural economy. This new facility underscores CSU’s continuing commitment to large animal veterinary medical education.”
University Distinguished Professor Temple Grandin, a world-renowned animal welfare expert, consulted on the plans for the new hospital, particularly as it relates to how animals will move through the building. There are curved cattle chutes, Grandin’s signature design, that aim to improve animal comfort by minimizing dark or blind corners, which can scare animals.
The hospital features modern surgery suites where veterinarians can perform standing surgeries, which reduces the need for general anesthesia and are generally considered safer for animals. The suites are also larger, allowing more space for students to be involved, and include custom chutes to easily move the animals in and out of the surgery spaces.
Source : colostate.edu