A part of our emergency department, the intensive care unit (ICU) is dedicated to the treatment of the most critical patients we care for at Hope Veterinary Specialists.
Overseen by two board-certified specialists in emergency and critical care, the ICU is staffed by highly skilled, state-certified nurses who have a specific interest in critical care. Further, the majority of the ICU nursing staff at Hope VS has advanced training and certification, VTS(ECC). (Please visit http://avecct.org/index for more details on this impressive certification—and the rigors of attaining it.)
Developed with the goal of delivering the highest level of care hand-in-hand (and paw-in-hand) with the highest level of compassion, the Hope VS ICU delivers advanced medical care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
With two entrances, one directly connected to the doctors’ workstation, and enclosed in glass, the ICU is always highly visible and quickly accessible.
Lined with cages for cats and small dogs and with large, spacious runs (with heated floors) for bigger dogs, the ICU is uniquely capable of providing exceptional, focused, and personalized care.
The following is a brief list of the just some of the services provided and techniques used in the ICU:
Advanced invasive intravenous catheter placement, including triple lumens, peripherally inserted central catheters, and arterial catheters
Arterial and central venous blood pressure monitoring
Colloid osmotic pressure measurement and blood gas analysis
Esophageal, nasogastric, and nasojejunal tube feedings
Oxygen therapy via two dedicated oxygen cages equipped with heat, air conditioning, and relative humidity controls
Please note that while standard visiting hours in our hospital are noon-10pm, extended visiting hours are usually granted for families of patients in our ICU. To schedule a visit, please call and speak with an ICU nurse. These visits, almost without exception, take place in the ICU itself.
