E&CC | Intensive Care Unit

What types of cases are treated?

We commonly treat severe disease, kidney failure, complicated diabetes, advanced neurologic disease and cancer. Additionally, we provide specialized post-operative care for high-risk surgical and trauma patients. Each patient’s care and well-being is assessed constantly by the ICU team, with a low ratio of patients to staff most doctors and technicians only handle one to three patients per day.

How many Pets can the ICU Treat and what is their length of stay?

The service can care for up to 12 animals at a time. Our ICU veterinary technicians provide care for between one and three patients at any given time.

The average stay for a patient in ICU is 2-3 days, though it can range from a few hours to several weeks.

Why is your pet in the ICU?

The ICU has expertise and equipment not available elsewhere in our hospital. Admission to the ICU may be considered if your pet needs:

• Oxygen to help breathing
• A constant intravenous infusion of pain medications
• Intravenous nutrition
• Special monitoring and constant intravenous infusion of medicines for treatment of low blood pressure
• Constant ECG monitoring of the heart
• A ventilator to take over breathing
• A tracheostomy or chest tube
• Monitoring for seizures, following head injuries or any serious neurologic condition
• Post-operative monitoring for high-risk surgical procedures
• 24-hour monitoring and hour-to-hour adjustment of treatment protocol

Can you visit your pet in the ICU?

Your primary clinician at Ryan Hospital will update you at least 1-2 times a day, and you can arrange a time to visit your pet with them—typically during normal business hours. Visits may be limited in length due to the critical nature of our patients and caseload in the room.

Will my primary care veterinarian be updated?

We will call your primary care veterinarian the day your pet is transferred to the ICU and then provide regular updates throughout their stay. A copy of their discharge instructions will be sent to your veterinarian when your pet goes home.

Is there a veterinarian in the ICU all night long?

There is a veterinarian in the hospital at all times. Our ICU veterinary technicians are always in the ICU. The ICU residents and faculty are in the ICU 7 days a week, and are on call to provide patient care 24 hours a day. Whenever there is a critical patient in the ICU, a doctor from our team is in ICU 24 hours a day.