Critical care Medicine encompasses many aspects of patient care. Veterinary critical care is a new and expanding field. Many disciplines are necessary in the treatment of these seriously ill patients. Patients that require critical care are those that need extensive nursing care, or continuous monitoring and stabilization prior to or after surgery. Critical care of these patients may involve supplementary nutrition, serial diagnostic tests, blood transfusions and management of metabolic disturbances.

In order to care for these critical ill patients we have created a dedicated critical care unit within our facility. This unit is designed to provide state of the art care with patient comfort in mind.

We are pleased to have been accredited by the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care to provide a Residency Training Program. We are the only private practice in Canada offering this level of training. Our first resident, Dr Trevor Enberg, had 9 yr. of experience in Prince George before he agreed to join us in 2002 to complete a 3 year residency program.

The critical care team welcomes the opportunity to care for new and challenging cases. Our service relies heavily on the expertise of Nicole Jameson; our most senior certified critical care technician and the assistance of Sherrie, our service assistant.

To streamline the process of admission, the emergency and critical care service will initially manage all non-scheduled referral cases. The cases can be transferred or referred to the appropriate specialty services after admission.

Critical illness is different from any illness that your pet has likely encountered before. It is often unexpected and rapid in onset and can strike the previously fit as well as more debilitated patients. It is often life threatening and there may be complex levels of treatment required especially in the early stages.
You will have to cope with an unfamiliar environment as well as your worries about the illness of your pet.

Pets with critical illness basically suffer from failure of one or more body systems such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver or even the brain. All of those organs work closely together in the healthy body so it is not surprising that when one fails, others can follow.

This type of illness rarely gets better rapidly or smoothly. More commonly the initial acute period is followed by a longer period of recovery during which the body remains at risk from infections.

We will be looking at the overall trend in their status and not just how they are on occasion. It is rarely possible to state that a patient is definitely “out of the woods” as condition may change rapidly with little warning. Positive news come as your beloved pet gets better, but we cannot predict every hurdle along the way to recovery.

The amount of monitoring done in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) can appear overwhelming to a visitor (or the pets). There are often several intravenous lines attached to different bags of medicine and fluid. These lines can go into the veins in the forelimbs, hindlimbs or in the neck. A cuff can be wrapped around the foreleg to take blood pressure readings. A device that measures oxygen level in the blood, known as a pulse oximeter, may be used.

Stickers are placed close to the paws (or clips on the elbows and knees) attached to wires to monitor the heart tracing, or EKG. Your pet might require oxygen supplementation through a tube in the nose.

The same person does not take care of a patient all the time. Specially trained technicians generally work in 8-hour shifts. There is always a doctor on call in case of an emergency. During the shift changes, the staff exchanges information about each patient (rounds). This is recorded in the patients’ medical record.

We will do our best to support you during this time, making sure you are aware of what happens next in terms of making arrangements and answering your questions.

Please nominate one member of your family to act as the main person contact with us. This is especially important for phone calls as our time is best spent caring for our patients.

If you are confused by something you have been told or you are getting conflicting information, please tell one of the staff and we will try to clear up any confusion. Our relationship of trust with you is extremely important and should not be allowed to deteriorate.

We will endeavor to explain the medical condition(s) affecting your pets, provide you with written information or links and give you medical as well as financial updates.

Unfortunately, despite all the advances in veterinary medicine, not all patients survive critical illness. The loss of a beloved pet is a traumatic event. Should you or someone you know experience pet loss, please see our section on Pet Loss and Bereavement.