Providing Leading-Edge Care for Companion Animals
The College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University: A Leader in Animal Care
SINCE IT WAS ESTABLISHED as the first public veterinary school in the nation, the College of Veterinary Medicine has been a frontrunner in veterinary education and research, and in providing outstanding animal health care services to the people of Iowa and beyond. The Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center provides innovative clinical services to more than 25,000 cases a year from around the Midwest. The oncology service specifically sees approximately 5,000 cases a year and has treated patients from across the country and continent, including Montana, Washington state, California, New Mexico, and Manitoba, Canada.
The Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center has had an especially personal impact for the increasing number of people who consider companion animals members of their families. As companion animal ownership grows, so does the need for veterinary care across all specialty areas. The Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital offers exceptional treatment in a comprehensive range of specialties — and now must meet a growing need for additional expertise in the field of oncology (cancer care).
The Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital provides a modern facility that plays a critical role in keeping the college at the forefront of veterinary care and research. When the facility opened in 2012, the college had a long-term plan to add a Pet Cancer Clinic that would provide comprehensive treatment capabilities and bring together the expertise of veterinarians with specialties in medical, radiation, and surgical oncology.
In 2017, the first phase of this effort — the addition of a facility offering stereotactic radiation therapy, or SRT, a vital component of integrated cancer treatment protocols — was completed. The college is now planning the next phase: the construction of a Pet Cancer Clinic that will enhance the hospital’s capacity to address the pet population’s much-needed and growing care needs.
THE PET CANCER CLINIC IN THE HIXSON-LIED SMALL ANIMAL HOSPITAL
Iowa State offers the only veterinary hospital in Iowa with board- certified medical and radiation oncologists to treat cancer in animals. With an estimated cost of $7 million and a location adjacent to the 2017 radiation therapy facility, the new Pet Cancer Clinic will provide a centralized, state-of-the-art facility for this care, and enhance clinical trial capabilities.
The project will renovate 3,640 square feet of interior space and include an addition of approximately 2,000 square feet to develop the Cancer Clinic, creating the ability to provide comprehensive, patient-centered treatment for a greater number of small pets with cancer, as well as facilitate the collaboration of oncologists with specialists in surgery, veterinary pathology, internal medicine, cardiology, and ophthalmology. In addition to providing more space for specialized oncology treatments and services, the new unit will have dedicated consultation spaces for oncology patients close to where they are being treated.
