Spring 2025

An Invaluable and Essential Asset

The new C-arm machine in the Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital is a game changer. The GE OEC Elite mobile C-arm allows veterinary teams in several specialty services to capture high-resolution continual pulse X-ray images in real-time during surgical procedures. “This capability is an invaluable and essential asset in fields like cardiology, orthopedic and soft tissue surgery, and internal medicine,” said Stephanie Canon, manager of clinical support for the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center. “The C-arm can significantly impact surgical outcomes.” The C-arm machine purchase was made possible through donations to the Companion Animal Fund. Individuals wishing to contribute to the Companion Animal can call 515.294.8493 or make an online gift.

Dual Treatments

By the time Ghost was presented at the Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital his lymph nodes were so large they were affecting his ability to eat, drink and breath normally. The seven-year-old domestic long hair cat was diagnosed with nasal lymphoma, the most common cancer that occurs within a cat’s nasal cavity. To treat the disease, Ghost received palliative radiation therapy from the Oncology Service in the Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital. Patients, professional students, interns and residents have long benefitted from the Pet Cancer Clinic with endless possibilities on the way with a new $7 million addition to the facility.

New Procedure

The Cardiology Service in collaboration with the Internal Medicine Service in the Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital is now offering a new procedure for dogs. The Endovascular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt procedure will be performed by Dr. Kristen Poplawski, a cardiologist at the hospital. She will be in consultation with Dr. Jean-Sebastien Palerme, internal medicine specialist on the cases along with other team members from the cardiology and internal medicine services. “The procedure requires specialized skills in minimally invasive techniques including vascular catheter manipulation, stent deployment and coil placement,” Poplawski said.

Quite the Firecracker

There’s not much margin for error when veterinary ophthalmologists treat horses with adnexal neoplasm. That was the case when Firecracker was presented to the Large Animal Hospital at the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center last summer. Adnexal neoplasia is essentially cancer of the eyelids and squamous cell carcinoma is the most common one of these in horses. Horses with non-pigmented eyelids margins are predisposed. Throw in the risk factor of solar radiation and Firecracker had issues. “The particular challenge with adnexal neoplasm is that we do not have a lot of extra tissue to lose,” said Dr. Mona Hoerdemann, equine surgeon and ophthalmology resident. “While we ideally excise the neoplastic tissue with a large margin this does not work for eyelids since that impairs their main function of protecting the eye.” To save Firecracker’s eye, the ISU veterinary team had to explore adjunctive therapy options. With this level of care, just imagine how much equine care will be evaluated when a new expansion is completed to accommodate critically ill patients.

Welcome Chad Brown

Dr. Chad Brown, director of veterinary nursing programs and clinical associate professor of veterinary administration at Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, has been named executive director of the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center. “Chad is a wonderful addition to our team,” said Dr. Dan Grooms, the Dr. Stephen G. Juelsgaard Dean of Veterinary Medicine. “He has a strong grasp of business management, financial oversight, and strategic planning – all skills that are invaluable for running a large veterinary hospital like the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center.”

Going to the Patient

Technician walking with mobile x-ray machine

A mobile X-ray machine has made a significant impact on cases in the Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital. Thanks to the versatility of the mobile unit, patients who are anesthetized no longer must be moved to the radiology department from surgery.

Forever True Day

Join supporters of the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center for the annual Forever True Day, a 24-hour online giving celebration to assist the hospital in continuing to provide the very best care for our pets. The celebration will start at forevertrueday.com, so mark your calendars for noon CST on Wednesday, April 2, to join in on the online celebration! Your support and participation will make this Forever True Day a successful celebration of philanthropy and the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center!

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