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The Pet Health Center: The teaching hospital's general practice

By Michelle Hall

Don't think of Kansas State University's Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital as just a place to bring sick or hurt animals.

The hospital also offers a small-animal practice within its walls for checkups, routine vaccinations and heartworm tests. The practice, known as The Pet Health Center, has its own clientele and offers three doctors, one technician and four or five students. Any animal not referred to a specialist within the hospital by another veterinarian comes through The Pet Health Center.

Veterinanrians in The Pet Health Center see about 350 patients a month.

Not many pet owners realize they can bring their animals to the hospital for regular visits, just as they would to any other veterinarian. Not many other teaching hospitals offer this service to their community, beyond vaccinations.

Veterinarians in The Pet Health Center also offer behavior consultation for pets; canine reproductive work, including artificial insemination and hormone testing; and a senior pet care program for pets more than 7 years of age. They are also working to develop similar programs for puppy and kitten care.

Although their care and services are much like that of a general veterinary practice, there are some differences.
They have the advantage of having specialists right down the hall to consult with. Also, when an animal comes to The Pet Health Center, a student first speaks with the pet owner to get the animal's history and perform a physical. Then the teacher repeats the evaluation. This has its distinct advantages as well as its disadvantages; although many people go over each pet, it does take a little longer.

Some people think pet owners never see the same doctor at the Vet Med Teaching Hospital, but they do. Only the students rotate through. And if a pet owner has seen one of the three veterinarians before, they are able to request to see them again at the next appointment.

Dr. Kathy Gaughan and student Jeff Brakenhoff examine a patient in the Pet Health Center.

Spring 2003