Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital Shares its Wish List

As the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital’s caseload continues to grow, so does the need to provide state-of-the-art diagnostics and care. Each year, the School purchases new equipment for the Hospital, but income can’t always stretch to cover all the necessary improvements.

That’s why the Hospital shares its wish list with the public. Sometimes, satisfied clients or other friends of the veterinary school decide to make a gift toward a substantial piece of equipment that will benefit numerous animal patients. Naming opportunities are available to donors that would like to cover the entire purchase cost of a piece of equipment.

Below is a list of the Hospital’s current needs:

• Tomotherapy Cancer Treatment - $3 million
  Wisconsin is one of the nation’s top veterinary cancer treatment facilities. To better serve our high oncology caseload, we need to replace our aging Cobalt-60 radiation therapy unit.  Our goal is to be the first veterinary medical facility in the nation with a tomotherapy unit (a unique combination of radiation treatment and a helical CT scanner).  Developed in Wisconsin, this new technology targets radiation specifically at the tumor and spares surrounding tissues.  It provides superior tumor control with much less toxicity. 
• Anesthesia System with Datascope Monitor - $38,000
  Whenever animals undergo surgery, it’s important to carefully administer the anesthetic and accurately monitor their condition to ensure a safe surgery and smooth recovery. Looking ahead, we need to replace equipment that will soon outlive its useful life.
• Vitek 2 Automated Microbiology System - $60,000
  Used to identify pathogens, this instrument is the mainstay of Clinical Pathology’s microbiology service.  The existing unit is aging and needs to be replaced, because service for the old unit will soon be discontinued by the manufacturer.  The capability to identify species of Bacillus has also been vastly improved.
• State-of-the-art MRI - $1.5 million
  The current MRI unit will not be transferable to the new building because of its age. We need a state-of-the-art MRI that can be incorporated into the renovated hospital.

Small Animal

• Neurology Ultrasonic Aspirator - $45,000
  This equipment would make it possible for us to accurately remove brain tumors in dogs and cats that currently we cannot operate on.
• Siemens Fluoroscopy Unit for Radiology - $256,900
  Used extensively for urinary, neurologic and GI contrast studies, and for radiographs of large dogs or smaller large animals such as sheep, llamas, foals and calves, the image quality on the existing unit is deteriorating due to age.  Replacement parts for this 24 year old machine have become difficult to find and its fluorography cannot be integrated with the new filmless image viewing system recently installed throughout the hospital.  Replacement would also allow interfacing with the new digital radiography system, enhancing image retrieval, presentations, and long-term archiving.
• CCU Multiparameter Monitor - $8,000
  This monitor would be used daily to check ECG, blood pressure, temperature, and CO2 on post-operative patients and on cardiac and internal medicine patients in the hospital’s Critical Care Unit.  Because this unit is small and portable, it could be used more effectively than existing aging equipment.
• CCU Hematocrit Centrifuge - $1,000
  Used to measure packed red blood cell volume, the results of this procedure are important to hospitalized patients, especially those that are anemic.  A new unit would be quieter, with assured accuracy.
• CCU Coagulation Analyzer - $2,500
  Changes in blood coagulation factors can be life threatening.  This unit would allow timely testing and monitoring, so that treatment could be instituted without delay.
• Orthopedic Battery-operated Drill - $17,700
  This drill is high torque and includes an oscillating feature, both of which help the school’s orthopedic surgeons drill bone more effectively during surgery.  The cordless nature of the drill can be advantageous in procedures where the electrical cord or airhose may get in the way.

Large Animal

• Three-meter Endoscope - $40,000
  Large horses (such as draft horses) have a longer GI tract, and the existing 2.5 meter scope will not reach to their lower gastric area.  A longer scope would permit clinicians to visualize the pyloric region of the stomach. 
• Large Animal Table for CT Scanner - $80,000
  Currently, our CT scanner is limited to small animals, calves and foals. A heavy-duty table designed for large animals will allow us to image lower limbs for fractures, tendon and joint injuries, and skulls of large animals for dental disease and to assess trauma cases.

To provide the best care, our faculty and staff need access to the best facilities and equipment.