What is a Board Certified Criticalist?

Criticalists are specialists with advanced training in the management of life-threatening conditions and therefore see pets with a wide range of problems, from general emergencies to critically ill animals recovering in pet ICUs. To be a boarded specialist, applicants undergo an intensive three-year residency program approved by the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care (ACVECC), publish in a peer-reviewed journal, and pass a rigorous board examination. Upon successful completion of the training and passing of the examination, the veterinarian is a Diplomate of the ACVECC (a DACVECC), is termed a “specialist”, and is board-certified in veterinary emergency and critical care.

How do I know if my pet needs a criticalist?

Pets are often a part of the family, and it can be very frightening when a beloved family member has a life-threatening illness or injury. Criticalists work alongside emergency veterinarians, other specialists, and primary care veterinarians to ensure the best outcome for your pet. Common problems that may benefit from a criticalist include severe trauma, difficulty breathing, shock, collapse, sepsis (severe, overwhelming infection), traumatic brain injury, protracted seizures, acute organ failure, or difficulties recovering from surgery or anesthesia.

Critically ill pets often need to be hospitalized, and receive many of the same diagnostics and treatments that people receive in human ICUs. These can include continuous blood pressure and heart monitoring, acid-base and blood gas analysis, blood transfusions, blood pressure support, oxygen supplementation, aggressive multimodal pain control, specialized nutritional support, and life support modalities such as dialysis and mechanical ventilation.

About 24-Hour Emergency Services

Our emergency department aims to provide initial stabilization and advanced life support of critically ill and injured patients in conjunction with other specialty departments within the hospital.

Our emergency department is staffed with skilled and dedicated emergency doctors and certified technicians who are well versed in the acute resuscitation of trauma patients as well as pets exposed to toxins and infectious diseases. They will provide peri-surgical and anesthetic support as well as intensive management to hospitalized patients including continuous monitoring, blood pressure support, fluid therapy, transfusion medicine and advanced pain management. The team is dedicated to treating life-threatening conditions and is available 24/7.

Urgent Conditions Treated:

We treat any injuries or illnesses, from the most severe to the everyday.  Some common conditions treated may include:

• Shock and Serious Injury
• General Illness
• Dog and Cat Bites
• Cardiac Arrhythmia
• Respiratory Distress
• Toxicity Exposure
• Head, Eye, and Ear Trauma/Problems
• Seizures
• Heat Stroke
• Insect and Snake Bites/Stings
• Cactus Encounters
• Ongoing Chronic Diseases

Resources

American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care
http://www.acvecc.org

ASPCA Poison Control
http://www.aspca.org/Home/Pet-care/poison-control

Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Society
http://www.veccs.org

24-Hour Services Offered:

We are available anytime for inpatient or outpatient care.

• Diagnostic Work Up and Stabilization/Treatment
• Hospitalization
• Fluid Therapy
• Oxygen Therapy
• Blood Transfusion
• Blood Gas Analysis
• Nutritional Support
• Management of Toxicities
• Radiology/Ultrasound
• Post-Operative Support
• Pain Management
• 24-hour State-of-the-art Patient Monitoring
• Management of Toxicities, Seizures & Metabolic Disorders
• Traumatic Injury, Wound Care and Treatment of Shock (i.e. hit by car, bite wounds, burn injuries, etc.)
• Urinary Obstruction
• Emergency Imaging
• Coagulation Analysis
• CPR
• Cardiac Arrhythmias
• Specialized Anesthetic Protocols
• Respiratory Distress and Oxygen Therapy