Results & Initiatives Story
Spreading its Wings
John and Ann Tickle Small Animal Hospital: Spreading Its Wings
With the expansion of the John and Ann Tickle Small Animal Hospital, dogs in need of rehabilitation now have a space to call their own.
The philanthropic instincts of John and Ann Tickle made the necessary expansion of the previous 30-year-old space possible for the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM).
“The facility, built decades ago, was never intended to accommodate the approximately 15,000 small animals treated every year,” said Dr. Jim Thompson, UTCVM dean. Since 1978, the patient caseload has increased by more than 70 percent.
UT Vice President for Agriculture Joseph DiPietro said the small animal hospital now matches the caliber and class of the people who work there. “The veterinary program, like all programs at UT, is another window to the public,” he said. “Clients who come here see the university in a different light, and it is important they see we are on the cutting edge of veterinary medicine.”
The canine physical rehabilitation program occupies a suite spanning 3,000 square feet within the $10 million, 32,000-square-foot expansion, which was completed in the spring of 2008. Also housed in the small animal hospital are world-class programs in medical and radiation oncology; avian, wildlife, and exotic zoological medicine; and veterinary social work; in addition to an isolation suite for small animals with infectious diseases.
With the ability to make a splash in a heated therapy pool or three underwater treadmills, dogs are able to recover more quickly from surgery. Along with the aquatic center, canine physical rehabilitation and therapy services offers a room for acupuncture, laser, and ultrasound therapies, and an exercise room with a special rubberized floor. Clinicians are able to utilize additional modalities to focus their efforts beyond surgery and explore areas related to arthritis, obesity, and conditioning for sporting, working, and overweight dogs.
Medical oncology moved from a crowded treatment room shared with two other services (each having a clinician, resident, intern, students, veterinary technician, and veterinary assistant) to its own 1,600-square-foot space. A large portion of the expansion is dedicated to diagnosing and treating animals with cancer. The linear accelerator is one of the tools used to irradiate tumors in animals. The $1.5 million high-tech machine is a rarity among university veterinary hospitals. With medical oncology, the chemotherapy room, and radiation oncology side-by-side, an increased caseload can be managed and coordinated more effectively between medical and radiation oncologists.
Avian and zoological medicine is now a hospital within a hospital with one of the largest and most modern avian and zoological medicine wards in the country. Cramped rooms with cages have been upgraded to a state-of-the-art facility with its own endoscopy suite and procedure room. Separate areas house birds, reptiles, small mammals, and aquatic fowl. A secure room also is available to treat dangerous animals such as bears and tigers, which allows the small animal hospital to provide primary care to such organizations as the Knoxville Zoological Gardens, the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tiger Haven, the American Eagle Foundation, and Appalachian Bear Rescue.
“The facility will allow UTCVM to push the bar of contemporary educational standards to a new level,” said Dr. Robert DeNovo, professor and associate dean of Veterinary Hospital Operations.