Animal Health
The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine is generating solutions for a healthier world in the 21st century.
Our outreach programs range from a full-service animal hospital and diagnostic laboratory in Urbana to pathology services for Chicago-area zoos to public forums across the state on emerging disease threats to weekly educational columns for pet owners. These programs touch the lives of thousands of animals and their owners and help safeguard public health.
Together, our Veterinary Teaching Hospital and Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory provide care for over 50,000 animals each year, both on-site and across the state, and conduct more than 138,000 complex laboratory tests to protect animal and human health.
The Veterinary Teaching Hospital provides expert care to 15,000 companion animal patients a year. Our hospital develops and tests the newest surgical approaches, best diagnostic tests, and state-of-the-art treatment protocols. It is growing in importance as a place for implementing the practical health applications of biomaterials and other benchtop discoveries.
Many student organizations extend our outreach efforts. A Pet’s Place provides no-cost housing and medical care for companion animals whose families are temporarily living in domestic abuse shelters. The CARE Helpline has assisted more than 2,000 callers in dealing with the emotions related to the death of their companion animal.
The Wildlife Medical Clinic provides care to more than 2,000 ill or injured wild animals each year while giving 100 veterinary student volunteers hands-on clinical experience and training in diagnosis, treatment, and teamwork.