Intensive Care
Orchard Park

Around-the-Clock Care When Your Pet Needs It Most

When your pet is facing a serious illness, traumatic injury, or complicated recovery, they may need a level of monitoring and support beyond what a routine hospital stay can provide. Orchard Park Veterinary Medical Center offers dedicated intensive care for critically ill and recovering dogs and cats, with experienced veterinarians, Licensed Veterinary Technicians, and veterinary assistants providing ongoing care.

Our ICU is designed to give critically ill patients the close observation, advanced treatment, and supportive care they need while allowing our team to respond quickly when their condition changes.

Specialized Intensive Care

Our ICU provides 24-hour monitoring and care for patients with a variety of critical needs, including serious illness, surgical recovery, and traumatic injuries.

Our intensive care facilities include:

• 35 specialized critical-care kennels
• Oxygen kennels and incubators
• Dedicated runs for large patients
• Continuous cardiac telemetry
• Access to our in-house veterinary blood bank
• Advanced diagnostic and imaging capabilities
• Dedicated surgical and recovery areas
• Separate isolation facilities for patients with contagious conditions

Our team follows established safety and patient-care protocols, including standards designed to protect hospitalized pets, staff, and visitors.

Care for Hospitalized & Non-Critical Patients

Not every hospitalized pet requires intensive care. We also provide dedicated canine and feline wards for patients who need medical monitoring, treatment, or recovery without the level of support required in the ICU.

Pets with potentially contagious conditions are cared for in a separate isolation ward, allowing our team to provide individualized treatment while helping protect other hospitalized patients.

Advanced Care Under One Roof

One of the advantages of receiving care at OPVMC is access to a wide range of diagnostic and specialty services within the same hospital. Depending on your pet’s condition, their care may involve:

• Digital radiology and ultrasound
• CT and MRI
• Endoscopy
• Advanced laboratory testing
• Specialized surgery
• Dental care
• Oncology services and chemotherapy
• Cardiac monitoring and diagnostics
• Blood and blood-product transfusions

Our specialists and primary care, emergency, and intensive care teams can collaborate as needed to provide a coordinated approach to your pet’s treatment.

Staying Connected During Hospitalization

We know how difficult it can be to leave a hospitalized pet in someone else’s care. Our team provides regular updates so you can understand how your pet is doing and what to expect next.

Veterinarians generally evaluate hospitalized patients and develop daily treatment plans in the late morning. A member of the patient care team will typically contact you in the late morning or early afternoon with an update. Your veterinarian will contact you when medical decisions are needed, when additional information becomes available, or when your pet is ready for discharge.

You are welcome to call for an update at any time. Please understand that after 6 p.m., our patient care team may be focused on ICU patients and incoming emergencies, so there may be a wait before someone can provide an update.

Financial updates are provided by email each day, except weekends. If your pet’s treatment plan changes or you have concerns about their care or estimated costs, please speak with our patient care team.

Visiting Your Hospitalized Pet

Visits can be an important part of your pet’s recovery, but they must be scheduled with our team. Visits are typically limited to approximately 15 minutes and one visit per day so that other hospitalized pets and their families have an opportunity to visit as well. Exceptions may be made based on your pet’s condition.

For everyone’s safety, please interact only with your own pet during a visit and follow staff instructions. Because our ICU can be an active environment with unexpected medical situations, visits may occasionally need to be shortened.

Going Home

When your pet is ready for discharge, we’ll schedule a pickup appointment. A member of our patient care team will review your pet’s medications, home-care instructions, follow-up recommendations, and any other information you need to continue their recovery at home.

Our goal doesn’t end when your pet leaves the hospital. We want you to feel prepared and confident caring for them during the next stage of recovery.