Today’s
hospitals for humans are intentionally created to be functional. In a
veterinary hospital, the design is for creating the best system of equipments
and patients where they have places where they have the most optimum treatment
and care in the facility.
The
Haberfield Veterinary Hospital is one that tries to bring out the most ideal
system to emulate. (Most animal hospitals have yet to bring out the most
functional and efficient type there is.)
At
present, some of the best animal hospitals have yet to achieve the best
configurations. Some of the older health centers have not been up to par with
the latest innovations for the best for the animal patients.
Here
are some ideal aspects we need to see in big animal hospitals.
Design
The
main design of hospitals for animals (waiting rooms, holding areas, treatment
rooms) is considered very important to put the patients and clients at ease. The
reason is that it helps recuperation period faster and the stress levels at
their lowest.
Research
had shown that cats in shelters become highly distressed when they saw or heard
dogs. The distress is very high for the cats because they have no way of
escaping or hiding from the dogs. .
Within
the facility, it is important that feline contact with the dogs need to be
minimized. On the other hand, it had also been found that the dogs that had
recently visited clinics and hospitals had acquired higher stress levels than
those that have not.
Treatment areas
Treatment
areas, especially cages, have been known to cause high stress level in the
animals. Since there is a natural animosity between dogs and cats, the felines
need to be housed separately from the canines.
To
minimize visual contact, both should have kennels that face the wall rather
than facing others to minimize visual contact. Cats exposed to threatening
situations (the presence of dogs) are highly stressed when there is no place
they can hide.
Waiting areas
The
same situation exists in waiting rooms when cats become distressed seeing
unfamiliar dogs around. There is need to have some visual barriers in the
waiting rooms to provide demarcation to separate species-specific areas.
On the
other hand, dogs could be trained not to fear weighing scales. They can be
placed on the floor rather than in corners where dogs might be reluctant to go.
Exam rooms
Exam
rooms have to be made to look as inviting as possible by having comfortable
chairs for the clients and soft non-slip rugs/towels for pets. Tasty treats
(and pet toys) should also be available to keep the animals at ease.
Pet-friendly
acoustics and other sensory environments are likely to help reduce stress.
Treatment area
Sick
animals may need to be kept in the treatment area to be monitored. However,
noise levels and movement should be minimized. In the design, the use of
sound-absorbing ceiling tiles baffles and walls are recommended.
An
ideal Haberfield veterinary hospital needs sound-absorbing doors and high ceilings to
minimize sound bouncing off them. Odors also need to be minimized with good
drainage, ventilation and good hygiene.
