During the COVID-19 pandemic, WSU’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital is open to emergency and urgent cases.

Charlie Powell, public information officer for the College of Veterinary Medicine, said clinicians, staff and senior veterinary students are on clinical rotations everyday.

“Animals are being taken care of with the highest standards, under federal law, all the time, regardless of what the current situation is,” Powell said.

He said the veterinary school is not closed to the public and they are still treating critical cases. A lot of those cases begin with meeting animals in the parking lot before bringing them inside. 

According to WSU’s Insider website, the hospital has modified some of its operations in accordance with federal, state and regional public health recommendations.

The hospital took precautions early on and the hospital is fully stocked, according to the website. Staff and faculty are being encouraged to conserve supplies where possible as all human and animal care facilities.

The hospital’s fee schedule will remain the same as it is during times of regular weekday, weekend and holiday operations, according to the website.

All in-patients will be cared for as usual until their normal discharge is indicated, according to the website.

Oliver, an 18-month-old Kunekune pig, was brought in from Spokane after he was vomiting and acting lethargic, according to the hospital’s website,

Dr. Rachel Baumgardner and Dr. Marcie Logsdon located an unknown foreign object that was irritating his gastrointestinal tract, according to the website. 

Oliver responded well to medical management and is now back home, according to the website.

Hospital Director Deb Sellon said the hospital is lacking resources such as basic cloth masks to protect employees and clients during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“These masks will block droplet transmission if someone on the team is an asymptomatic carrier and help conserve our supply of surgical masks,” Sellon said.

People who want to donate the masks are asked to leave them in the bin at the entrance of the hospital and call (509) 335-0711 when they do.