Vet school traffic too great to see all animalsMatt McEntire’s column suggested that the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) failed in its role as a teaching hospital. First, we would like to applaud Mr. McEntire, Capital Area Animal Welfare Society (CAAWS), and Azalea Lake Veterinary Clinic for coming to the aid of this cat. While our hearts go out to all injured animals, as a state entity, we cannot give away our services. The hospital is primarily self-supporting, with only 20 percent of its budget covered by state funds. When the hospital is presented with a stray animal, we will provide life support care (i.e., catheter, fluids, etc. for shock) unless someone agrees to be responsible for fees. The clinician notifies the Animal Control Center about the animal, and the Animal Control director may then ask that the animal be euthanized, if severely injured. If not severely ill or injured and if no one wishes to be financially responsible for treatment, then the animal may be transported by Animal Control to their center. We see 24,000 cases per year, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. Our hours of operation and the fact that we are a teaching hospital, make our overhead and our costs higher than most clinics. Instead of one or two clinicians seeing a patient, we have clinicians, interns, residents, technicians, and students. As in human medicine, emergency rooms incur more costs than family practices by virtue of larger staffs and longer operating hours. The hospital has a fund to help people unable to afford critical care for their pets. A pet owner must pay a minimum of $100 towards care, the prognosis must be good, and the owner must show evidence of prior general health care (e.g., vaccinations, heartworm prevention, etc.). Also, thanks to grants and donations, the hospital works with animal welfare groups to provide spays/neuters for feral cats and  operates a shelter medicine curriculum enabling faculty and students to provide medical care for animal shelters. While human medicine has charity hospital systems, there is no such service available for animals. This is partly why organizations like CAAWS are necessary. The LSU SVM and the Veterinary Teaching Hospital provide a vital service to Louisiana. We educate future veterinarians, conduct biomedical research, and provide care for thousands of animals each year. We also work with animal organizations in their efforts to curb the stray animal population and provide vital veterinary medical care.Steven R. WinklerHospital DirectorLSU School of Veterinary Medicine   Vet student responds to columnAs an LSU veterinary student and a past volunteer at Capital Area Animal Welfare Society, I found Matt McEntire’s article regarding the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine uninformed, though I would like to commend McEntire on choosing to help an animal in need.  LSU’s Small Animal Clinic is a referral and emergency hospital staffed by board certified specialists along with interns and residents.  The hospital has a healthy case load treating approximately 24,000 cases per year.  The hospital does have a policy for treating stray animals, but basic costs must still be covered. CAAWS is a non-profit charity that assists the community when feasible with stray animal problems as they so choose.  Thus, petitioning a welfare organization or Animal Control would have been the proper route when dealing with a stray animal non-emergency. It was wonderful that CAAWS and Azalea Lake were able to offer a solution to McEntire’s dilemma; however, choosing to go to any veterinarian with a stray animal and not being prepared to pay for some medical costs is simply unrealistic.      Baton Rouge has one of the worst stray animal problems in the country due to warm weather, city sprawl, and a need for more community-based spay/neuter programs. These problems are compounded by the exponential breeding of cats.  Animal Control is the primary organization for stray animal issues, and I believe Animal Control takes in about 13,000 animals a year, in contrast to several hundred by a welfare organization.  This number does not include the many stray and feral cats that stay on the streets.  Thus, Baton Rouge has a stray cat problem that is overwhelming.   Area veterinarians and the veterinary school are neither equipped nor mandated to deal with the companion animal overpopulation in our area. The LSU SVM is very proactive in assisting stray animal problems in our region by working with rescue organizations to spay and neuter close to one hundred feral cats each month.  The school also has an outstanding shelter medicine program that educates students while providing help to animal shelters.    McEntire is unmindful of the facts involving the overpopulation problem and the role different organizations play.  I am disappointed by the fact a negative perception of my school was derived from this situation.   I strongly hope that people have a better understanding of what the school’s purpose is and how to handle stray animal problems through proper channels.Tristan Coloniusveterinary medicine sophomore—-Contact The Daily Reveille’s opinion staff at [email protected]