Down Hillsborough Street heading toward Blue Ridge Road resides one of the University’s best-kept secrets.

The Hospital for Small Animals at the College of Veterinary Medicine is not just a run-of-the-mill vet clinic that treats the average canine tummy ache or feline broken femur. Instead, the hospital is a state-of-the-art center that can perform even the most complex surgeries and procedures.

“Every specialty you can think of, we can do it,” Dr. Steve Marks, a clinical associate professor in Critical Care and Internal Medicine, said. “We can treat cancer with radiation therapy. We can do MRIs. Just recently we fitted a prosthetic leg on a dog.”

A specialized hospital requires a very attentive staff, and the Small Animals Hospital maintains strict criteria for what it takes to work with them. Along with good grades, GRE scores and experience, potential staff members are also required to have good team work ability and communication skills.

“We are held to higher standards,” Dr. Marks said, “because not only do we have to explain to the clients the procedures that their pets need, but we also must tell them how much it will cost them, as most of our clients pay out of pocket.”

The Emergency and Critical Care Department comprises the ICU unit and the Small Animal Emergency and Triage Service.

“The ICU and the Small Animal Emergency and Triage Service operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and are staffed by emergency care clinicians and technicians trained to handle critically ill or injured patients, as well as general small animal emergencies,” according to Dave Green, the director of communications for the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Students who work at the hospital are usually senior veterinary students who have spent four years in undergraduate school and four years in veterinary school.

Doctors are either first-year interns or residency doctors who have been working for at least 3 years. Even undergraduate studies can prove to be very specific for those interested in the veterinarian field.

“Part of being a vet is you have to meet requirements in very specific undergraduate courses,” Dr. Marks said.

Like the way customers define any business, the clients define the quality of service that the hospital provides for both them and their pets.

“Our primary cases are referred cases,” Dr. Marks said. “We see the most complicated references and most of our clients are referred by other clinics. We have all kinds of specialists and some of the brightest students and staff.”

Owning pets can be a time-consuming and financially taxing responsibility. According to Dr. Marks, that is the major downside.

“Vet insurance is not on the same level as human medical insurance, so most of the clients pay out of pocket. The prices can be quite staggering,” Dr. Marks said.

Nonetheless, the majority of devoted pet owners are willing to shell out whatever is necessary to make sure that their furry companions get the best of care.

“Many of these clients see their pets like family members,” Dr. Marks said.

Ultimately, all the cost and time becomes well worth it for both doctors and staff and clients alike.

“We have to reach a goal,” Dr. Marks said, “and that goal is for everyone to work together to save the lives of animals.”

Although the hospital only treats conventional pets like small dogs and cats, they are planning to take on more special species like snakes and birds once their new, bigger facility is ready.

“When we move into the Terry Center there will be a hospital that looks after wild life animals, zoo animals and marine life,” Dr. Marks said. “There are many animals that we will have the potential to look at in the future. Also, we will be the largest University teaching hospital in North Carolina.”

The space allocated for the ICU and the Small Animal Emergency Service in the Randall B. Terry, Jr. Companion Animal Veterinary Medical Center is four times greater than in the original Veterinary Teaching Hospital, according to Green.

“The department now features a separate entrance, three dedicated emergency exam rooms, its own surgical and radiology suite, a large patient visitation area and high flow air filtration to protect and treat patients with infectious diseases,” Green said.

The current facility is in the Small Animal Veterinary Teaching Hospital. It will move to the Randall B. Terry, Jr. Companion Animal Veterinary Medical Center in May.