What are the critical concerns for Agricultural Animal Medicine?
• Sanitation is extremely difficult to control due to the exposed structure and mechanical/electrical support systems. • Biosecurity for agricultural animals is difficult to maintain with present facilities. The threat of agriterrorism, as recognized by the Department of Homeland Security, makes this concern especially urgent. • Critically ill animals require separate isolation and ICU areas to protect other animals from transmissible infectious diseases. • New and developing programs lack critical space to house researchers, students, new laboratories, equipment, and animals. • Increased clinical demand has decreased space available for patient treatment and convalescence. The existing facilities for Agricultural Animal Medicine are inadequate. The existing agricultural animal facilities are located on the east side of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and, along with current equine facilities, are referred to as the Barn. These facilities were built in the late 1970s, and most of the
