Veterinary medicine students are doing everything a “regular large animal veterinary clinic would do,” said Patrick Gorden, senior clinician specializing in dairy cows. “We offer services on all species.”

Iowa State hosts two animal clinics, small and large animals, within the College of Veterinary Medicine.

The large animal clinic was built in 2008 and offers a host of treatments and options for large animals. It’s divided into equine clinics and food-animal clinics, which deal with cows and pigs.

Both clinics offer in-clinic service and an ambulatory service. The ambulatory service is a new, mobile clinic unit designed this summer that serves clients outside of the main clinic.

“It pretty much encloses everything imaginable under veterinary medicine,” Gorden said. “Any kind of sick cow work, vaccination, you name it, pretty much offers the service through the in-house service or ambulatory services.”

David Wong, associate professor of veterinary clinical sciences and section head of equine medicine, said the clinics do everything from vaccinations to exams.

In addition to serving clients, the clinic also serves as an educational opportunity for students and interns.

“The clinics also allow students to get hands-on experience in before graduating,” Wong said.

Gorden said the goal of the program is to teach students and to give them as much practical experience as possible so they can get the education they need to be successful after they graduate.

“We have residents and interns who are veterinarians in advanced training, and they are also involved in working on cases,” Wong said. “Students have some responsibilities, but the majority of decisions fall on faculty.”

The clinic is partially funded through the university, but it is also funded by service fees and private donations.