The number of sick or injured animals being admitted to the Iowa State Veterinary Hospital reached record levels last year.

The hospital treated 14,683 animals in 2001, which is up more than 5 percent from 2000, according to the statistics released by the College of Veterinary Medicine.

“The increase reflects the availability of the service,” said Christopher Brown, professor and chair of veterinary clinical sciences.

“This is one of the only places in Iowa with the special diagnostic services capable of treating a wide variety of cases.”

Brown said animal owners are more willing to spend the extra money to see that their animals are healthy, and that many practitioners from around the state refer special cases to the hospital.

The diversity of animals treated at the hospital provides a broad scope of learning for the fourth-year veterinary medicine students who work alongside the hospital support staff.

Many of the animals that come through the door are dogs and cats, but Brown said the hospital treats wild animals that have been injured along roadways or populated areas.

“We don’t see a lot of lizards or snakes and other non-domestic animals, but we do see a wide range of wildlife in our Wildlife Care Clinic,” he said.

Raye Taylor, junior in zoology and staff member at the hospital, said the number of injured wildlife being treated at the Wildlife Care Clinic is also on the rise.

Reasons behind the increase in animal injury cases could include development and urban sprawl, she said, and the numbers treated also depend on the season.

“During the winter the number of new cases is pretty low,” Taylor said. “But during the summer, there can be as many as 20 new cases in a single day.”

This is due to spring births and animals becoming orphaned by their parents, she said.

In addition to caring for animals, the clinic has much to offer for the community.

“The animal clinic also provides services for the community, including wildlife programs for schools and outdoor clubs,” Taylor said.

Operation of the hospital is taken care of by staff, students and volunteers.

“We have a wide range of volunteer experience levels, which range from cleaning to clinical work,” Taylor said.

Training for the volunteers is provided free of charge, and as the volunteers gain experience they are promoted to higher-level positions.

“The entry level volunteers usually get the jobs cleaning cages and finding out how the clinic works,” Taylor said. “Then they can be promoted to the second layer of volunteers, who come in at night and care for the animals.”

Both Brown and Taylor said community awareness of the facility is on the rise, and the number of animals being treated is a reflection of this.