Close to pets

At the ULiège Companion Animal Clinic, the only one of its kind in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, future veterinary surgeons train in close proximity to the animals they care for. Immerse yourself in this extraordinary clinic, where students, veterinary professionals, owners and patients of all kinds rub shoulders.

Visit to the pet clinic

A unique place for caring for animals and training future veterinarians. Discover it in pictures!

U

n Monday morning, in the reception area of the University of Liège's pet clinic. A bright, welcoming space where dogs, cats and rarer animals - birds, reptiles, small mammals - meet. Some have a bandage on their leg or a protective collar around their neck, while others, weaker than their owner, never leave their arms. What brings them together here: a medical consultation or - depending on the seriousness of the situation - a trip to the emergency room.

A whole world of clinicians, students, nurses and administrative staff work around these furry, feathered and scaly creatures. The aim: to care for these injured or sick pets - 14,000 a year! - while providing the best possible training for future veterinarians. With its state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment, the University of Liège's pet clinic, which has been completely redesigned and inaugurated in 2019, is one of the best references in Europe. By taking part in the 40 daily consultations, the 130 Masters students at the clinic are becoming more and more familiar with their future profession.

We take a closer look at this world of care and teaching with Émilie Vangrinsven*, coordinator of internal medicine consultations - i.e. gastroenterology, uronephrology, respiratory diseases, endocrinology, infectiology and hemato-immunology. This wide range of specializations demonstrates the extent to which the clinic offers comprehensive training and support, where the boundaries between animal and human medicine are becoming increasingly blurred...

Continuous learning

Blue blouse and pants - the color code for clinicians, while students wear burgundy and veterinary nurses pink - comfortable sneakers, stethoscope around her neck and beeper in her pocket, Émilie Vangrinsven criss-crosses the clinic to check that everything is running smoothly. The smile on her face as she gives expert advice to students is testament to her commitment to this exciting and demanding profession.

Here, learning is continuous, alongside some one hundred professional veterinarians. From greeting owners and animals in the waiting room to consultations, operations and emergencies, students are active at every stage and become increasingly responsible for medical acts as they progress through their years of study. Throughout their Masters, training is organized between the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine's three divisions: domestic animals, equines and ruminants/pigs. And even if they envisage a career linked to a specific type of animal, future veterinarians are trained in all species.

Droopy, Osiris, Gin Fizz and others

Off to the intensive care unit. Several rooms follow one another, organized according to the severity of each case. Cats on one side, dogs on the other, in cages of varying sizes according to breed. Beeps, green lights, cutting-edge equipment: hospitalized animals, "referred" here by their veterinary surgeons, are closely monitored.

One floor up, three students surround Droopy, a friendly Saint Bernard with respiratory problems. A short briefing with the clinician, a general examination and a special examination of the respiratory tract. At the sound of the big dog's wheezing, Émilie Vangrinsven suggests taking him for a respiratory endoscopy. The little troupe heads for the appropriate room.

At the other end of the corridor, Inès, Jodie and Manon,^2nd year Masters students, emerge from an operating room. They have sterilized the instruments and are discussing the oncological surgery procedure led by Professor Annick Hamaide, whom they have just observed. " Be careful, your hair must always be well tied up, biosafety! " slips Émilie Vangrinsven to one of them.

Osiris is next in the operating room. This cat has to undergo a minor operation to remove a nasopharyngeal stent. Each case brings its own learning curve.

A few rooms further on, the NAC (" new pets ") lair. Alexandre Antoine, an intern, gently examines a slightly nervous red iguana. Beside him, a^3rd Masters student is fascinated: it's reptiles he wants to make his career with.

Back to the main corridor near reception, where consultations take place. Gin Fizz arrives, a border collie no longer young but still in great shape, who has been treated for a tumor at the clinic for several years, with chemotherapy every 3 weeks. A few moments later, she reappears and licks the students' hands. Her owner is reassured: the news is good !

A proud golden retriever trots down the corridor. He has just donated blood - a real challenge for the clinic, which makes its patients aware of the importance of blood donations from dogs and cats. " He's beautiful ," smiles Émilie Vangrinsven. She confides that colleagues sometimes call each other to admire and cuddle a particularly endearing animal. "Basically, it's the love of animals that brings us together ! " The opposite also happens: very aggressive animals who arrive at the clinic with muzzles on. Vigilance is part of veterinary training.

Between appointments, Professor Dominique Peeters re-explains some basic notions of neurological examination to three students. "When I come across you, I'll ask you again to make sure it's well anchored!" he says to one of them.

A little dog paces back and forth under the watchful eye of a group: has she regained her mobility?

Emilie Vangrinsven comes across two^2nd Master students with a tomcat in their arms. An opportunity to remind them how best to restrain a cat for complementary examinations.

Varying pathologies and specializations

Observation, general examination, reporting to the referent teacher. that's how it works," explains Adèle, in her^2nd Master's program. Every morning, we divide the patients into small groups, taking care to vary the pathologies and specializations according to the day, so as to touch on everything. We take the history, do the general examination in the presence of the owner, think about it together and then discuss it with the reference clinician, who then takes over the consultation, which we attend from start to finish". Fellow student Zia adds : "Throughout our studies, we vary the types of animals we deal with. I'm more attracted to equine medicine, but the many hours spent here are essential: you have to be able to treat all animals, and the training is complementary".

360° training

At the other end of the care and healing spectrum, there are cases where euthanasia is necessary. " This aspect is an integral part of the curriculum: students are confronted with it from an early age," explains Émilie Vangrinsven. As are stress management and relations with pet owners. " Some of them put a lot of pressure on us to achieve results, and relationships can sometimes be tricky," admits the manager. These psychological aspects are also the subject of a course based on filmed simulations of consultations, which the students decipher.

Émilie Vangrinsven receives a call: three endoscopies have been added to the schedule for this afternoon. The day is not over. Our little tour with her ends there.

In the parking lot, a dog runs off and jumps into the open boot of a car. His owner smiles from ear to ear. "I've been waiting for this moment for weeks, ever since he broke his leg. It was our last appointment!"