Differences Between Hospital And Veterinary Clinic

When a pet needs medical attention, owners generally resort to the veterinary clinic. These are closer structures, smaller in size and which, due to the frequency, become quite familiar. On the other hand, a veterinary hospital is larger, equipped with more bulky machinery and is able to respond to a greater number of emergencies. If you want to learn more about the  differences between hospital and veterinary clinic, do not miss this article.

Veterinary hospital and clinic: main differences

Certainly, the most obvious difference between hospital and clinic is based on the extent of care. Clinics are facilities that generally focus their service on outpatient care. They are mainly private and their equipment, machinery and technologies, is designed to respond to the most generalized cases.

Hospitals tend to be mainly public or “mixed” facilities, which charge for certain services or require specific medical insurance. Their functions, in addition to outpatient care, also include emergency room, intensive care and offices for prevention and health promotion.

Another difference is that clinics do not always offer as many specialties as hospitals, although in many countries the former are significantly expanding their range. Typically, in size and philosophy, hospitals include many specialties and integrate a larger, highly experienced medical staff .

Finally, we can remember that hospitals also play an important role in the training of health professionals. On the contrary, it is very rare for clinics to offer medical residency and promote the specialization of their professionals.

The veterinary hospital as a promoter of animal health

The concept of the veterinary hospital has been transforming in recent times. The most interesting aspect of this “novelty” is the inclusion and enhancement of the promotion for veterinary health.

This is because a veterinary hospital today must be designed to also act as a creative platform and promoter of animal health. That is to say: their function must go beyond the treatment and healing of sick animals. All the resources, technological and human, must also be configured with a view to research, management, information and practice of veterinary medicine.

This innovative project requires the commitment of the authorities and needs to establish links and synergies with universities, laboratories, incubators, etc. Without forgetting the need for sustainable financing in order to ensure the operation and maintenance of infrastructures.

Raising this concept also means proposing an innovative discussion that includes a new way to manage veterinary medicine. But what does all this mean? We begin to understand better what health promotion is and what its importance is for our society.

What is health promotion?

We are talking about a concept recognized and addressed by the World Health Organization (WHO). In its official glossary, the WHO defines health promotion as:

Promoting health means informing and preparing citizens to fight and prevent many diseases. This not only includes doctors and health professionals, but requires the commitment of educational institutions, the media and even our exercise of citizenship.

As you can easily understand, this concept carries with it a huge social impact and makes us reflect on our culture of health. Do we give the right value to prevention or do we always prefer to remedy the end? Do we recognize ourselves as health promoters or do we believe that this role only applies to doctors, nurses and other professionals?

The promotion of animal health today

Man has already managed to recognize some positive elements that favor the promotion of animal health. With regard to pets, for example, it is possible to recall the campaigns launched in favor of vaccination and sterilization, carried out in many countries.

As for wild animals, we are progressing – albeit slowly – towards a new awareness of the environment. Currently, we not only repress, fine and imprison those who harm nature or animals. We are also starting to educate the new generations to know and respect the planet better.

In this regard, it is worth mentioning the penalties for abusive practices and the illegal marketing of domestic and wild animals. Or again, the health control of breeding sites, as well as clinics, hospitals and other institutions that act, often for free, to rescue abandoned or stray animals.

To be fair, however, there are still few official institutions that organize and promote information campaigns relating to animal health. In this sense, the design of modern veterinary hospitals represents a truly considerable progress.