Your scheduled visit to the Orthopedic Service at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals begins when you pull up to the circular driveway in front of the Large Animal Hospital. Please park your vehicle in the driveway, come into the reception area and check in at the front desk. After a small amount of paperwork, a veterinary student will help you unload and walk your animal to its assigned stall. 

Often times, you may leave your vehicle and trailer right in the driveway but, if the lot is full, the receptionist will provide you with a parking pass and directions to nearby longer-term parking where overnight parking for trucks and trailers is also available.

After your vehicle is parked, a student will ask about your animals past medical, surgical, travel and vaccination history and performs a basic physical examination. Then, the surgery resident and faculty member will join the student to conduct a full orthopedic examination. Students observe and participate in this examination, which is invaluable to their education and development. We appreciate your patience and understanding in allowing these future veterinarians to interact with you and your animal.

After the physical examination, our veterinarians will discuss their findings and treatment options, including cost. Together, you will develop plan for further diagnosis and treatment of your animal. 
In most cases, you will be asked to leave your animal in the care of the student after this initial examination so that we may begin appropriate diagnostic testing, which commonly includes imaging studies and diagnostic nerve blocks. 

You will most likely be asked to return in the afternoon to discuss our findings and recommendations. Please understand that our primary concern is the well being of your animal, and that although we will always strive to minimize the duration of your stay, we do not wish to compromise patient care. When you return, you will meet with the veterinarian and the student working with your animal to discuss their findings and therapeutic recommendations. 

Animals that require a surgical procedure are typically admitted, and their surgery will occur the following day. Animals that do not require surgery will be discharged with a plan for rehabilitation and pain control, if necessary. You will also receive a copy of discharge instructions, which outlines our findings and recommendations. We will strive to make sure that we have answered any and all questions that you may have prior to your departure.

Fortier Laboratory
Dr. Lisa Fortier's laboratory investigates the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the development of arthritis with the goal of identifying finding new ways to treat and prevention arthritis.