sreyes@correo.xoc.uam.mx, 55 54 83 70 00, Ext. 4151
Additional Details
• Services• Protocol formats
Introduction
The Veterinary Teaching Hospital at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco Campus, is an academic, clinical, and service-oriented facility that provides comprehensive medical care for dogs and cats. It integrates teaching, professional practice, and a strong commitment to animal welfare. As a teaching hospital, it fulfills a dual mission: delivering high-quality veterinary care to the community while serving as a practical training platform for Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science undergraduate students.
This hospital plays a vital role in clinical education at the Xochimilco Campus. It allows students to gain hands-on experience with real patients under the expert supervision of specialists in internal medicine, surgery, diagnostic imaging, anesthesiology, emergency care, and other veterinary fields. The hospital’s controlled environment mirrors a professional clinic's, helping students strengthen their technical, ethical, and communication skills.
Beyond its academic role, the hospital provides veterinary services to responsible pet owners, including general consultations, preventive medicine, laboratory and imaging studies, and surgical procedures. In the near future, it will also offer hospitalization and clinical follow-up. The hospital emphasizes respectful treatment of animals, ethical clinical practices, and informed decision-making in patient care and student participation.
The Veterinary Teaching Hospital also aims to become a hub for clinical research and the development of applied knowledge in small animal medicine. By offering accessible services with a strong educational and social component, it will actively contribute to the ongoing improvement of veterinary practice and foster university-community engagement.
Special Features of the Physical Facilities
The Veterinary Teaching Hospital at the Xochimilco Campus includes special physical conditions to ensure safety, hygiene, clinical functionality, and animal welfare. Below are some of the key features:
1. Hospitalization areas separated by species and medical condition:
The hospital provides distinct areas for dogs and cats, which helps minimize interspecies stress and improves behavioral and sanitary management. It also includes an isolated ward for infectious diseases, fully equipped to prevent the spread of pathogens.
2. Controlled-environment operating rooms:
The surgical suites are equipped with ventilation systems, LED lighting, multi-parameter anesthesia monitoring equipment, and stainless-steel furniture. These features support aseptic procedures, a controlled workflow, and strict biosafety protocols.
3. Central Sterilization and Equipment Processing Unit (CEYE):
This area is specifically designed for handling, cleaning, and sterilizing surgical instruments and medical supplies, per established standards for veterinary hospitals and clinical training facilities.
4. Management of biological-infectious waste:
The hospital operates an appropriate system for collecting, storing, and disposing of hazardous waste, ensuring compliance with current health and environmental regulations.
5. Emergency care area (under development):
This space is intended to treat critical cases in a controlled environment, with immediate access to monitoring and life-support equipment.
6. Biosafety and access control:
All staff, students, and visitors must follow access protocols, including personal protective equipment, restricted movement between areas, and adherence to hygiene regulations to prevent cross-contamination.
Projects and Activities
The Veterinary Teaching Hospital fulfills three core functions: providing veterinary clinical services, supporting student education, and promoting applied research in small animal medicine. This integration of healthcare, teaching, and knowledge generation makes it a key component of the university’s academic and social framework.
One of its primary purposes is to provide comprehensive medical care for dogs and cats, offering services such as general consultations, preventive medicine, diagnostic imaging, clinical laboratory work, and, soon, surgical procedures, hospitalization, and clinical follow-up. These services are delivered under an ethical and professional approach that prioritizes animal welfare, clear communication with pet guardians, and responsible participation by the medical team.
In the academic field, the hospital serves as a practical training space for undergraduate students in the Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science program. These students actively participate in clinical care under the supervision of specialized faculty. Direct experience with real patients allows students to acquire essential clinical, diagnostic, surgical, and communication skills for their future professional practice.
Additionally, the hospital supports teaching and research projects on clinical veterinary medicine, promoting scientific knowledge and ongoing professional development for academic staff. It also provides an ideal environment for validating procedures, evaluating veterinary medical technologies, and developing innovative practices in small animal care.
Through these efforts, the Veterinary Teaching Hospital aims to position itself as a bridge between the university and society. It offers accessible, high-quality services to the broader community while strengthening academic training and research in animal health.
Academic Curriculum
The Veterinary Teaching Hospital is directly integrated into the curriculum of the Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science degree program at the Xochimilco Campus of UAM. It is a learning space for multiple teaching units, particularly those focused on internal medicine, minor animal surgery, diagnostic imaging, clinical laboratory work, anesthesiology, hospitalization, emergency veterinary care, and preventive medicine.
Throughout their academic journey, students can carry out practical activities at the hospital, including social service placements, capstone projects, and undergraduate theses. These experiences are designed to enhance their professional profile with a comprehensive, clinically competent, and ethically responsible approach. Graduate students may also use the hospital for research projects that involve clinical observation or data collection on companion animals.
The Veterinary Teaching Hospital features specialized clinical infrastructure that integrates functional spaces, dedicated treatment areas, and high-quality professional equipment. Its design meets the standards of contemporary veterinary medicine and enables the simultaneous development of clinical, surgical, diagnostic, hospitalization, and educational activities; all focused on animal welfare and the technical training of students.
The facilities include five fully equipped internal medicine consultation rooms, a dedicated consultation room for patients with infectious diseases, two operating rooms, anesthetic preparation areas, separate hospitalization zones for dogs and cats, a clinical laboratory, pharmacy, imaging and ultrasound rooms, a Central Sterilization and Equipment Processing Unit (CEYE), laundry, medical supply storage rooms, and an emergency area currently under development.
The hospital has advanced technology to support clinical services and academic practice. Clinical and consultation equipment includes electric and fixed examination tables, electronic scales (168670, 169922), otoscopes with ophthalmoscopes (161986–161992), oscillometric sphygmomanometers (175853), oxygen concentrators (170775), and transport stretchers.
In the diagnostic area, the hospital houses optical and digital microscopes (174847), hematology and blood chemistry analyzers (170993), centrifuges, refractometers, a veterinary electrocardiograph (173714), X-ray equipment with a digital workstation (174740), ultrasound machines, and specialized imaging software.
Surgical equipment includes hydraulic surgical tables (175496, 175497), LED surgical lights (175523, 175524), anesthesia machines with ventilation systems and vaporizers (170774), and multi-parameter monitors (ECG, SpO₂, blood pressure, temperature) (171032), among other essential devices for high-precision surgical procedures.
The hospitalization areas feature modular stainless steel cages (174913, 174914). Each patient is housed separately according to species and clinical condition, allowing ethical and specialized care.
The sterilization and support area includes autoclaves, an industrial washing machine, stainless steel tables and cabinets, sinks, refrigerators for biological and medical supplies, and organized spaces for pre-surgical preparation and materials handling.
This robust infrastructure positions the hospital as a model teaching facility committed to ethical care, hands-on learning, and community service—solidifying its role as a key educational pillar in the Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science degree program.
Primary User Groups
The Veterinary Teaching Hospital serves a diverse range of users with complementary profiles, reinforcing its academic, clinical, and social mission. Its infrastructure primarily supports students, faculty, and the external community.
Students enrolled in the Bachelor’s Degree in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science use this facility as a core clinical training component. Through professional internships, social service, and clinical rotations, students gain direct experience in diagnosing, treating, and following up on real cases. These activities help them develop technical, ethical, and communication skills in a supervised setting.
Faculty members, specialized in small animal medicine, surgery, diagnostic imaging, anesthesiology, and other fields, use the hospital as a space for practical instruction, clinical advising, thesis supervision, and developing applied research lines. Their role is essential in overseeing clinical activities and ensuring the quality standards of the medical care provided.
The external community also plays a key role as a user group. The hospital offers accessible, high-quality veterinary services to responsible dog and cat owners, fulfilling a social function and strengthening the bond between the university and society.
Access Policies and Guidelines
The Veterinary Teaching Hospital at the Xochimilco Campus operates under guidelines that ensure the ethical, safe, and orderly delivery of its clinical, academic, and administrative services. Below are the procedures and access requirements for both the external community and the students and faculty of the Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science program.
Service Hours
In this initial phase, the Veterinary Teaching Hospital will hold specific care campaigns that focus on preventive medicine and sterilization. The medical team will conduct clinical activities and provide public services according to the established schedule and availability.
Appointment Scheduling (External Community)
To access clinical services, scheduling an appointment in advance by phone is mandatory. Animals must arrive properly restrained—dogs on a leash and cats in a carrier. The Office of the Campus Secretary must authorize all patient admissions.
Phone for appointments: +52 (55) 5483 7000, Extension: 4134
Address: Calzada del Hueso 1100, Col. Coapa, Villa Quietud, Coyoacán, C.P. 04960, Mexico City, CDMX.
Access Requirements and Procedures (Students and Faculty)
Student and faculty participation in clinical activities is subject to the requirements set by the academic program and coordination. This includes the assignment of clinical rotations and submitting required documentation in advance.
All university personnel must strictly comply with biosafety standards, internal clinical protocols, and hospital regulations. The hospital reserves the right to restrict access in cases of non-compliance or when the welfare of the animals or the safety of staff is at risk.
Protocols and Forms for Clinical Practice
The following forms are intended exclusively for the Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science program students and faculty who will conduct clinical practice at the hospital. These documents must be downloaded, completed, and submitted according to institutional instructions before the assigned activities begin.
To view and download the forms, please refer to the description section.
At the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, we appreciate your cooperation in maintaining a safe, organized, efficient academic and clinical environment.