SHELTON, Conn. — VCA Shoreline Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center has opened the first Hemodialysis Unit for dogs and cats in the state of Connecticut.

Hemodialysis has long been used in humans but is relatively new to the veterinary field. It assists in the management of acute or chronic pet kidney failure by filtering toxins from the blood. Kidneys with damage from toxic exposure or infection can often heal with temporary treatments, and animals with permanently damaged kidneys can benefit from treatments several times a week.

The unit opened with an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony on September 27. Mayor of Shelton Mark Lauretti and Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bill Purcell attended the festivities and were treated to a demonstration of the hemodialysis machine by Dr. Jethro Forbes who spearheaded bringing the unit to the Connecticut facility.

Purcell spoke outside the center to welcome the new unit to the state: “This is one of the few Level I critical care facilities in the state and now we have yet a new announcement to make today with the introduction of the Hemodialysis Unit.”

“This is the result of a vision I had of bringing this amazing modality to your cats and dogs,” said Jethro Forbes, VCA Shoreline Veterinary Specialist. “This was truly a team effort and we are eager to offer this resource to the animals in our community.”

VCA Shoreline is one of only 35 Level I facilities in the country. A Level I emergency and critical care facility is a 24-hour acute care facility with the resources and specialty training necessary to provide sophisticated emergent and critical patient care. This facility is open to receive small animal emergency patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The Level I facility must have a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care employed full time and available for consultation either on-site or by phone 24/7. VCA Shoreline also provides a fully equipped Animal Ambulance Service for the specialty transport of ill, injured or critical patients from the region into its hospital. For more information, visit vcashoreline.com.