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Where Healing Begins: Creating a Recovery Space That Works for You

Tracy Timmerman, Director of Marketing, Midmark Medical

By: Jose Valdez
Marketing Manager, Midmark Veterinary

November 17, 2025

 

Making Recovery Work for Patients and Staff

Recovery areas are some of the busiest, most demanding spaces in any veterinary hospital. These are the places where patients wake up from anesthesia, stabilize after procedures or require close monitoring during critical recovery windows. And while equipment is vital, the layout and design of these areas can influence how smoothly care is delivered.

Whether you are outfitting a new space or working within your current footprint, a few small changes can help you get the most from your recovery area.

Make Transitions Easier on Everyone

That first move from treatment to recovery is a vulnerable time for patients. The quieter and more efficient the transition, the better it is for your patient and your team. Positioning recovery housing close to the treatment area can help minimize the time it takes to settle the patient into housing and begin post-operative monitoring.

Find the Right Fit for Every Patient

Housing isn’t one-size-fits-all. Having the right mix of enclosure sizes—and placing them thoughtfully—can help reduce physical strain on your team while improving patient comfort.

• Small patients often do best in cozy, enclosed units under 48” wide x 36” tall.

• Larger patients are easier to lift into lower-tier housing.

• Wide, shallow units improve access to patients during care.

Vertical housing can help maximize small spaces but be mindful of where larger patients are placed. Making sure those units are easy to access helps your team work more safely.

Plan Ahead for Oxygen Therapy

When patients need Oxygen Support, having a setup that works for both the patient and the care team is key. Make sure your housing setup can accommodate:

• Built-in pathways for oxygen tubing and power cords for monitoring or warming equipment.

• Secure placement for analyzers, heating pads or concentrator systems.

• Organized, clutter-free setups that support quick adjustable organization.

Smaller patients may benefit from fully enclosed units that maintain temperature, humidity and airflow. Larger patients may need more open setups using bottled oxygen or concentrator systems for consistent airflow. Flexibility in design is important.

Reduce Stress Without Complicating Care

A calm patient is easier to monitor, treat and recover. But creating a lower-stress environment doesn’t need to be complicated. Try small design choices that help patients feel more secure without limiting your team.

• Select wide housing units with double-door fronts for easier access
during care.

• Use soft lighting, dimmable fixtures and cage door covers to reduce
exposure to surrounding activity and create a more restful
recovery environment.

• Choose materials designed for animal care—built to withstand
cleaning while reducing noise, glare and other stressors that can
agitate recovering patients.

These updates might seem small, but they can go a long way in creating a space where patients feel secure—and staff can stay focused.

Make the Most of What You Have

Not every facility can build a new recovery area—and that’s okay. Even small tweaks to layout, workflow or how housing units are configured can have a positive impact.

• Rearrange housing units to improve visibility to recovering patients.

• Standardize patient placement—like grouping patients by size or care needs—to help your team monitor more consistently
and respond faster.

• Use Mobile Workstations to keep essential tools and technology within easy reach.

No matter your space or budget, there are ways to make your recovery area work better for your team and support the care you deliver each day.

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