The first 5 pages - A look at the HVAC kennel design plans of one luxury kennel - An All American Pet Resort!

1. HVAC Design for Pet Care
Facilities
V2.0 on Boarding Facilities
& Pet Clinics
Arthur Rimbold

2. SECTION #1
HVAC FOR HEALTHCARE FACILITIES – Goals
Overview
HVAC design for care facilities is all about providing a safer environment for guests,
patients, and staff. The basic difference between air conditioning for healthcare facility and
that of other building types stem from their unique usages, examples follow:
1. The need to restrict air movement in and between the various departments (no cross
movement). Giving either a safe zone for the old, young, and immune effected
2. The specific requirements for ventilation and filtration to dilute and reduce
contamination in the form of odor, airborne micro-organisms and viruses, and any
possible hazardous chemical substances. Ventilation effectiveness is very important
to maintain appropriate indoor air quality.
3. The different temperature and humidity requirements for the comfort of the canine
species. Already having a higher body temperature than us, complete control of
environmental conditions is optimal.
4. The design sophistication to minimize the risk of transmission of airborne pathogens
and preserve a sterile and healing environment for all guests and their owners alike.
These requirements demand very high quantities of outside air along with significant
treatment of this ventilation air, including cooling, dehumidifying, reheating, humidifying
and filtration.
Infection Control
In any environment with unknown variables, there tend to be high concentrations of
harmful micro-organisms. From an infection control perspective, the primary objective of
housing/boarding pets with post-surgical needs is to place the patient at no risk for
infection while under care. The special technical demands include hygiene, reliability,
safety and energy-related issues. In many kennels a separate quarantine area on a
different and isolated HVAC unit is optimal.
Infections, which may result from activities and procedures taking place within the
facility, are a cause for great concern. Three main routes responsible for infections are
self-injurious behavior, unabated and unmonitored time in an unsterilized space, &
incorrect or negligent care.

3. Contact Transmission
Contact transmission is the most frequent and most preventable mode of transmission of
infections (nosocomial). It can be subdivided into direct-contact transmission and indirect-
contact transmission.
a) Direct-contact transmission involves direct body to body contact for the transfer of micro-
organisms from an infected person to a susceptible host.
b) Indirect-contact transmission involves the contamination of an inanimate object (such as
instruments or dressings) by an infected person. Indirect Transmission is the reason
Contact Transmission is most frequent.
Droplet Transmission
Droplet transmission occurs when an infected animal generates droplets containing
microorganisms which are propelled at a short distance through the air and deposited on the
conjunctivae, nasal mucosa or mouth of a host. Droplets do not remain suspended in the air,
so special air handling and ventilation are not required to prevent droplet transmission. (Do not
confuse droplet transmission with airborne transmission.) A person’s coughing, sneezing and
talking generate droplets. Other procedures such as suctioning and bronchoscopy are also a
source of droplets. Droplet transmission is more noticeably wet. Droplet transmission is visible
whereas airborne is barely visible if at all.
Airborne Transmission
Airborne transmission occurs when either airborne droplet nuclei or dust particles disseminate
infectious agents.
a) Droplet nuclei - The high velocity with which coughing and sneezing expel droplets from the
respiratory tract results in large numbers of bacteria or viruses entering the air in smaller
droplets. These droplets rapidly evaporate in the air leaving a residue of typically 5 µm or
smaller in size. These droplet nuclei settle so slowly that they remain airborne in occupied
spaces and circulate on air currents until mechanically removed by the ventilation system.
Control of environmental factors (such as special air handling and ventilation) is necessary
to prevent nosocomial airborne transmission of microorganisms. There are various devices
and air cleaners to solve improve this transmission type – none have claimed to prevent it.

4. UV, REME, and other modern air treatments must be installed based on building cubic
footage not square footage as air replacement is a key success factor covered below.
DUST – THE INDUSTRY CATALYST
Is capable of causing an outbreak of infection, even after the departure of any carrier guest from
whom the pathogens originated. Dust may become contaminated when dried sputum and other
infectious secretions suspended in the air as dust particles mix with environmental dust. These
factors are frequently exasperated by the high humidity levels found in most facilities from
cleaning and maintaining. Are best success in the best way of treating this with diligence –
annual interior cleanings of duct work are recommended and also after any outbreak of
significant morbidity.
ISOLATION ROOMS
Used for rare and special cases or when there is potential the pet is ill enough to do serious
harm to a neighbor. Being that the vast majority of serious pathogens affecting the population
we care for are very low risk as we require those vaccines that protect against Distemper,
Parvovirus, Leptospirosis, and cHepatitis, as well as Parainfluenza & Bordetella. The infected
patient can contaminate the environment. A single room with appropriate air handling and
ventilation is particularly important to prevent direct or indirect contact transmission and also for
reducing the risk of airborne transmission of microorganisms from one guest to another. *The
high morbidity and gestation period of kennel cough are factors that make the malady an
incredibly high nuisance. With morbidity rates as high as 40-60% in a treated (vaccinated) group
still getting the cold and 1 of 3 dogs being silent carriers (asymptomatic)
There are two types of isolation rooms: 1) airborne infection isolation rooms and 2) protective
environment (PE) rooms.
1. Airborne infectionisolation (AII) refers to the isolation of patients infected with organisms
spread via airborne droplet. This would be inclusive of Bordetella if not for the rate of spread
and an impossible knowledge of patient zero. In the facilities we build, the need for isolation
is geared toward those susceptible to worse issues possibly secondary infections caused
from the common cold (Bordetella) and/or the coupled anxiety experienced by many dogs.
2. Protective environment (PE) is a specialized area for guests and post ops who have
undergone surgery or must be contained in an environment that will prevent self injury.

5. These guests are generally suffering from mild problems like whip tail , snout scraping, and
other canine behaviors not seen at the home but seen while boarded. Any pets under
treatment of chemotherapy, emphysema,or cardiac failure), or immunosuppressivetherapy
(e.g., radiation, organ transplant, cytotoxic chemotherapy, anti-rejection medication, or
steroids) are also placed in protective environment as stated above as they are of greater
risk.
How does above classification affect HVAC design?
The differentiating factor between “AII” and “PE” rooms is the pressure relationships.
The protective environments (PE) are set at POSITIVE air pressure relative to adjoining
spaces. These areas require frequent air exchanges (>12 per hour) and require all
supply air passing through high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters.
 The isolation rooms housing infectious patients (AII) must be maintained at NEGATIVE
pressure. These areas require frequent air exchanges (>12 per hour) and require all
supply air to be exhausted without recirculation.
Both these areas require inline monitoring to ensure that they remain under set pressure. Doors
to the rooms should be self-closing, and the walls, windows, ceiling, floor, and penetrations well
sealed.
Easy Rule – If the door stays open barely or greatly the room with the open door is positive
pressure and the remainder is negative. We separate 2 areas to allow and maximize benefit.