Information to Know

Your Appointment:

Upon arriving to your appointment the intern doctor or a technician will take a history and/or perform a neurological evaluation on your pet. Then one of our neurologists will meet with you, do an evaluation, and give their recommendation for any further diagnostics and treatment. A staff member will then present the treatment plan to you and answer any questions you may have. We will keep your pet throughout the day and possibly overnight, depending on what the plan entails.

Estimates and Payments:

An estimate (or a treatment plan) will be presented to you prior to leaving your pet. This will include a low and a high end. A payment of the low end will be taken before any procedures can begin. In the event, during your pets stay, the estimate exceeds the high end, one of our staff members will contact you with the new amount and treatment plan.

While Your Pet is Hospitalized:

Even though we share the same facility with the critical care facility, we are not open 24 hours. Our office hours are Monday – Friday 8 am to 5 pm. After hours our patients are watched by the doctors and nursing staff of the North Texas Emergency Pet Clinic. If there are any concerns while under their care they will contact our doctors who will then contact you. Due to the amount of cases the emergency clinic sees, visitation is not allowed. While our offices are closed, you may contact the emergency clinic for a brief update. TO help eliminate any confusion, they will not be able to discuss any major concerns, long term prognosis, or any detailed information about the case. You will be contacted once your pet has completed all testing and procedures that day. Our phones do turn off at 5 pm, however, we may not be done with all testing. You will receive a phone call from one of our doctors before our staff leaves for the night. Our doctor will contact you first thing every morning for an update. During this call we can schedule any visitation and/or discharge times for the day.

HOSPITAL GUIDELINES

24 HOUR PATIENT CARE

Our clinic hours are 8 am to 5 pm. However, many of our patients require intensive care or treatment on a continuous basis. We are fortunate to share our facility with the North Texas Emergency Pet Clinic, which is fully staffed 24 hours a day. After our doctors and staff have gone home for the evening, they remain on call, and the doctors and staff of the emergency clinic are here to continue our patients’ care and treatment as directed. Your pet will never be alone, and will be observed and cared for around the clock.

ESTIMATES AND PAYMENTS

Prior to your pet being hospitalized for any diagnostic procedures, treatment or surgery, you will receive a written estimate of the cost of the recommended procedures. Due to the nature of your pet’s condition, and related variables such as length of anesthesia, types and amounts of medications dispensed and administered, this is only an estimate, and not a final invoice. The estimate has a range of potential costs, and we will do our best not to exceed the upper limit of the estimate without notifying you first.

A payment of the lower end of the estimate is expected before any procedures can begin. At the time your pet is discharged, a refund will be credited back to you if owed, or any remaining outstanding balance will need to be paid.

PATIENT UPDATES

Each morning (including weekends and holidays), the doctors of the Center for Veterinary Specialty Care will call the owners of hospitalized patients to give an update on how their pet is doing. We will begin making phone calls after all the hospitalized patients have been evaluated and medical records have been updated. You may call throughout the day to receive additional updates by speaking with one of our technicians. The doctors may not be available for phone updates throughout the day due to scheduled appointments, emergency procedures and surgeries.

Please realize that our phones are answered between 8 am and 5 pm when our clinic is open. Outside these hours, we have a voicemail and answering machine system where you can leave a message, which will be returned the next business day. Despite the fact that our phone is not answered at night, your pet is being cared for by the highly trained doctors and staff of the North Texas Emergency Pet Clinic. While your pet is hospitalized overnight, you may call the emergency clinic for an update on your pet. However, we are separate businesses, and please understand that their staff is not allowed to give out any detailed information, answer questions about a patient’s disease or prognosis, or discharge patients during the night or on the weekend.

VISITATION

Visiting is encouraged between the hours of 8:00am and 9:15am and 4:00pm to 5:30 pm, Monday through Friday. It is recommended that visitations be scheduled in advance; please feel free to schedule them with any member of our staff. For the benefit of the patient, visits are limited to 15 minutes. Any questions clients may have about their pet during the visit should be directed to one of our technicians. On the weekend, visits will be scheduled by the doctor on duty. These visits should be arranged when the doctor calls in the morning to give the client an update. For safety reasons, it is against hospital policy for clients to enter the treatment area. Therefore, we will usually bring your pet to you in one of our exam rooms for a visit.

RESIDENTS AND INTERNS

Here at the Center for Veterinary Specialty Care, we are fortunate to have resident and intern doctors to help improve the quality of care for our patients and clients. Our intern doctor is a licensed veterinarian who has completed at least a year after veterinary school of additional training in small animal medicine, surgery and emergency medicine. Our intern doctor assists in examination and evaluation of patients, helps monitor their treatment, and will be communicating with you on a regular basis to keep you informed of your pet’s status and progress.

Our resident doctor is a licensed veterinarian who has completed more than three additional years of specialized training and experience in Neurology and Neurosurgery. Along with our staff neurologists, the resident doctor will direct the care of patients and perform diagnostic procedures, treatments and surgery when necessary.

PERSONAL ITEMS

During your pet’s stay, we will do everything possible to ensure that he or she is comfortable. Although your pet will be in a cage or run, we always provide several blankets and make sure there is adequate padding so they have a soft place to lie down. If your pet is expected to be hospitalized for an extended period, you are welcome to leave a special blanket or toy with them. Please be careful what you leave, however, as these items can get lost or misplaced. We do our best to label items, and to keep track of them so they can be returned when your pet is discharged. But, we cannot guarantee these items will be returned, and we cannot be responsible for any items left with your pet. DO NOT choose to leave personal items with your pet that have significant sentimental or monetary value.

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