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Veterinary Referral Center (VRC)

What to Expect During Your General Visit

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We strive to make your visit here with us an outstanding experience. Please review the following information to prepare and enable you to get the most out of your time with us

PREPARING FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT

The best way for us to understand what is happening with your pet is for us to have as much information as possible. Please be sure that we receive records from your primary care veterinarian prior to your appointment; including: records from the past year; especially any bloodwork, imaging, or pathology results from any veterinarian that has taken care of your pet, images (x-rays, ultrasound, CT or MRI images)and vaccination history.

MEDICATIONS AND FOOD

  • Make a list of your pet’s medications and bring this with you to your appointment. Include the name of the medication, the size (mg) of the tablet, the amount your pet takes per day and the time of day that it is given. For liquids, note the concentration (mg/ml) and the volume (mls) your pet takes per day.

  • Note the name of your pet’s food and how much he/she eats per day.

  • Bring a list of any supplements that you are giving your pet.

  • Be prepared to tell us if your pet has any allergies to food or medications, or if they have had a past reaction to a certain medication or vaccine. We will also need to know if your pet has a history of problems with sedation or anesthesia.

  • You may be instructed to fast your pet prior to their initial consultation in case any additional imaging or sedation is needed. Fasting means no food after 12am the night before their visit. Water is okay.

  • Please check with us ahead of time regarding special instructions if your pet requires any medications with food in the morning, if your pet is diabetic, or younger than 6 months old.

DURING YOUR APPOINTMENT

Information Gathering and Physical Exam

  • Your veterinary nurse will begin your consultation by bringing you into an exam room and taking a detailed history. We always review records from your pet’s primary veterinarian before your appointment, but we will ask additional questions to better understand what happened leading up to the diagnosis, as well as information about your pet’s past medical history. Your nurse will also take vital parameters such as heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature.

  • Following the history and vitals, your pet's veterinarian will perform a detailed physical examination. The same history questions may be asked by your veterinarian to clarify or confirm the information to ensure we provide your pet with the best care.

  • Depending on which service your pet is seeing, please prepare your day for a lengthy visit: thorough workups take time and complicated cases can be here for prolonged periods of time.

Additional Diagnostic Testing

  • In some cases, we may also recommend additional diagnostic testing such as blood work, ultrasound, or advanced imaging in order to obtain more information about a particular disease process.

  • Every effort is made to obtain diagnostic testing as soon as possible but scheduling and emergencies may make same day diagnostics difficult at times. So please be patient and trust that we are doing everything we can to find answers as quickly as possible.

Treatment Recommendations

  • Once we have all the above information, we can make specific treatment recommendations for your pet and advise on potential treatment side effects, prognosis, and cost. We try to discuss all treatment options so that you can make an informed decision on what will work best for your pet and your family. There is no pressure to make a decision on the day of your appointment. Many families take information home and consider all of the options before electing to start treatment. We are always happy to answer questions that you may think of after your appointment.

ADMISSION OR DISCHARGE

Following your appointment, your pet will be admitted to the hospital for continued care OR discharged to go home.

  • If your pet will be going home with you, further care and monitoring instructions will be provided at discharge or emailed to you.

  • If you have been sent home with pre-admit pack, please give them as directed on the packet 1-2 hours prior to your appointment for admission to the hospital. Pre-admit sedation can make your pet’s experience less stressful. If your pet does not receive the medications as directed, it is possible your pet's surgery or procedure may be delayed or even rescheduled.

RECHECK APPOINTMENTS

  • All recheck appointments can be scheduled by calling our scheduling department at (610) 647-2950 and following the prompts to the scheduling team.

  • At your time of checkout, our receptionists can help schedule your recheck appointment or facilitate getting in contact with our scheduling department if a scheduling coordinator is not available. You may be asked to call back at a later time to ensure your appointment is scheduled correctly.

FEES AND POLICIES

  • There will be an exam fee associated with your visit; treatments, diagnostic tests, and medication are additional and are due at the time of discharge.

  • If your pet is admitted to the hospital for hospitalization, an estimate will be provided and 75% of the high-end estimated cost is required at admission as a deposit.

  • The remaining balance will be collected when you pick up your pet.

  • We accept cash, check, all major credit cards, Scratchpay, and Care Credit. For more information, please visit our Payment Policy page.

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