FAQ

A veterinary emergency is any circumstance where your pet is suddenly injured, in extreme pain or develops a life-threatening illness. The following is a list of possible emergent situations that warrant a visit to VRHVEC:
 

• Trouble Breathing
• Trauma: Hit by a car, bite wound, burn injuries
• Seizures or altered mentation
• Toxin ingestion
• Increase eye pressure or a painful eye
• Severe vomiting and diarrhea
• Has undergone recent surgery and is not recovering well postoperatively
• Difficulty urinating
• Shock: pale gums, cold limbs, weakness or collapse
• Unwilling or unable to eat

• Spleen removal (Splenectomy)
• Bladder stone removal (Cystotomy) or ruptured bladder repair
• Gastric Dilation Voluvulus
• Gastrointestinal Exploratory Surgeries (foreign body removal, mass resection, etc.)
• Intestinal Resection and Anastomosis
• Eye removal (enucleation)
• Limb Amputations
• Infected uterus removal (Pyometra)
• C Section

Please see the section where we go into more detail about each of these surgeries including operative and post-operative risks and complications.

We are a passionate team with a strong interest in veterinary emergency surgery. We hope to remove some of the stress during these situations and provide another alternative but an affordable option to our clients. We hope to be an extension of your family veterinarian and work with you both to help your beloved pet during these challenging times. This may be when your veterinarian is handling another emergency, your family veterinarian is closed for the evening, weekend or holiday or maybe away themselves.

No, in an emergency situation, a set appointment is not necessary; however, if your patient has been seen by a veterinarian prior to us for the current presenting issue we will need your pet’s entire file and results to any workup sent to us. We encourage that that is sent to us while you are on your way or that your family veterinarian calls us to discuss the case. We want to ensure we are prepared to set your pet up for the best possible outcome.

Please bring any medical records that you may have, along with a list of any medications your pet is taking. If your pet is on a special medication or diet, please bring those items with you as well. As discussed above, if you have been referred by your family veterinarian, your pet’s important medical history should be forwarded to us in advance or while you on your way to us.

Since we are an emergency hospital, patients are triaged when they arrive. “Triage” means that the most life-threatening cases are seen first. If more than one animal arrives at the same time, the most critically-ill pet will get examined first. Please be assured that we will work as quickly as possible to care for your pet. If the wait times are longer we do have the option for you to drop off your pet after we obtain all of your information and then we will call you as soon as we possibly can. We can assure you our veterinarians, veterinary technicians and entire veterinary team will be keeping a close eye on your pet at all times.

Alternatively, our receptionist will obtain all of your information after which you will meet with the veterinarian for your pet to have an examination and to discuss the next steps. This is where we will discuss the surgical procedure including risks during and after surgery.

VRHVES operates all hours of the day and night and as a result, more than one veterinarian may be caring for your pet. At the beginning and end of each daily shift, these veterinarians communicate with each other and all of the in-hospital patients are discussed.

Veterinary technicians are an essential part of the veterinary team and your pet’s daily care. Technicians work alongside veterinarians to help treat your pet and assist with communications. Animal care attendants also play an important role in providing patient care and ensuring that your pet’s needs are met.

We understand veterinary emergencies can be very stressful so we have decided to have a set fee for all our emergency surgeries. The cost for a veterinary emergency surgery that we provide at VRHVEC is $2900.00 + taxes and includes everything (after the initial emergency examination, consultation, and diagnostics), to do with the surgery, up to 48 hours of hospitalization, 24-hour monitoring and all medications including ones needed once discharged.

*Disclaimer: We are not boarded, veterinary surgeons. We are veterinarians with a strong passion and skill in veterinary surgery. Any surgery that a boarded surgeon should see will be referred to prior to their visit. This is why we encourage calling us beforehand and why we need to have our own examination on a transfer. We must ensure that your pet is a good candidate for our all-inclusive package. We want to also stress complications can occur that are beyond our control during or after surgery. If this occurs further treatment may be needed that warrants further cost or referral may be needed to a boarded veterinarian specialist with an ICU.*

Yes. We understand that it is a worrying time when your pet is in the hospital, especially if your pet is very ill. Many patients benefit from being visited by their families, however, for some pets, a visit can cause over-excitement or stress at a time when a calm recovery period is vital. We ask that you call the hospital before your intended visit to ensure that our staff is available to assist with visit coordination. There are, however, limited visiting hours on holidays. Please also limit visits to one visit per day, which means that all family members should visit at the same time. Afternoon visits are limited to 30 minutes, evening visits are limited to 15 minutes, and critical patients can only be visited for a few minutes.

We know that having your pet in the hospital is stressful for you and your family. We try to balance our time on the phone with our time by your pet’s side providing compassionate quality care. Your VRHVEC veterinarian will update you daily on your pet’s condition and more frequently if there are concerns.

We understand that your whole family may be anxious about your hospitalized pet; however, answering phone calls from multiple family members takes away from the time we spend providing care to your pet. If several family members or friends are involved, we ask that you assign ONE contact person to receive updates and share that information with others.

We do want to assure you that if your pet’s condition worsens, a veterinarian will contact you to discuss options and aid in you making an informed decision. Please ensure you provide us with accurate contact information. If we are unable to contact you, we will continue to provide your pet with the medical care that is in their best interest until we are able to get in touch with you.

You should check with your insurance company about your level of coverage, your deduction and possible exclusions. We will assist with the completion of estimates and claim forms. You will be responsible for paying for your pet’s care at the time of discharge and will be reimbursed by your insurance company.

At the time of discharge, you will receive written instructions for aftercare and when a follow-up is needed with your family veterinarian. Please make sure you read everything closely and ask any questions you may have prior to leaving. We want to make sure you have a clear picture of your pet’s aftercare. If any questions arise after returning home, please do not hesitate to contact us or your family veterinarian.

We do our very best to keep your veterinarian up to date with your pet’s care while they are with us. When your pet is discharged everything that was done under our care will be faxed or emailed to your family veterinarian. The results of some tests may still be pending when your pet returns home but once available they will be forwarded to your family veterinarian’s clinic.