Q: I was provided with an estimate for surgery. When do I have to pay for the surgical or sedated procedure?
A: Our customer care representatives will call the day before the appointment to confirm your pet’s appointment and to make sure we have received all of the necessary paperwork at that time. They will also collect the low end of the estimate as a deposit for surgery. When you return for your discharge appointment, the customer care staff will collect any remaining balance at that time.
Q: If my pet checks in for surgery at 7am are they the first patient to go in for surgery?
A: We can never guarantee what time or order your pet will be in our surgical line up for the day. All surgical patients for the day are scheduled for a drop off time coordinated with our customer care staff in 15 minute increments between 7-8am. After all patients are checked in and reexamined, a surgical order for the day will be determined. Our customer care representative staff will send you text updates on how your pet is doing and when we anticipate your pet to have surgery that day. The doctor will follow up after completion of the surgical procedure to give you a complete report.
Q: What is the importance of an e-collar?
A: The e-collar will help prevent your pet from licking or chewing at their incision following surgery. One small lick to this area can introduce bacteria to the incision causing infection and further damage to the surgical area. If the pet is able to chew at their incision this could lead to many complications which can include medications, additional treatments, failure of the surgical procedure, and life threatening issues, all which are costly expenses to you, the pet owner.
Q: Will my pet return to my care the same day as their surgical procedure?
A: The majority of our patients will stay overnight following their surgical procedure for anesthesia recovery and pain management. We have staff members in the building 24 hours a day during the week to take care of your pet. Our ICU team will monitor your pet, offer them food and water, walk them, and take them outside for a bathroom break. The ICU team will send a text update before bed time. Our customer care representatives will arrange a discharge time for the following day with you at the time you schedule your surgical procedure. If your pet’s recovery from the surgical procedure is uneventful, then your pet will go home the day following surgery. Total Hip Replacement surgeries require a two night stay. If your pet is extremely unruly or anxious, there is a chance they will go home the same day as the procedure, but this does not happen very frequently.
Q: What is a discharge appointment? General and surgical
A: A discharge appointment is a scheduled check-out appointment for your pet, and can run approximately 30 minutes long. One of our customer care representatives will schedule a discharge appointment for you and the appointment will typically take place the day after surgery. A discharge appointment from surgery will entail closing out your final bill, scheduling follow-up appointments, and meeting with the Doctor Assistant to go over medications and how to care for your pet over the upcoming weeks. A discharge appointment from a sedated procedure such as a CT, bandage change, or recheck, will most likely occur the same day as the procedure and will consist of finalizing any payments, scheduling any further appointments, and instructions from the day’s visit.
Q: Why am I not charged for all of the bandage changes at the time my pet discharges from surgery?
A: We do not charge for bandage changes ahead of time because every pet heals at their own pace. Our doctors will include a potential number of expected bandage changes in your initial estimate so you can prepare for the follow-up visits and have an idea of what each of these visits will cost. Again, this is only in our estimate, you will not pay for bandage changes at the time of discharge. You will pay for bandage changes upon every post-operative visit. Our Customer Care Representatives will schedule these bandage changes weekly or at the max two weeks in advance. At the conclusion of each bandage change we will collect payment for that bandage change and schedule your pet for their next visit. There are times when these bandage changes may need to be done more frequently than expected or, at times, a pet is healing very well and will require fewer bandage changes than expected.