Summit Veterinary Referral Center
What to Expect
Most of our patients are referred by their primary care veterinarian when they indicate a need for specialized expertise for a particular condition or problem. Depending on the nature of the problem, your pet’s case may only require input from a boarded specialist a few times, or you may become a longer-term client. We make every effort to maintain communication with your family veterinarian. For ongoing care, we often work closely with your primary veterinarian to ensure continuity of care for your pet.
If your pet requires urgent medical attention, please come in immediately and review our emergency patient information.
What to Expect
Initial consultations are typically 45–60 minutes, but can take longer, and in some cases, you may need to drop your pet off if imaging or further diagnostics are indicated. We make every effort to review your pet’s prior medical history, when available, before your appointment. During the initial consultation, the doctor will clarify any history needed, examine your pet, and discuss recommendations and options thoroughly. Our goal is to give you the information you need to make appropriate decisions for your family. If diagnostics or procedures are indicated, we may be able to perform them the same day, or we may schedule a return visit. If your pet needs hospitalized support, we can provide that as well. Prior to any diagnostic or therapeutic procedures, an estimate of costs will be provided.
Preparing for your first scheduled visit:
Fasting:
Unless your pet is diabetic, we request that they be fasted on the day of the initial consultation appointment. This is because when pets are fasted, we may be able to proceed with recommended additional diagnostics or sedated procedures on the day of your initial appointment. Take away your pet’s available food by midnight of the night before your appointment, but allow access to water until you leave for the appointment. Morning medications should be administered as prescribed. If you have specific questions about medications, please ask our specialty service technicians. If your pet is diabetic, please feed and administer insulin as you would normally unless otherwise instructed by the specialty service.
Medications:
Please take a few moments prior to your scheduled appointment to list all of your pet’s current medications, including drug name, strength of tablet (or liquid), dose, and frequency. We will want to know when the most recent dose of each medication was administered. For chronic problems or pain management, any medications that were tried in the past but considered ineffective are also helpful to know. You are welcome to bring the actual medications if you wish. Finally, please let us know if your pet has ever had an adverse reaction to a drug.
Paperwork:
Client information and patient history forms need to be completed prior to your pet’s appointment time. You may fill these out in advance and fax or email to the office. If you bring completed forms from home or wish to fill them out in the office on the day of your visit, please arrive 20-30 minutes prior to your pet’s scheduled appointment time.
If your family members have multiple last names, please list your pet under the last name they are listed under at your referring veterinarian’s office. This makes communication with your referring doctor’s office much more efficient.
