A trip to the Emergency Room can be stressful and confusing if you don't know what to expect.
Below are answers to some commonly asked questions to help prepare you for a visit to WVRC.
A trained technician will perform an inital assessment and/or brief examination to determine whether or not your pet is in stable condition. This is called Triage. Pets determined to be in stable condition may remain with you until a veterinarian is available. Less stable or critical animals will be moved immediately to the treatment area of the hospital (which is closed to anyone other than staff) for further evalutation and treatment.
Becase we are an emergency facility, we can not take appointments like your primary veterinarian does. This can often mean a longer wait to see a doctor than you may be used to. Patients are treated in order of severity, with critical and unstable patients being assessed and treated first before moving forward with other patients. Be assured, however, that each pet and client will be treated with the same thorough care when it is your time to see the doctor.
We know you may be feeling anxious about leaving your pet. We have doctors and technicial staff in the hospital around the clock to provide the best possible care.
Please feel free to call us at any time. Our doctors or technical staff will provide you with information as soon as they are able to step away from treatment of patients. Clients will be notified immediately if their pet becomes critical or remains unstable.
We understand how concerned you are when your pet is in the hospital and we encourage your visit. By calling ahead, we can let you know if your pet is due for any treatments or if there are other patient procedures are in progress and give you the most convenient time to stop in and avoid waiting.
Your veterinarian entrusts us with the care of your pet when they are unavailable. We provide updates, both verbal and written, and work closely with them to manage your pet's care. Because of that trust, we do not have home telephone numbers or special access to your veterinarian after-hours.
As your pet gets well, we want you to be comforable with the caring process. So before release, we will have one of our veterinary technicians review all of the home care instructions with you - including bandage and incision care, as well as how to give medications. Please ask as many questions as you like. We'll give you a copy of the detailed discharge instructions to take home, plus a complete copy of your pet's medical record.
Following a visit to WVRC, a complete copy of your pet's record will be sent to your veterinarian. Any x-rays, ultrasound, CT or MRI images will be made available online through our Image Portal, allowing your veterinarian to view them at any time.