What to expect when your pet is hospitalized at CVRC

Your pet will be attended to 24 hours a day by our patient care team. Your pet is always in sight and will never be left alone. Every hospitalized patient receives a minimum of two exams daily by a veterinarian and routine assessment by our nursing staff.

Patient examination and rounds occur from 8 - 10 am and from 5 - 6 pm. During these times, the veterinarians are updating each other on your pet's progress and continued diagnostic and treatment plan. During rounds, there may be a delay in the doctors' ability to speak with you, but they will respond as soon as possible.

The veterinarian in charge of your pet's care will contact you at least once a day to update you on your pet's status and treatment plan. We encourage you to call at any time for an update. A nurse will update you if the doctor is otherwise occupied.

If there is a change in your pet's condition, we will contact you immediately (day or night).

CVRC will also communicate with your family veterinarian regarding the progress of your pet and to confer on the course of treatment. Your vet will also receive copies of your pet's full medical record so they may update their records.

CVRC will keep you informed of the costs incurred for treatment of your pet.

We will give you detailed written instructions on caring for your pet at home after hospitalization. The doctor or a nurse will review these instructions with you and answer any questions you have. If possible, we encourage pick-up times between 8 am and 8 pm. Outside of these times, there may be brief delays (emergency hours).

Visitation

Hospitalization can be a stressful time for you and your pet. We realize the importance of visiting to both of you, and that you know your pet best and how he/she will likely handle a visit. Some pets have a difficult time seeing their owner only to have them leave. Please keep this in mind when thinking about visiting your pet in the hospital.

We discourage visiting your pet immediately after a procedure and during recovery from anesthesia. As with people, recovery from anesthesia can be a confusing and disorienting, so we try to minimize these feelings and any discomfort that might be present. We are happy to talk with you by phone if you would like updates during the recovery period.

If you decide you would like to visit, please call ahead, so we can be aware of your visit, and can confirm with the doctor that it is medically appropriate for a visit (so that important treatments are not delayed). Also, we ask that you limit visits to once a day for 15-20 minutes. Longer or more frequent visits can delay medical treatment of your pet.

We encourage visits during the day between 10 am - 6 pm, but can accommodate other times if needed. Please be aware that we have emergency hours between 6 pm and 8 am, and you may have to wait for a short time before visiting your pet while our staff is treating other patients.

Minors must be accompanied by an adult during visitation.

If you have any questions or an extenuating circumstance regarding visitation, do not hesitate to ask and we will do our best to meet your needs.