Separation from your pet when hospitalized can be stressful for everyone involved. To help reduce stress, our staff keeps pet parents informed of their pet’s status regularly. Updates can be obtained 24 hours a day, with the majority discussed by a member of our nursing care staff dedicated to your pet while hospitalized. We also offer in-hospital visitation while your pet is hospitalized. To ensure no detail is missed in your pet’s healthcare records, your pet’s primary care veterinarian receives updates every 12 hours and a full record when your pet is discharged.
We kindly ask that pet parents do their best to refrain from calling or scheduling a visit between 6:30-8:00am and 6:30-8:00pm to allow our staff to transfer patient information during rounds. Please note that if any changes in your pet’s medical condition arise during these periods, we will reach out immediately.
General information for your pet’s updates:
Surgery patients: owners can expect a general call as the patient is being prepared for anesthesia and surgery. A call directly from the surgeon can be expected when surgery is completed and the patient is awake from anesthesia. The day after surgery, please call after 9:00am to speak with one of our referral coordinators for an update and to discuss plans for additional hospitalization or discharge from the hospital.
Emergency/Critical Care patients: owners can expect a daily phone call from one of our emergency clinicians. Please feel free to set up a specific time to call our staff if needed. If there are any changes in your pet’s medical condition, you will be notified immediately.
Internal Medicine patients: owners can expect a daily phone call from one of our Internal Medicine staff. The Internal Medicine staff is available for questions or concerns Tuesday through Friday from 8:00am-5:30pm.
Visitation:
We understand the importance of visiting your pet while hospitalized and try to make the process as easy as possible. Please call us at 570-587-7777 to arrange a time to visit. If you wish to speak to a clinician during your visit, mention it when calling so we can arrange for one to be available.*
Visitations are typically held in an examination room to provide a comfortable space for you and your pet to spend time together. If your pet is receiving IV medication, visits are limited as to not disrupt the treatment regimen. Some pets may not be medically stable enough to transport to a visitation room, so these visits may take place in the intensive care unit and may be of a short duration. Due to safety protocols, pets in our isolation unit, infectious disease ward, or cats who received I-131 therapy cannot have visitation access.
*Due to the nature of veterinary medicine, please be aware that your pet’s doctor may need to attend to another patient during an emergency. There maybe be a delay to your visit or we may have to limit your visitation time. In very rare circumstances, we may need to reschedule your visitation.