Urgent Pet Care: What To Expect
What to expect when you visit us in an emergency.
A pet emergency and making a trip to urgent care can be stressful and scary. To help alleviate some of that stress, here is what you can expect when you visit Aspen Grove Urgent Pet Care.
Triage and Reception
Whether you have a scheduled appointment or you walk in needing medical attention for your pet, you will be greeted by a specially-trained receptionist. She will alert the technician to your arrival and ask you to fill out some paperwork, and may put you directly into an exam room where the technician will assess and triage your pet’s condition.
If your pet’s condition is critical or painful we will take immediate steps to stabilize the situation as quickly as possible. This may include administering medications, placing an IV catheter, or oxygen and fluid therapy.
If your pet’s condition is less critical, you may be asked to wait. If you notice that your pet’s condition changes please alert the receptionist right away as their condition may have worsened.
It is our intent to see scheduled appointments and each walk-in patient as soon as possible. Due to the unpredictable nature of urgent care medicine, however, we have no control over wait times. Your patience and understanding will help keep a low-stress environment for other pets and pet owners, as well as the staff.
Medical History and Exam
Whether it’s a routine appointment or an emergent situation, it’s extremely important that you provide a complete history. A skilled and experienced technician will ask you important questions that will help determine the course of treatment that the doctor recommends.
Unlike humans, pets cannot tell us how they feel or what hurts. We use the history provided by owners and the results of a comprehensive physical exam to determine a treatment plan.
A physical exam is a complete, hands-on assessment of your pet’s health status. Our team is trained to detect disease through:
- listening (auscultation),
- feeling (palpating), and
- looking (visual evaluation).
The first thing we do during a physical exam is weigh your pet and measure their temperature, heart rate and respiration. After taking these basic measurements, your pet is examined from head to tail, while all vital organs along the way are gently palpated to check for signs of disease.
A comprehensive physical exam also allows our team to find clues that can uncover diseases that are not always obvious. Clues to liver, kidney, heart problems, cancer, arthritis and dental issues may not become symptomatic until advanced.
Diagnostics & Treatment
Diagnostics such as blood testing and x-rays give us a window to look inside your pet’s body. Even apparently healthy animals can have serious organ system problems that are not evident upon physical exam. Our doctor will discuss recommended diagnostics with you and recommend a course of action.
At this time, it’s important that you discuss your budget with the doctor. Based on your budget and your pets needs, the doctor can help prioritize diagnostics and treatment.
Discharge
Before leaving the hospital, the doctor and/or a technician will answer all of your questions regarding the home-care of your pet and recommended follow-up. They will review all prescribed medications, how to administer them and review any necessary dietary changes. A fully detailed report on your visit will be sent to your regular veterinarian.
Once you get home, if you think of additional questions or notice that your pet “doesn’t seem right” please call us at (970) 416-0232. We may ask that you bring your pet back for further evaluation.
Payment Policy
Our goal is to serve you and your pet in every way possible. This includes ensuring your medical team provides the level of care that fits within your budget. It’s important that your financial commitment and responsibilities are made clear before treatment begins. In the case of an emergency, your pet will be stabilized before your medical options are presented.
Payment, in full, is required at the time services are rendered.
