Pet Owners

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR ER VISIT PDF

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After notifying our customer service team of your arrival, the emergency department will be notified of your pet’s arrival via a triage call.

The Triage Process

A triage technician will communicate with you to better understand why your pet is presenting to the hospital. They will take your pet to the treatment area for immediate evaluation while you fill out the necessary client and pet information forms.

Emergency Triage Levels

Based on your pet’s presenting concern and vital parameters, your pet will be assigned a triage level.

Tier 1

Patient is critical, treatment must be initiated within seconds to minutes.

Tier 2

Patient is urgent, although currently stable, treatment should be provided within minutes to hours.

Tier 3

Patient is stable, treatment should be initiated within hours.

Based on your pet’s stability and need for rapid diagnostics or care, our triage team will ask you to fill out a consent form.

1. If your pet does not need rapid diagnostics or treatment due to its stable condition, a consent form will be required including the consent for the examination fee.
2. If your pet needs immediate diagnostics or treatment, a level 1 or level 2 consent form will be required, consenting to immediate treatment, diagnostics and associated finances.

Due to high wait times in our emergency room, we encourage you to return home while your pet is being evaluated. Once the forms (listed below) are completed, you are free to leave the hospital.
We request that you keep your phone ringer on at all times to avoid missing our call.

FORMS

1. Client and pet information form: this allows our team to enter information into our electronic medical record system.
2. Consent form: this allows AVES to immediately treat your pet if needed and to know your wishes if your pet has a life-threatening emergency and we cannot get a hold of you after you leave the hospital.

WAIT

Your pet will be closely monitored while waiting to be seen by a veterinarian. Our triage team will monitor their vitals and comfort level. Patients in the emergency department are evaluated in order of the severity of their condition. Urgent or stable patients (Tier 2 & 3) may have a longer wait time. You will receive periodic updates on your pet’s condition.

EVALUATION

Once a veterinarian is able to evaluate your pet, our team will contact you to obtain a comprehensive history. The veterinarian will then call you to discuss your pet’s condition and provide you with recommendations for their care. Together we will create a treatment plan that works well for you and your pet.

FINANCIALS

You will be given a detailed estimate of cost associated with your pet’s treatment plan. If your pet is hospitalized, you will be required to pay 75% of the estimate upfront and the remainder at the end of the visit.

If finances are a consideration, speak with our customer service team about payment options, including Care Credit and Wells Fargo Health Advantage.

Experiencing a pet emergency is a stressful time and our team is here for you.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to communicate with our team.

We recommend that you download our new patient forms to help expedite your check-in process. Forms can be found under the Clients drop-down menu or within the particular department’s page. Please note that you DO NOT need to fill out any forms prior to coming in with an emergency.

Please bring all pertinent information with you, including all forms you may have completed, any medical records not previously provided by your family veterinarian, and any radiographs you have been provided.

Please continue all medications as previously prescribed and scheduled by your family veterinarian. You may also bring those medications with you to your appointment so that we can have a copy of what medications you are currently administering.

We ask that you withhold food from your pet for 12 hours prior to your appointment. This will give us the opportunity to perform potential diagnostics without concern. In cases of young patients, or patients with diabetes, please consult with your family veterinarian before withholding food, or feel free to call us for further information.

Please do not withhold water; this will not interfere with our ability to perform diagnostics.

All recommendations are based on a typical referral. Please disregard if directed otherwise.

• All prescription refills must be approved by your pet’s doctor at AVES.
• Prescriptions cannot be refilled for patients that have not been examined by one of our doctors within the past year.
• If your pet’s medical condition has changed, or if he/she is experiencing problems or suspected side effects, please call 512-343-2837 to discuss your pet’s medical condition.
• When possible we will try to accommodate larger prescriptions, however, certain controlled substances will only be prescribed in 30 day or fewer quantities.
• The maximum quantity for a single refill when allowed is 90 days.
• Please allow a minimum of 24 hours for refills to be processed. If you require medication in less than 24 hours, please call 512-343-2837.
• If more than two prescription refills are requested, please fill out a separate form.

Both your primary care veterinarian and veterinary specialists have earned their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), requiring an undergraduate degree, 4 years of veterinary college, professional training and then successful completion of the state and national licensing boards.

A veterinary specialist has typically completed 4 additional years of specialty training. This includes a 1-year internship and a 3-year residency program in a particular practice area, i.e. Internal Medicine, Surgery, etc. To become board-certified, these candidates must also pass rigorous training and testing requirements. Graduates are called Diplomates.

If you would like to schedule an appointment with a specialist, a referral from your primary veterinarian is needed.

Due to COVID-19, we are only accepting credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express), CareCredit, Wells Fargo,  and Trupanion pre-approval. Cash and checks will not be accepted at this time. Full payment is due when service is rendered.

You can expect to receive daily status updates and are always welcome to call or come visit!

Absolutely! Our visiting hours are Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Please call ahead to schedule your visit with your pet.