Here at Jefferson Animal Hospital & Regional Emergency Center, we know that this is a difficult time.  Having your pet away from home is difficult enough…Having them here is our hospital can be very stressful.  We want your pet to have the best possible treatment and care.

Visiting Your Hospitalized Pet

We encourage visitation in most instances because a visit from family can raise your pets’ spirits and give them the incentive they need to get better fast!  We do have established visiting hours which are:
10:00 am – 11:30 am
4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
9:00 pm – 11:30 pm
Visiting Hours are by Appointment

We ask that you make an appointment to visit your pet so that the doctor can arrange for time to speak with you about your pet’s progress.  There may be times when we are particularly busy with emergencies, or when we have a heavy caseload.  We will advise you if there will be a wait to see your pet.  You are welcome to bring family members to visit as well.  If there is a large party of visitors, we may ask that you visit in groups because of limited space.

Designate One Family Member to Call for Updates

If your pet is being hospitalized for an illness or injury, we want you to know your pet’s condition, and we ask that you call the hospital once or twice a day.  We would prefer that only ONE member of your family be responsible for talking to the doctor or staff concerning your pet’s condition.  That person can then keep everyone else informed.  When you leave your pet for hospitalization, the attending doctor will tell you the best time to call us for a progress report.  If the doctor is unable to come to the phone at that time, the receptionist or technician will briefly advise you of your pet’s condition and the doctor will call you back if you have additional questions.  The best times to call are early in the morning (the night shift doctor goes off duty at 7 am), or later in the evening (the day shift doctor goes off duty at 7 pm).  Of course, we are here 24 hours, so we are happy to update you as to your pet’s condition at any time.

Leave an Emergency Contact Number

Please make sure that we have a work or cell phone number in case we need to reach you while your pet is here with us.  If we have reliable contact number for you, we can reach you immediately if we need to discuss your pet’s condition or get information from you.

Inform Your Pet’s Regular Veterinarian

If you have a veterinarian who regularly sees your pet, please call and let them know that your pet is being hospitalized with us.  This is especially important if your pet has a condition that was previously treated by your regular veterinarian.  Because Jefferson Animal Hospital & Regional Emergency Center is the only regional emergency center in Jefferson County, we want to work with you and your regular veterinarian to ensure that your pet has the very best medical care.  We will fax all of your pet’s medical records to your veterinarian so that follow-up care can be done in their office.

Ask for a Bill Update if Hospitalization Lasts Over 24 Hours

If your pet is hospitalized with us, we will provide you with an estimate sheet that details anticipated charges for the first 24 hours of treatment.  The estimate sheet also includes a spot for us to list costs for each additional day.  If your pet is receiving extensive treatments and services with us, and is here in our hospital more than one day, please ask us to verbally update your bill total to that point in time.  The cost of emergency care and surgery for an animal can be high.  We try very hard to keep communication open regarding charges, and we welcome any and all questions.  We will gladly try to work within your budget when money is a concern.  There are times when we get busy, and we may neglect to inform you daily of your bill total.  It is very helpful for you to request an update so that you remain informed.

Releasing your Pet from the Hospital

When your pet is ready to go home, we will make a discharge appointment with you.  Having an appointment allows our doctors the appropriate time necessary to discuss at-home care and instructions with you.  We will discuss all X-ray and test results with you, teach you proper home care, explain the medication specifics to you, and make sure that you understand your pet’s medical problems.  Please ask questions!  We want you to be an informed pet owner.  When you come in to pick up your pet, our receptionists will provide you with an itemized receipt of fees incurred during hospitalization.  Payment in full will be expected at that time, and you will be provided with a record of your payment.  We accept cash, checks (if approved by TeleCheck) with proper identification, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, CareCredit and you may also use your debit card.  Our receptionist will then advise you to schedule any follow-up appointments with your regular veterinarian.  If you do not have a regular veterinarian, the receptionist will schedule your follow-up appointments with a doctor in our office.  Once this paperwork is completed, you will be escorted into an exam room to speak with your pet’s discharging doctor.

Call us with a Status Update

Please call us if you have any questions or concerns about your pet’s progress.  It is very helpful, even if things are going really well, for you to call us the day after hospitalization and give us a progress report for your pet.  Our doctors and staff are interested in your pet’s recovery, and we want to make sure that at-home care is going according to plan.

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