Frequently Asked Questions

Emergency and critical care services are always available – 24 hours a day every single day of the year (including holidays and in times of inclement weather).

You should have your pet examined by a veterinarian if you feel they are in pain or significant discomfort. Other problems that warrant an examination include sudden increases or decreases in thirst and urination or protracted vomiting and diarrhea. We are here so that you do not have to wait until morning, through the weekend, or over a holiday to seek help for your pet. You are the best judge of your pet’s condition since you will be able to pick up on subtle signs that others would miss. If you feel that your pet needs to be seen immediately, you can consider that an emergency.

Like a human emergency room, we work on a triage basis to decide which patients are in most immediate need of care. Unfortunately, like the ER there is often a wait. Our patients are triaged upon arrival.

• We get an initial estimation of your pet’s situation from your phone call to us.
• If your pet is not in an immediate crisis situation, we will ask you to complete our Admissions Form. One of our nurses will assess your pet as quickly as possible.
• Pets with life-threatening conditions are brought immediately into our treatment area. We understand that separating you from your pet may be very upsetting. We ask for your patience while we begin treatment. In these cases, the doctor will stabilize your pet before discussing the condition with you. Clients are not allowed into the treatment area during this time.

We see patients based on the life threatening nature of their problems. It is possible that patients who arrive after you will be seen first. It is possible that patients who are seen before you may not appear to be injured or sick. However, there are often things happening to these patients that require immediate attention. This is why we triage.

Our receptionists will keep you updated on our emergency status and help answer any of your questions. We would like your pet to receive the best and quickest care possible in a critical situation. However, we are unable to predict what emergencies will arrive at our door. Emergency surgery and critically ill patients influence how quickly your pet can be seen.

The nature of all emergency medical facilities is to treat the most ill or seriously wounded patients first, a system called “triage.” Sometimes the most seriously ill patients don’t appear that way to the untrained eye. Pets may have severe organ dysfunction, heart problems, or internal damage. This process of “triaging” may not be convenient, but this is the way we must function to fulfill our obligation to you and your veterinarian.

The front office staff can quote you our emergency examination fee. The emergency veterinarian will provide an estimate for costs associated with diagnosing or treating any problems that have been noted. We require a deposit equal to half of the high end of your estimate with the balance paid upon discharge for all hospitalized patients. Charges are entered daily on hospitalized patients. You can call at any time to see what the total charges are.

When you bring your pet into the emergency room, a trained veterinary nurse will immediately come into the lobby to perform a quick assessment, or triage. The nurse will look at your pet’s overall demeanor, breathing pattern, and will evaluate your pet’s gums to determine the mucous membrane color. Even if the nurse determines that your pet is stable, he or she may still bring the patient into the “back” to get other vital signs, such as the body temperature and heart rate. The nurse might ask you for permission to place an intravenous catheter (if your pet is experiencing seizures, for example) or to take x-rays (particularly if there is suspicion of bloat, or gastric dilatation volvulus/GDV).

The “back” is a large treatment room, which is essentially the heart of our hospital (you can take a virtual tour of the hospital to see the treatment area). Your pet might receive life-saving support such as oxygen and possibly intravenous fluids depending on the patient’s stability, and the nurse will discuss this with you prior to transporting your pet to the treatment area. Additionally, the emergency veterinarians can also perform a quick triage and determine if your pet is stable enough to continue waiting with you until the doctor is able to speak with you, or the doctor may decide that your pet should remain in the treatment area for observation or immediate, life-stabilizing treatment procedures. There are some disease processes where time is of the essence and every minute your pet is in the hospital can be crucial to saving their life, which is why it is imperative to let the nurses and doctors work in a timely manner.

We understand that an emergency visit is nerve-wracking for both you and your pet and we are doing everything we can to ensure that your pet’s visit to the ER goes smoothly and that a diagnosis and treatment are rendered quickly and efficiently.

We have veterinarians and nursing staff here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so that your pet can be closely monitored and treated throughout the night.

To obtain a degree as a doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) requires 4 years of college and then 4 years of veterinary medical school. Veterinarians who wish to specialize must continue on with their training by completing an internship or private practice experience, a 2-3 year advanced training program (called a residency), publish original article(s) in peer reviewed scientific journals, and then pass a rigorous examination given by other specialists. When all of the requirements have been fulfilled, the veterinarian is recognized as a Diplomat (“board-certified”) in his/her specialty.

From 8 am to 6 pm on weekdays, the veterinary specialists have appointments at our hospital to see patients that are referred to us by a veterinarian. These pets are often sent because they require extensive testing or special equipment. One of the primary goals of emergency medicine is to stabilize your pet whereas our daytime specialists can pursue a more detailed and in-depth plan of treatment.

We concentrate on specialty and emergency cases. Our daytime referral facility has a veterinary staff that specializes in behavior, cardiology, dentistry, dermatology, internal medicine, interventional radiology, minimally invasive surgery, neurology, oncology, ophthalmology, radiology, and surgery. Emergency and critical care services are always available. Read more about all of our specialty services on our “Specialties” page.

You can Make an Appointment or call 610-666-1050 to speak to a client services representative during the hours of 8am to 6pm Monday through Friday.

No we do not, because we only provide emergency and specialty care, routine preventative care is best provided by your primary veterinarian.

Please see here for more information.

PHONE CALLS:

Please limit phone call updates to 2 times daily.  Also, please do not call for updates between the hours of 6:00am – 9:00am or 7:00pm – 9:00pm.

VISITS:

General Patient Visitation:

For visits, please call in advance to ensure we are able to accommodate your requested visit time. Visits may not be possible at times because of the caseload of emergency services, procedures being performed in treatment/surgery, or the critical nature of your own pet. Your patience is appreciated, and we will do our best to offer you an alternative time to visit.

We can accommodate visits during the hours of 3:00pm to 6:30pm, and 9:00pm to 11:30pm, M-F, and from 9:30am – 6:30pm, and 9:30pm – 11:30pm on Saturday and Sunday (unless arranged otherwise with the doctor).

Exam room visits have a 20-minute maximum duration (depending on our therapy/treatment schedule) every 24 hours.

Oxygen Therapy:

Visits for patients housed in our Environmental Oxygen Therapy Unit will be a maximum of 5 minutes twice daily: please understand that environmental oxygen delivery is critical to your pet’s condition, and we may not be able to allow you to hold your pet.

Isolation Visits:

• If your pet is in our GI or MDR isolation areas, we are unfortunately unable to accommodate visitations. This is due to our safety protocol(s) which will help minimize the transmission of disease.
• If your pet is in our Respiratory isolation area, we can accommodate a visit. This visit will be in our respiratory isolation ward and the visit is limited to 15 minutes with a nurse or doctor present during the entirety of the visit.

ICU visits:

If your patient requires critical care services, please abide by these visitation policies as this will help ensure your pet is being provided with the close attention and care that is required for their treatment.

• All visits must be scheduled. If you require a visit and do not schedule one, we may be unable to facilitate one. We will work with you to provide an alternative time; however, you may be required to come back at a different time or day.
• Exam room visits will have a 20-minute maximum duration once daily. This ensures we are both able to accommodate visitation and continue to provide the appropriate care needed for your pet. Please refer to our visitation hours listed above.
• If your pet is not stable enough to visit in an exam room requiring the visit to be in the ICU, this can only be facilitated when a doctor is present for the entire duration of the visit and limited to 15 minutes maximum.

We will confirm your appointment time beforehand via call or text. Please have a list of any current medications, doses, and frequency. Please bring your pet on a leash or in a carrier. If you do not have a carrier for your cat, please ask the front desk upon arrival to borrow one. If you do not have a leash for your dog, please ask the front desk upon arrival to borrow one.

You and your dog/cat will be welcomed by our front desk Client Service Representative.

A nurse will lead you and your pet down to the scale to verify your pet’s current weight. After entering the exam room, the nurse will confirm with you the history provided by your primary veterinarian.

Dr. Chase will then discuss the diagnostic provided by your veterinarian, complete a physical exam, and formulate a diagnostic plan with you.

If indicated, radiographs (x-rays) may be performed or bloodwork drawn for submission to the lab. The next treatment steps will be determined, and we will discuss any potential procedures, prognosis, expectations, and post-operative care.

An appointment is needed to confirm the diagnosis and allow discussion around the best next steps. It ensures that we have examined your pet, received all of the previous diagnostics, formulated the best path forward for your pet, and addressed any concerns you may have.

We will call your primary veterinarian in advance to request records. However, if you have digital copies and would like to ensure they reach us, you may email them to info@metro-vet.com. If you have physical copies or images, you may bring them with you on the day of your consultation. You are always welcome to email videos or photos of your pet’s condition in advance. If you have questions about additional items you may think are helpful, please call us prior to your appointment day.

While we try to provide space to spread out, other pets may be waiting in the lobby as we share the hospital with our urgent care. We work to foster a comfortable environment for all pets and their owners. Our staff is trained to minimize any stress or anxiety. If you have any concerns about your pet’s anxiety/fear around other animals, please call us in advance and discuss potential solutions. We want each pet to have the best experience possible at MVUCS!

• You will drop-off your pet in the morning at a scheduled time
• Your pet will be set up in their comfortable kennel
• They will receive an intravenous (IV) catheter for drawing any needed bloodwork and administering medications before, during, and after surgery
• Your pet will receive a personally tailored anesthetic protocol
• Surgery prep before the procedure
• Once the surgery begins, you’ll be notified via message
• Dr. Chase will call you once your pet is recovering
• Typically, your pet will remain hospitalized overnight. They will be fed, walked, receive pain (and other) medications, and have their vitals monitored

Please bring any special diets your pet is limited to. We will inform you if any of your pet’s medications need to be brought on the day of surgery. We stock most medications in hospital for use during their stay.

In between drop off and surgery, your pet will go through a pre-operative protocol that includes an IV catheter, any required preoperative bloodwork, a repeat physical examination, IV pre-anesthesia medications, and becoming accustomed to their comfortable kennel. This process ensures your pet is ready for surgery and has time to be accustomed to their surroundings and the medical staff that will be caring for them throughout their stay!

Your pet’s operating room (OR) time depends on several factors, including their size and the specific surgery they are undergoing. You will receive a message when your pet is moving to surgery. After surgery is finished, the surgeon will call with an update on the procedure and next steps.

If your pet needs to stay the night with us for monitoring and pain management, a staff member will be present around the clock to evaluate your pet’s vital parameters and comfort, to administer medications, to feed them, and to walk our canine patients! Additionally, a doctor will be in the facility or on-call during the entirety of your pets stay.

Discharge is typically the following day after surgery. However, the expected duration of your pet’s stay will be discussed during your consultation appointment and post-operatively. Some procedures allow for same-day discharge, while some require a 2-night stay.

At your discharge, one of our team members will review Dr. Chase’s written discharge instructions, demonstrate items if needed, review medications, and answer any questions you may have.

At the time of discharge, we can schedule any necessary rechecks if you are ready. Alternatively, you can always call to schedule or if you have any questions during the recovery process.

We know that having an injured or sick pet is stressful. At MVUCS, our goal is for you and your pet to have the best possible experience during this period. Thank you for entrusting us with your pet’s care. We cannot wait to see them recover and return to their normal life with you!

Routine rechecks are free of charge. Additional post-operative radiographs, medications, or bandage change materials will be charged as needed.

We will work with you to select a discharge time slot to pick up your pet for further care at home!

Unless you request us not to, we will trim their nails under anesthesia for your convenience and your pet’s comfort.

While we know (many of us firsthand!) that it can be stressful to see your pet in discomfort, a rupture cranial cruciate is not considered an emergency.  Your primary veterinarian may prescribe pain management medications and recommend activity restrictions to help with any pain. Once the CCL has ruptured, the ligament cannot be further damaged, and surgical intervention remains the same. Arthritis development is a gradual progression and does not warrant emergency surgery.

A cone, formally known as an E-collar or Elizabethan collar, is one of the most important parts of the post-operative recovery process. E-collars are designed to prevent you pet from chewing or licking at the incision. These actions can physically open the incision as well as introduce bacteria. Surgical incision dehiscence (opening) or infection may necessitate additional surgery to correct. So, while it may seem like your pet is sad in their cone, a little “tough love” can help maximize their chances for a speedy recovery.  There are many reported “alternatives” to e-collars, but not all are created equal. Please discuss with your doctor before choosing an alternative method to keep your pet from their incision.

Activity restriction instruction will vary depending on the procedure and the individual pet. However, they are generally in the range of 6-12 weeks for orthopedic procedures and 2-3 weeks for soft tissue procedures. During your initial consultation and at recheck appointments permissible activities will be discussed along with items to avoid to maximize your pet’s recovery process.

After orthopedic surgeries, we will provide you with discharge instructions that include at-home recovery exercises to promote mobility and recovery. The main form of physical therapy in pets is a controlled walking program. Formal physical therapy with a certified rehabilitation specialist is almost always beneficial, but it not always necessary in every case. The specific’s our your pet’s condition/surgery and recovery will be discussed during appointments.

It is very important that your dog’s incision not get wet for the first two weeks post-operatively. Following this period, the safety of swimming depends on the procedure performed. At recheck appointments, we will discuss what activities may be resumed and to what extent. If your dog loves to swim, our goal is to get them back to playing in the water as soon as is safe!

Your primary veterinarian will receive a copy of your pet’s medical record after their consultation, surgery, and recheck appointments. Additionally, many of our local veterinarians subscribe to our portal, where they can track mutual patient during their hospital stay.

Fees for services rendered must be paid in full when the patient is discharged. We also collect a deposit if your pet is being hospitalized. Payment is accepted as cash, check (photo ID is required for all personal checks) or major credit cards. We also accept financing options through CareCredit and Scratchpay.

CareCredit

We accept CareCredit, the pet, health and wellness credit card with flexible, budget-friendly financing options that allow you to pay over time for a range of treatments and services – including procedures, medication and more.*

* Subject to credit approval.