Your veterinarian has determined that your pet has an oral or dental condition that will benefit from specialized dental care. Your veterinarian will call me to discuss the case and send me case information. You will then call me and we will discuss your pet’s condition. When you call, I will answer as many questions as possible. Until I have actually examined your pet, I cannot make an accurate diagnosis nor make specific recommendations. However, in many cases, I can get pretty close to the mark with regard to treatment options and costs.
After we have discussed your pet’s problem and you are ready to proceed, we will arrange a date for you to come to Little Rock or another location. I will schedule enough time to allow for evaluation and treatment of the problem in one visit if possible. Some procedures or conditions require more than one visit.
On the day of your appointment my assistant and I will meet with you and your pet. Your pet should have had no food for 12 hours prior to the appointment but can have water until you leave home. Upon your arrival, I will ask you to fill out a brief information sheet and will review any documents sent with you by your veterinarian.
I will start with an oral examination as best as your pet will allow (some conditions are painful and patients are often reluctant to have their mouths examined). With the information from the history and initial examination, I will develop a tentative diagnosis. I will explain my findings and discuss treatment options. If your schedule does not allow you to be present for the initial examination, I will call you with the results of exam and explain the treatment plan and estimate.
We will discuss this together so that we can determine the best treatment for your pet’s specific situation. At this point your pet will either be admitted into the hospital for surgery if the schedule allows or be scheduled for surgery on another date.
Surgery time will be determined by the number of surgery cases present, the complexity of the case and the travel distance of the client. Patients traveling a long distance will have the earliest surgery times. Once your pet is under anesthesia, I will do a more thorough examination and take intra-oral radiographs. With information from the exam and radiographs, I will either confirm or refine the treatment plan. If the plan needs to be adjusted I will call you before proceeding.
You have the option of staying in the reception area or leaving the hospital at this time. If you leave, I will need a phone number where you can be reached at a moments notice if the need arises. I will call you when your pet is in recovery and give you a discharge time.
Pets are ready for discharge when they are completely awake, alert and able to walk out of the hospital.
As you can see, I want my clients to be quite involved in the decision making process; I may have my preferences, but ultimately you must make the final decisions about your pet’s care.
I have described a typical visit, but I am very flexible. I will do my best to design your visit around your needs and expectations while attending to your pet’s needs.
I look forward to hearing from you and to helping your pet enjoy good oral health.
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