Triage
We do not schedule appointments at EVCOT. All patients are seen on a first come, first served basis, although the order may be altered depending on the severity of the illness or injury. A patient with a life threatening or otherwise critical condition will be seen and treated before a patient with a less serious illness or injury. Your patience is appreciated during this time if another patient must be seen before your pet, even though you may have arrived first. If it is your pet that arrives in critical condition, rest assured that he or she will be given this priority. However, we also understand that your time is valuable, and we will do everything in our power to examine your pet and consult with you in a timely fashion. It is not necessary to call ahead, but if our staff knows you are coming we will be more prepared for your visit, and may be able to provide you with information to make the trip easier and more comfortable for you and your pet.
Treatment Updates
If your pet is staying in our hospital, please feel free to call us at any time for an update on your pets condition. A technician will be available to give you a detailed status report. If a report from the doctor is required, please be prepared to leave a phone number for a call back.
Visitation
We are more than happy to allow visitation with your pet, however due to certain safety concerns, as well as ongoing care and treatments of other hospitalized patients, we ask for your cooperation in keeping visitation times short. We may request that owners avoid visiting in certain circumstances where an animal getting very excited to see his or her owner may have a negative effect on their condition.
Discharge from the Hospital
At the time of discharge, you will receive a copy of the chart, including all of the doctor’s notes, treatment sheets, and lab reports, as well as any special written instructions the doctor may have for your pet. A receptionist or technician will review medications, instructions and recommendations with you, and answer any questions or concerns you may have. A CD with any radiographs taken will be sent with you to be taken to your regular veterinarian.
Your Family Veterinarian
A complete copy of your pets records, including lab work, will be sent to your regular veterinarian. We consider communication with your regular veterinarian to be extremely important and a vital part of giving your pet the best possible care.
Estimates and Payment
Our doctors and staff will make every effort to communicate the costs associated with your pets care with you prior to and during treatment and hospitalization. We will be happy to provide a written estimate upon request. Payment is due at time of service. We do not bill or accept personal checks. We do accept cash, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and Care Credit. We have Care Credit applications available in our hospital, or you may call ahead for pre-approval at 1-800-677-0718. You may also apply online at www.carecredit.com.
Crowdsourcing (GoFundMe, etc.)
We apologize, but we are unable to take direct payments from crowdsourcing websites such as GoFundMe, Facebook and others. We kindly ask if you are crowdsourcing to help offset the cost of veterinary care to please have the donors pay you directly. Fielding numerous phone calls (sometimes can be in excess of 20-30 calls in an 8 hour shift) puts a large strain on our staff that affects our ability to provide quality care for incoming emergencies as well as patients in the hospital. Taking payment over the phone can take 5-10 minutes per call to obtain all of the correct information in addition to taking payment. It is much simpler for all parties involved if the third party pays you (the client) directly and we take one payment from the client and allows us to help keep costs as affordable as possible while providing the quality care our clients expect. We will gladly accept payment from 1-2 family members or friends, with exceptions being made on a case-by-case basis. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.