Arrival and Triage
AECCA patient care is "triage-based," which means the order in which patients are examined and treated is determined by the severity of each patient's illness or injuries. The determination of severity of your pet’s illness or injury will be made by a qualified member our emergency service; thus, patients may not be seen in the order of their arrival. Pets with catastrophic or life-threatening problems will be examined and attempts will be made to stabilize these patients immediately.
Hospitalization/Costs
After your pet has been evaluated by one of our doctors at AECCA, it will be determined if your pet needs to be hospitalized. If your pet needs to be admitted, you will receive a medical treatment plan, including a payment estimate, regarding your pet's hospitalization and patient management. Please keep in mind that this medical treatment plan cost estimate is ONLY an estimate, because the involvement, duration, or severity of your pets’ illness and/or disease cannot be predicted. You will be asked to sign your this plan and leave a deposit for the low end of the estimate. The final cost of therapy is the result of each individual patient’s needs.
Leaving Your Pet
In most instances, you will be able to visit with your pet prior to leaving the hospital. Visitation may be prohibited if your pet is severely distressed, or if life-saving critical care therapies are being administered.
Daily Updates
You are encouraged to call to receive updates on your pet’s condition. You may call any time day or night to receive a general update from one of our Licenced Veterinary Technicians. To receive specific medical information, you will need to speak to one of the doctors managing your pet’s case – Contact our office between 10 a.m. and noon or between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. (unless requested otherwise by your pet's doctor) to speak to the veterinary criticalist or senior veterinarian on duty. You should also be sure to ask for a daily update of the costs incurred for your pet’s care.
Visitation
Visitation of your pet is encouraged and arranged on a case-by-case basis. Please call ahead of time to schedule a visit. However, if your pet is in intensive care, isolation, or suffers from separation anxiety, visitation may be discouraged or postponed. Visitation between midnight and 8 a.m. is usually not allowed.
Discharge/Transfer to Your Regular Veterinarian
At the end of your pet’s hospital stay, you will be given written instructions on how to care for your pet, what to expect next, when and how to administer medications, and when your pet should be examined by your family veterinarian. If your pet is being transferred directly from AECCA to your family veterinarian, a medical record of care will be faxed to your veterinarian, and any digital images will be given to you for transport.