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How do I schedule an appointment?
For companion animals (such as dogs and cats), birds, or exotic animals
(ferrets, reptiles, etc.) call the Small Animal Clinic at 225-578-9600. For
horses, cattle, sheep, etc., call the Large Animal Clinic at 225-578-9500.
Regular office hours are 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. You may
schedule an appointment yourself if you are a regular client of LSU, or have your veterinarian call to consult with
a staff clinician and schedule an appointment.
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Do I have to call first?
Yes! Whether a routine visit or an emergency, you or your veterinarian must call
first before bringing your pet to us. The Small Animal Clinic number is
225-578-9600 and the Large Animal Clinic number is 225-578-9500. During regular
business hours (8-5, Monday through Friday), this number is answered by our
receptionist who will arrange for scheduling of both routine and emergency
appointments. After hours, our answering service will contact the emergency duty
clinician to assist you with emergencies; however, the answering service cannot
make routine appointments or provide non-emergency information or services. Call
during regular business hours for these services.
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What if I have an emergency?
We have clinicians “on call” 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to handle
emergencies. You must make arrangements in advance by calling
or by having your veterinarian call 225-578-9600 (small animals) or
225-578-9500 (large animals) before coming to the hospital. Use these
numbers for emergencies any time of day. Calling in advance allows us to make
proper
preparations to receive your pet.
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Do I have to
get a referral if I have a regular veterinarian for my pet?
You should ask your veterinarian to call first to arrange a referral
appointment. That way, we can get a complete history of your pet's medical
problem, what tests have been run, what medications have been given, etc.
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My pet is being treated by another veterinarian but I want more information. Can
I get advice from your veterinarians by telephone or email?
Our veterinarians are committed to giving your pets the best care possible but it is impossible to give quality
advice to clients whose pets they have never examined. Therefore, our clinicians cannot
answer your email or telephone questions. We will, however, be glad to consult with
your veterinarian on your animal’s health problems and take the animal on
referral if necessary. Or if you do not have a veterinarian or would like to,
you may call the Clinic yourself to set up an appointment. For companion
animals, such as cats and dogs, as well as birds and exotic animals, call the
Small Animal Clinic at 225-578-9600. For horses and food animals, call the Large
Animal Clinic at 225-578-9500.
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Are services free, or at least cheaper than
anywhere else?
We are a fee-for-service hospital. Hospital income supports the activities
of the hospital. In general, our fees are comparable to those of other
veterinary surgical hospitals in the area; please discuss fees with the
clinician in charge of your pet.
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Can I
get an estimate of cost before agreeing to examination and treatment?
Yes. We will make every attempt to estimate the costs involved with diagnosis
and treatment of your pet before the services are performed. It is not always
possible to predict the course of medical management well in advance, so please
discuss fees with the clinician as the case progresses.
The business office will answer questions regarding the status of your bill at
any time during business hours by calling 225-578-9581.
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What is the payment policy?
The University requires that all charges be paid in full at the time of
discharge.
In the event that patients are hospitalized for diagnosis or treatment, 50% of
the estimated total bill must be paid at the time of admission.
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What methods of payment
are accepted?
We accept cash, personal checks with appropriate identification, Visa,
MasterCard, and American Express.
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I’ve been told my pet needs an expensive operation. Can your students do it as a
“learning experience” and save me some money?
Students do not perform specialized surgery. All operations are done by specialists
and residents with students observing and assisting. Many of the operations we
perform require many years of post-vet school training to learn the techniques
and become proficient; it would be unethical and irresponsible to allow students who have not yet finished their education
to “learn” on clients’ animals. In general, our fees are comparable to those of
other veterinary surgical hospitals in the area; please discuss fees with the
clinician in charge of your pet.
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Do I have to
leave my pet in the hospital?
Some procedures can be performed on an outpatient bases while others require
hospitalization in order to be completed. The clinician assigned to your case
will discuss the options with you.
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Can I get check-ups and vaccinations for my pet?
While our clinics mainly take referrals from outside veterinarians of medically
complicated cases, we do perform the all same services as private clinics.
However, because of our clinical rotations, you will rarely see the same student
or clinician more than once. For routine visits, you might wish to develop a
relationship with a veterinarian much as you would a with family doctor.
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Is the hospital
open for service on weekends or evenings?
The hospital is on “emergency only” basis after hours and on weekends and
holidays. With special advance arrangements with the clinician in charge,
discharges and admits may be scheduled after hours.
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Can I pick up
or drop off my pet after hours?
Special arrangements must be made in advance through the clinician in charge of
the case for pick up or drop off after hours. Discharge will not be made after
hours without full payment of the bill at the time of discharge.
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Which doctor will examine my
pet?
Each clinical service (medicine, surgery, orthopedics, dermatology,
etc.) is staffed on a rotating basis by the specialists on staff.
Depending upon the type of problem your pet has, you will be referred to the
clinician who is on duty for that particular service. In the case of follow-up
visits, appointments are generally scheduled with the service rather than
the original clinician, although the original clinician is generally notified
and consulted regarding the re-examination. Because our clinicians rotate on and
off duty, you may not see the same doctor each visit.
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Will my
pet be used for “experiments” or research?
No! Privately-owned pets are not used for research.
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Will students “practice”
on my pet?
Veterinary students are an integral part of our health care team. The veterinary
students assigned to the Clinic rotations have completed a minimum of 2.5 years
of intensive veterinary training prior to initiation of clinical
rotations which does not include any pre-veterinary training they may have
completed. They are involved in the delivery of health care services to your pet
under direct supervision of a staff clinician. They do not independently
diagnose or treat any patient. They do participate and assist in health care
delivery to your pet.
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Can I visit my
pet during hospitalization?
Yes, but visits must be pre-arranged and approved by the
clinician in charge of the case. Please call 225-578-9600 to schedule visits
with patients in the Small Animal Clinic or 225-578-9500 to visit patients in
the Large Animal Clinic. To minimize disturbance to other patients, please limit
visitors to owners and immediate family.
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