| Frequently Asked Questions |
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Frequently Asked Questions About the LSU Small Animal Clinic 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. 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. Do I have to call first? Yes! During regular business hours (8-5, Monday through Friday), patients are seen by appointment only. You or your veterinarian should call the Small Animal Clinic (225-578-9600) before you bring your pet to us. During regular hours, the small animal clinic phones are answered by our receptionists 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. Please call during regular business hours for these services. What if I have an emergency? There is an emergency clinician at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to handle dog and cat emergencies. In addition, we have a clinician “on call” 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to handle exotic pet and avian emergencies. If possible, you should make arrangements in advance by calling or by having your veterinarian call 225-578-9600 before coming to the hospital. Calling in advance allows us to make proper preparations to receive your pet. 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. My pet is being treated by another veterinarian but I want more information. Can I get advice from your veterinarians by telephone or e-mail? 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 e-mail or telephone questions. We will, however, be glad to consult with your veterinarian on your animal’s health problems and take your pet on referral if necessary. Please speak to your regular veterinarian to arrange for a consultation or referral. If you do not have a veterinarian and would like to have your pet seen at the Small Animal Clinic, you may call the Clinic receptionist at 225-578-9600 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to set up an appointment. 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. 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 your 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 225-578-9588. 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. What methods of payment are accepted? We accept cash, personal checks with appropriate identification, Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. 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. 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. Can I get check-ups and vaccinations for my pet? While our clinics mainly take referrals of medically complicated cases from outside veterinarians , we do perform all the 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 local veterinarian near your home much as you would a with family doctor. 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 may be scheduled after hours. 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. 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. Will my pet be used for “experiments” or research? No! Privately-owned pets are not used for research. Top 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. Top 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. To minimize disturbance to other patients, please limit visitors to owners and immediate family. Top |