What to Expect When your Pet has been Admitted

SPECIALTY CONSULTS AND APPOINTMENTS

Patients are normally referred to Premier by their family veterinarian. Typically, your primary care veterinarian will send us a referral form. The form will describe your pet’s problem and identify the appropriate specialty department to see your pet.

Patients are normally referred to Premier by their family veterinarian. Typically, your primary care veterinarian will send us a referral form. The form will describe your pet’s problem and identify the appropriate specialty department to see your pet.

To schedule your appointment for your initial visit contact us!

If Your Pet is Admitted to the Hospital

Prior to admission, you will receive information from the medical team about your pet’s specific condition and treatment plan. This may include changes in feeding schedules or medications. Please ask if anything remains unclear following this conversation. Our team’s goal is to ensure that all your questions are answered. We will always go through an itemized treatment plan with you.

CONTACT INFORMATION

During your pet’s hospitalization, our medical team will call at regular intervals with updates on your pet’s condition. Please provide our Client Care representatives with your preferred telephone number if you have not done so already. Our commitment to you and your pet is to provide the highest standards of medical care and personal service possible.

During Your Pet’s Hospitalization:

MEDICAL UPDATES

Grayslake: Our doctors will call you with an update on your hospitalized pet at least once daily. Our doctors are in rounds from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Doctors will not be available to take phone calls during this time.

Orland Park: You will receive a call twice daily with an update on your pet’s condition.

• The morning call will be between the hours of 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.

• The evening call will be between the hours of 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

• During your pet’s hospitalization, we will call if there are significant changes in your pet’s status. You may call for information about your pet at other times, but please understand that you may not be able to talk to a medical team member directly. If you are asked to leave a voicemail, a team member will return that call in a timely manner.

• To streamline all communications, we ask that you designate one family member for all medical updates and ask that he or she relay information to the rest of your family.

  • We treat each patient’s medical condition as confidential. We will only discuss your pet’s condition with you or the person you have designated on the patient information sheet. If you have provided your family veterinarian’s information we will also share medical updates with them.

When Your Pet is Ready to Leave the Hospital

Please be prepared to spend up to one hour during the discharge process for your pet. It is important that enough time is available to review important information regarding your pet’s care and that you have time to ask any questions.

Once your doctor feels that your pet is well enough to be sent home, a member of our medical team will contact you. At this time, they will discuss the following:

• Your pet’s current medical condition

• Briefly review the discharge instructions and discuss any rechecks that may need to occur

• Update you on your balance

THE DISCHARGE PROCESS:

Your pet’s technician or doctor will review the current treatment plan and discuss home and follow-up care with you. You will receive any necessary medications for your pet, and we will discuss instructions for administering them.

Our discharge process has changed due to the COVID pandemic. A copy of the discharge instructions will be emailed to you prior to your pet being discharged and a member of our team will call you to review the discharge instructions, complete the financial part of your discharge and schedule any recheck appointments that may be required.

Once you feel comfortable with the at-home instructions, you will be directed to a member of our client care team to complete the financial part of your discharge and to schedule any recheck appointments that may be necessary. During this time, the technician or doctor will retrieve your pet.

• Please ask if you require assistance getting your pet into your vehicle. We are here to help.

• Our policy is to remove all bandages related to IV catheters or blood draws from your pet before leaving the hospital; however, in some cases, it may be necessary to leave a bandage on until they get home. The medical staff will instruct you on the removal of the dressing.

• Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have questions.