Appointments and Drop Offs

The doctors see patients Monday through Saturday by appointment.  An appointment will save you time when you arrive.  Occasionally, there are emergencies that must be “worked in” to the schedule.  We will do everything possible to minimize appointment delays due to emergencies that must be seen.  You may schedule your pet to be dropped off if one of the doctors has examined your pet previously and the problems have been discussed.  We will ask you to fill out a Patient Drop Off Information Sheet. We would prefer to receive drop-offs for surgery from 7:15 to 8:00 a.m. Releases can be picked up as late as 5:30 p.m.

Pre-Operative Information

Your pet may be dropped off for surgery if one of the doctors has already examined your pet and surgery has been scheduled.  Drop-offs are admitted after 7:15 AM.

Please be sure to leave all phone numbers where you can be reached on the surgery day.  We will ask you to fill out a Patient Drop Off Information sheet.  The ICU staff will call you when your pet is in post-operative recovery. 

When making a surgery appointment, please discuss with the surgery staff whether or not to discontinue current medications prior to surgery. 

Withhold food after 10:00PM the night prior to surgery.  Water is permitted until 6:00AM the morning of surgery. 

If your pet is on a special diet or is currently taking medication, please bring that food and/or medication with you when dropping off for surgery. 

For your pet’s benefit, please give us a written note about any change in your pet’s condition and the food and medication it has had within the last 24 hours. 

Most patients are required to be hospitalized at least one night following surgery in order to be monitored for progress. 

Please call 713-693-1122 to cancel and/or reschedule surgery if necessary.

Calls After Surgery

The surgery schedule is often not predictable due to the need for unscheduled emergency surgeries.  We typically call clients when the surgery is completed.  However, sometimes we are delayed, cannot make contact immediately, or do not make contact on the initial call.  If you have not been called by 5:00 PM on the day of surgery, please call us.  If the doctor cannot come to the phone, ask to speak with the technician that works in the exam room with your doctor, or one of the technicians in surgery recovery.

In Hospital Referrals

Occasionally, multi-diagnostic care may be in the best interest of your pet. In such cases, Gulf Coast Veterinary Surgery may consult with other specialists at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists.

Updates and Progress Reports

If your pet is hospitalized, we know you are anxious to receive an update as soon as possible. We also want to keep you informed.  The doctor and technicians are able to give information after morning rounds.  Therefore, we ask that you not call before 10:00AM.  You may call for updates and progress reports from 10:00AM to 5:00PM Monday through Friday.  Please do not call for progress reports on Saturday and Sunday—one of our staff will call you on those days with a report.  We are closed on Sunday.  Technicians responsible for night and weekend patient care are very busy taking care of your pets.  Because the switchboard is closed, they cannot receive calls to give progress reports and updates.  For security reasons, they are not authorized to unlock doors and allow visitation after office hours. 

The Animal Emergency Clinic in this building is a separate practice.  Their staff is not familiar with Gulf Coast Veterinary Surgery, Orthopedic & Neurology’s patients.  Therefore, they are unable to answer questions about your pet.  Please do not call the Emergency Clinic for updates or progress reports if your pet is hospitalized at Gulf Coast Veterinary Surgery, Orthopedics & Neurology.

Doctors' Callback Schedule

The doctors receive many phone calls each day.  They take as many calls as they can between appointments and procedures.  At times, they must call back as soon as possible or return calls after the clinic closes.  Please be sure to give day and night numbers as well as pager and mobile phone numbers.    Pagers cannot be used for after-hours calls.  The doctors have trained their technicians to return some of the calls in order to speed up callbacks and reassure you about your pet’s condition.

Visitation

We know how difficult it is for you to leave your pet if hospitalization is required.  If your pet needs to stay in the hospital for more than two (2) days, you are welcome to schedule a visit.  If approved, visitation must be scheduled in advance for one five-to-ten minute visit per day.  Special arrangements may be made for the critically ill.  Keep in mind that your pet could be very excited or disappointed after you leave.  For this reason, visiting is not necessarily the best thing for your pet, but your doctor will be happy to discuss this with you.  Please be aware that even though you have a scheduled visit, there may be a delay if the ICU staff is dealing with other pet emergencies.

Discharges

Please call before you pick up your pet to make sure the paperwork is ready and schedule a discharge time.  Calling will help alleviate waiting time.  The doctors or technicians will go over the discharge instructions.  If you have ANY questions, we will want to answer them for you before you go home.  If a recheck examination with your doctor is needed, you may want to consider scheduling this appointment before leaving.

Pharmacy

Please call at least 24 hours ahead if you need prescriptions refilled.  This will prevent any delay and inconvenience to you.  Let us know what time you will arrive to pick up.

Questions and Comments

Your questions are encouraged!  We want you to be well informed about your pet’s condition, diagnosis, and recommended treatment.  If surgery is necessary, we urge you to discuss your concerns with the doctor.  A written estimate will be provided prior to surgery.  Your pet is receiving the finest care in a state-of-the-art specialty hospital.  We are proud of our hospital and staff and want you to be comfortable in all aspects of your pet’s care while in our facility.  Comments and constructive criticism are welcome.