What to Expect During Your First Visit

Whether you bring your animal to UW Veterinary Care for a routine check-up or an advanced surgical procedure, our team of leading veterinary specialists will tend to you and your companion with confidence and compassion.

Upon arrival at our hospital, you will be welcomed by one of our friendly greeters before a senior veterinary student brings you and your pet to an examination room. Once the student takes a medical history and conducts a physical examination, he or she will work with a clinician (who may be an intern, resident or faculty) to develop a diagnostic and treatment plan. This discussion can sometimes take 20-30 minutes, and is an important step in our effort to give your animal the best possible care. After the clinician meets with you to discuss the various testing and treatment options available for your pet, a written estimate will be provided to ensure that you are comfortable with the next steps in the treatment plan.

This process reflects our commitment as a teaching hospital to train the veterinary specialists of tomorrow. By working closely with board-certified clinicians, our residents and interns, who are already licensed veterinarians, further develop their knowledge of veterinary medicine. This constant collaboration helps ensure that your pet receives the highest level of comprehensive care and access to the most advanced treatments and technologies. Each specialty service functions as a team; although you may meet a small part of the team rest assured that your animal is being evaluated by many minds.

While we are classified as a teaching hospital, UWVC is still an independent entity; only a small portion of our budget comes from state funding. As such, we cannot offer reduced prices for our medical services or treatments. However, we do conduct a number of clinical trials that often have some degree of financial incentive associated with participation. Your pet’s care team will review all treatment options with you, including available clinical trials.

To ensure a smooth visit, please refrain from feeding your pet the morning of your appointment, as many of the tests that are commonly performed on patients require fasting beforehand. If your animal does not require hospitalization, your care team will schedule a time for you to pick up your pet and discuss the day’s findings. If your animal does require hospitalization, we request a deposit of 50% of the higher end of the estimate at the time of admittance. You will be called at least once a day with updates on your pet’s condition and test results. Our reception desk is staffed daily from 7:30 am until 11 pm, and patient releases are typically arranged during these working hours.