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The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine Home

POLICIES & GUIDELINES

General Policies

Large Animal Teaching Hospital Visitation Policies

Small Animal Teaching Hospital Visitation Policies

General Policies

Accounting Policies

Please understand our financial requirements. The Hospital is largely self-supported. Please let us know if you have budgetary limits before we start diagnosis and treatment.

Payment Plans: Payment for all services is expected in full at the time of discharge. The University of Georgia does not offer payment plans. We do accept all major credit cards as well as CareCredit (http://www.carecredit.com) . If you know that finances will be an issue, please contact our accounting department at 706-542-5546 before your appointment time.

Estimates & Deposits: You will receive a preliminary estimate of the cost of your pet's veterinary care as soon as the initial evaluation of the animal's problems is completed. If your pet is hospitalized, you will need to be prepared to leave half of the high end of the estimate as a deposit. For example, if your estimate is $1000-2000, you would be asked to leave a $1000 deposit.* Please keep in mind that estimates can change if complications occur. Please be vigilant about asking how changes will affect the cost of treatment.

*This is a change in policy, effective March 24, 2008.

Assistance Programs: The UGA College of Veterinary Medicine does have assistance programs for qualifying clients when funds are available (Sundown Surgery Funds and G.R.A.C.E. Funds). See our FAQ page for further details.

Diagnosis and Treatment Time

As you probably know, the University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital is a teaching facility. This means your animal will be examined by a team of veterinarians and veterinary students, along with veterinary specialists on our staff. This process may be more time consuming, but gives your pet the benefit of the most current medical and surgical knowledge. Please be prepared for the possibility of overnight stays for your pet(s).

Referral or Local?

The University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital is primarily a referral institution. What this means it that the majority of patients seen at our facility REQUIRE a referral from another veterinary practice. This includes emergency situations. In order to obtain a referral to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, contact your regular veterinarian and request a referral.

We would not require a referral in the following instances:

  1. Clients that wish to see our Local General Medicine Practice, live within a 30-mile radius of the Teaching Hospital, AND have not recently taken their pet to another veterinarian in the local area, may call 542-2895 during normal business hours to set up an appointment (after hours emergencies may call 542-3221).
  2. For after hours emergency situations, many Athens area veterinarians offer the Veterinary Teaching Hospital as an emergency hospital. If this is the case, we would not require a referral prior to presentation, but you should inform the emergency veterinarian at our facility so we can keep your regular veterinarian updated on your pet's condition.
  3. It is strongly recommended that all exotic animals from outside the 30-miles radius be referred because it is often necessary to liaise with a local veterinarian for rechecks and further medication. Clients with exotics pets (such as reptiles, birds, ferrets, rabbits, fish, etc) that cannot locate a local veterinarian to refer their case may be seen without an official referral, but they are still charged the higher fee. In an emergency it is even more critical to have a local veterinarian evaluate the animal to ensure that is stable enough to make the trip to our facilities. Please see the Exotics policy below for more details on this service.

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Exotic Pets

Many types of dangerous exotic animals or native wildlife species are illegal without an appropriate permit. Many legal exotics pets also require vaccinations and other unique tests. If you have any questions concerning exotics vaccinations, please call 706-542-3221. If you have any questions concerning the legality of your pet please call the Department of Natural Resources at 770-761-3044. This does not include free-ranging wildlife which will be seen by our wildlife treatment center (funds and donations permitting). See our FAQ page for further details concerning The Wildlife Treatment Center.

Large Animal Teaching Hospital Visitation Policies

Visitation Hours

  • ALL VISITATIONS SHOULD BE SCHEDULED WITH YOUR STUDENT
  • OR DOCTOR.
  • Daily arrival times are from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
  • All unauthorized persons will be escorted from the building at 8:00 pm.

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Visitation Procedures

  • All visitors should check in at the front desk and sign a Client Visitation Policy form.
  • Visitors will receive a copy of this form and a copy will go in their file.
  • At check-in, visitors will receive a visitor badge that should be worn at all times while in the hospital.
  • After visiting their animals, visitors should sign out at the admissions desk.
  • All hospital personnel are expected to ask individuals without a badge to check in at the front desk.

We ask visitors to respect the following during visits:

  • Visitations should be of short duration (not to exceed 2 hours).
  • Visitations should be scheduled when the doctor or student is available.
  • All alternative feed brought by the client must be approved by and given directly to the clinician for incorporation into the feed and treatment program.
  • Clients may visit outside of the stall of only their own animal.
  • Clients are not to instruct staff to perform duties on their animals. If this occurs, hospital personnel are required to page the attending clinician immediately.
  • Sitting, lying, and camping around and/or in the stalls is prohibited.
  • Clients are not allowed to camp in trailers in the parking lot while their animals are hospitalized.
  • Activities such as grooming, walking, and grazing animals should be performed in accordance with biosecurity standards and the activity parameters decided by the clinician.

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Small Animal Teaching Hospital Visitation Policies

Visitation Hours

  • ALL VISITATIONS SHOULD BE SCHEDULED WITH YOUR STUDENT OR DOCTOR.
  • Arrival times are from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday unless otherwise scheduled with your student or doctor.
  • All unauthorized persons will be escorted from the building at 6:00 pm.
  • All visitors should check in at the front desk.

We ask visitors to respect the following during visits

  • Visitations should be of short duration (not to exceed 1 hour).
  • Visitations should be scheduled when the doctor or student is available.
  • All alternative feed brought by the client must be approved by and given directly to the clinician for incorporation into the feed and treatment program.
  • Clients are not to instruct staff to perform duties on their animals. If this occurs, hospital personnel are required to page the attending clinician immediately.

Vaccinations

For the protection of all our patients, including your animal, the University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital requires that vaccinations tests be up-to-date prior to presentation at our facility. For cases too sick to vaccinate or for clients that do not have a regular veterinarian, special permission will be required prior to presentation.

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This page was last updated March 21, 2008.