Our primary concern is for the welfare and safety of your pet while they are in our care. In order to fulfill the goal of providing the highest quality or oral health care, anesthetic safety and efficient flow of patient care, it is essential that we follow routines, protocols and policies. For everything we do behind the scenes, it is essential that you confirm knowledge and understanding of ADOS policies and protocols for the day your pet may be with us for general anesthesia and an oral procedure.

Appointments and Procedures: A consultation with Dr. Buelow, Dr. Raleigh, or Dr. Durney is required prior to a procedure being performed. All consultations and rechecks are scheduled through our client service representative during normal business hours. All procedures are arranged for either the same day as a consultation or arranged for another day after the consultation. If your pet is geriatric, has underlying medical conditions, or if you would like a cost estimate prior to the procedure day, then it may be necessary to schedule a consultation with one of our specialists on a day that is separate from the procedure. Please note that your “scheduled consultation time” or “admission time” is not the time the procedure is scheduled for your pet.

Please note that the office is open Monday through Friday from 8AM to 5PM. Pets must be admitted to and discharged
from the hospital within these hours.

Heart Conditions: If your pet has an existing heart condition or murmur, or if a “new” heart murmur is heard during the physical exam, a heart assessment by a veterinary cardiologist may be necessary before we proceed with anesthesia or treatment. To help assess anesthetic risks for your pet, cardiac workups should be completed prior to the procedure appointment.

Consultation and Exam Findings: A “conscious oral exam” will be performed during your scheduled consultation time. A brief physical exam will also be performed at this time. Although an initial diagnostic impression may be given from the consultation exam, a thorough oral assessment of your pet’s condition is not complete until an exam is performed under general anesthesia. This requires intra-oral radiographs which must be performed under general anesthesia. Many conditions are more involved than what was anticipated based on the awake oral exam. The doctor will discuss your pet’s condition with you during the consultation. You will be advised of the preliminary diagnosis and what treatment options are available for you to consider. Anesthetic and procedural risks will also be discussed.

Final Exam Findings: The complete exam findings are not known until a comprehensive exam can be performed under general anesthesia. Before we perform any procedures on your pet, or if additional problems are discovered while your pet is anesthetized, you will be contacted by phone with an update on the final oral exam and radiographic findings to confirm treatment options and estimated costs. Therefore, it is essential that we have a phone number where you are reachable at all times.

Procedure Time: Please note that your “scheduled appointment time” is not the time the procedure is scheduled for
your pet.

For the vast majority of our patients, the exact nature of their problem is not completely known until after a comprehensive oral exam has been performed under general anesthesia. For that reason, we cannot accurately predict how long any individual’s procedure may take. These variables can affect when the next patient’s anesthesia and procedure can be started.

You can expect that your pet will be admitted in the morning and left within our care for the majority of the day. It is not possible to predict what exact time a particular patient will be started and how long an individual procedure may take. Therefore, it is important that you do not have specific expectations as to what time your pet’s procedure will be completed or what time discharge will take place. Our patients are monitored, walked, and assessed throughout their stay with us. We will make every attempt to keep you informed as to when your pet’s procedure will take place. We are advocates for the safety and quality of treatment for your pet and cannot rush to meet any particular time commitment.

We are hands on with our patients from the moment they are admitted to the hospital, throughout anesthesia and recovery, and until they are discharged later in the day. The hospital space, our education and training, and your pet’s care are all included as part of the anesthetic costs. The board-certified dentist is directly in charge of all patient related decision-making, oral exams, anesthesia and dental and oral surgical treatments. Although our LVTs are highly trained and skilled individuals, they are under the direct supervision of the specialist at all times