Pet Owners

Appointments & Visiting Information

Before You Arrive

Please be sure your primary family veterinarian has submitted the referral form prior to calling our hospital for an appointment. For a seamless scheduling process, we want to ensure all referral paperwork has been received. We look forward to speaking with you and scheduling your pet’s appointment.

Once you have confirmed with your family veterinarian that the referral process is complete, please contact our hospital to set up an appointment. Please allow a few minutes for us to get some information about you and your pet during the scheduling process.

Preparation Checklist:

• Current medications
• Any pertinent records from your family veterinarian to your appointment
• Lab results
• X-rays

visitation Policy

If your pet is hospitalized, our goal will be to get them back to their home environment as soon as possible. During their stay, we will be in touch with you daily to update you on your pet’s progress. In general, we feel that it is in the best interest of our patients to remain hospitalized without the excitement of having visitors. Although visitors are happy to see their pet, the patient, who has settled in nicely, is often upset after their owners leave. However, there may be exceptions when our specialists will allow or even encourage visitors.

If you are allowed to visit, please keep in mind the following:

• Should your pet be hospitalized during emergency hours, please consult the ER team to setup visitation times that will be the most helpful in aiding your pet’s recovery.
• Visitation hours at our Greenville hospital are between 10:00am and 4:00pm, Monday–Friday. Visits must be limited to 20 minutes or less.
• Any visitation must be arranged in advance by calling (864) 233-7650 and setting up a time.
• Visitation is not allowed on the day of a procedure.
• It is likely that you will not be able to meet with your pet’s specialist at this visit, but you will be able to meet with a technician on the team taking care of your pet.

Any visitation outside of these guidelines will be based strictly on medical necessity as determined by your veterinary specialist. Thank you for your cooperation.

Pet Loss Support

HELPING CHILDREN COPE

It is a very scary and difficult time for children when any member of their family is ill.  The mention of cancer can cause children to fear the worst and often they feel they cannot voice their fears and emotions to their parents. This is especially true when parents are upset about the condition of the family pet and unsure of what options to pursue.

Following is a list of books that the Humane Society of the United States recommends. These may be helpful in assisting your children with the difficult time ahead:

Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant

Cat Heaven by Cynthia Rylant

Forever Friends: Resolving Grief after the Loss of a Beloved Animal by Joan Coleman

GRIEF AND SUPPORT RESOURCES

Grief is a normal part of loss, regardless if the loved one is a person or a pet. There are many ways to work through the grief process. The loss of an animal, like the loss of a family member or friend, may cause physical and emotional changes that can last for weeks or months. Don’t be afraid to contact pet loss support groups, pet loss hotlines or local specialists who are knowledgeable about loss and receptive to helping people who are grieving a beloved pet.

Following are a list of resources which may be helpful to you:

The Argus Institute

Association for Pet Loss & Bereavement

Cancer Care

Pet Loss Support

In Memory of Pets

Lightening Strike Pet Loss Support

UCDavis Veterinary Medicine Pet Loss Hotline

Grief is a normal part of loss, regardless if the loved one is a person or a pet. There are many ways to work through the grief process. The loss of an animal, like the loss of a family member or friend, may cause physical and emotional changes that can last for weeks or months. Don’t be afraid to contact pet loss support groups, pet loss hotlines or local specialists who are knowledgeable about loss and receptive to helping people who are grieving a beloved pet. Following are a list of resources which may be helpful to you:

• The Tenth Good Thing About Barney, Judith Viorst, 1975
• Pet Love, Betty White, William Morrow and Company, 1983
• When Your Pet Dies: How to Cope with Your Feelings, Quackenbush and Graveline, Simon and Schuster, 1985
• Angel by My Side: The True Story of a Dog Who Saved a Man…and a Man Who Saved a Dog, Mike Lingenfelter and David Frei
• Geadon’s Gift: Surviving the Loss of Your Pet: Coloring Book, Cheryl A. Underhill and Kathy Ferdon
• Pet Loss and Human Emotion: Guiding Clients Through Grief, Falconguide Ser., Cheri B. Ross and Jane B. Sorensen
• Grieving the Death of a Pet, Betty J. Carmack, RN, EdD
• Saying Good-Bye to the Pet You Love, A Complete Resource to Help You, Dr. Lori Green and Jacqueline Landis