Simply put, the term Diplomate refers to a veterinarian who has earned board certification in a particular veterinary specialty. Only veterinarians who have successfully completed post-graduate requirements of a particular specialty college can be considered Diplomates. Veterinarians wishing to become board certified must complete an internship and then a 2-3 year residency program, meet specific training and caseload requirements, conduct original research and then have it published. This process is supervised by current Diplomates, ensuring consistency in training and adherence to high standards. Once the residency has been completed, the resident must sit for and pass a rigorous examination. Only then does the veterinarian earn the title of Diplomate.

Phone:  360-694-3007

Emergency
Please do not hesitate to call 360-694-3007 during normal business hours if your pet is ill or injured – no appointment is necessary for your pet to be seen in our emergency service.  When possible, please call ahead to the hospital to let us know you are on your way.  Patients that present to Emergency Service will be seen on a first come, first served basis and patients in life threatening situations will always take precedence when medically necessary.  Our doctors and medical staff are experienced in treating complicated medical cases and have access to all patient records, regardless of the day or hour.

Critical Care
While an appointment is not necessary to admit a patient to our ICU, our Criticalists (Critical Care Specialist), are available to see scheduled appointments Friday and Saturday. This service may be beneficial to patients with complex disease process, varied and unusual symptoms or traumatic injuries. Our Criticalists also work in the emergency room managing cases involving critically ill and traumatically injured pets. To schedule an appointment, please call the hospital main line at 360-694-3007.

Internal Medicine
Our staff Internist (Internal Medicine Specialist), works closely with a team of experienced, compassionate veterinary staff to provide your pet with the highest quality medical care. Appointments are available Monday through Thursday and must be made in advance. At your initial consultation, we will discuss your pet’s current condition and make recommendations regarding diagnostics and treatment individualized to meet your pet’s needs and specific situation.

Our goal is always to see all appointments on time, but we appreciate your patience in the event an emergency requires immediate attention. We also may ask anyone arriving more than 20 minutes late for an appointment to reschedule but will do our best to do so within the same day if possible.

We offer these tips to ensure that your experience with our internal medicine department is unparalleled:

• Arrive 10-15 minutes before your scheduled appointment time to fill out paperwork and discuss any concerns with a member of the internal medicine team
• Request prescription refills 2-3 days in advance
• After hours drop-offs and pick-ups may be arranged for specific cases, but a member of the internal medicine staff will not be available for consultation and hospitalization charges will be incurred depending on patient need.
• Read discharge instructions carefully – these are very detailed and can provide quick and easy answers to most questions
• Identify one primary family member to communicate and make decisions regarding your pet

An important note for all specialist appointments: phone consultations for clients are not offered because an active doctor/patient relationship (including a physical exam) must exist in order for recommendations regarding diagnostics and treatments to be made. Additionally, after hours drop-offs are not available for new patients or patients with new problems – these cases should be seen through the emergency service if a situation should arise after hours.

Ophthalmology
Our board-certified staff Ophthalmologists are available for appointments Sunday through Friday during normal business hours. A consultation with our Ophthalmologists may be arranged either through your regular family veterinarian or by calling our main line at 360-694-3007. These appointments typically take up to one hour. Emergency consultations are typically available through the Emergency service and may include telemedicine consultation or personal examination by our ophthalmologists for medical or surgical treatments.

If additional visits are recommended following the initial consultation, we offer two types of appointments: “rechecks” and “drop-offs.”

• Recheck appointments generally require around 1-2 hours from check-in to check-out. A member of our oncology team will come to the front lobby to greet you and bring your pet to the treatment area. Once treatment is complete, your pet will be promptly returned to you.
• Drop-off appointments are also offered to enhance our ability to schedule treatments and maximize your pet’s care. As with a recheck appointment, one of our team members will greet you in the front lobby and bring your pet to the treatment area. We will contact you once your pet is ready to go home. The length of time associated with a drop-off appointment may fluctuate and is dependent on the type of treatment or testing being administered.

We try very hard to see all appointments on time and appreciate your patience when emergencies and critical cases require our attention. In fairness to all, anyone arriving more than 20 minutes late for an appointment may need to reschedule. We will do our best to work you in the same day if at all possible.

In addition to your visit(s) to CRVS, we recommend that you maintain your relationship with your family veterinarian for medical issues unrelated to cancer. All records from CRVS will be faxed upon discharge to keep your veterinarian updated. Please continue to administer monthly heartworm and flea preventatives, although we ask that you avoid giving or applying them within 24 hours of any chemotherapy treatment. Annual vaccines should be discussed with your family veterinarian but avoided within 24 hours of any chemotherapy treatment. Regular vaccination for rabies is required by law.

We are here to answer your questions and guide you through the cancer treatment process. We know that this can be a difficult and anxious time. If at any time you wish to speak directly with our Oncologist, please let us know and if a question or issue arises while you are at home, feel free to give us a call. If our Oncologist is unavailable, you may be asked to leave a message, and your call will be returned within 24 hours or the next working day (office hours are Monday – Thursday 8am – 6pm). While phone calls are our preferred method of communication, you can feel free to email us with non-emergent questions anytime.

In addition, we offer these tips to make sure that your oncology experience is superior:

• Arrive 10-15 minutes before your scheduled appointment time to fill out paperwork and discuss any concerns with a member of the oncology team
• Request prescription refills 2-3 days in advance
• After hours drop-offs and pick-ups can be arranged, although a member of the oncology staff will not be available for consultation during these times
• Read discharge instructions carefully – these are very detailed and can provide quick and easy answers to most questions
• Please identify one primary family member to communicate with our Oncologist and make decisions regarding recommendations for your pet
• Phone consultations for clients are not offered because an active doctor/patient relationship (including a physical exam) must exist in order for recommendations regarding diagnostics and treatments to be made

Surgery
Surgical Consultations with our surgeons are available by appointment Monday through Saturday during normal business hours. Not all patients presented for surgical evaluation require surgery. When indicated, our surgeons may provide a plan for medical management of specific conditions. Our surgeons also provide radiograph (x-ray) evaluation services through your family veterinarian at their request. The surgery team manages surgical emergencies on some weekends, nights and holidays based on an on-call schedule. Our emergency room doctor will determine if the surgical team needs to be contacted based upon your wishes and the need of your pet. Please call our referral coordinator at the hospital main line 360-694-3007 to schedule a surgical consultation for your pet.

Cardiology
Referral appointments for cardiology services at CRVS are typically available on Wednesdays, but Dr. William Rausch is also available to our hospitalized patients for emergency consultations. Cardiology referral appointments are made with Dr. Rausch directly. If interested, please contact him at 503-869-1136 to schedule a cardiology appointment at CRVS.

Please plan on arriving 10 minutes early for your first visit to complete paperwork with our receptionist. This can also be completed prior to arrival if you wish to print it out by clicking on the link for New Patient Form for Clients (link is external). Our referral coordinator will contact your family veterinarian after scheduling your pet’s consultation to request your pet’s medical history, lab work and x-rays. Our veterinary specialists familiarize themselves with the information they receive from your family veterinarian prior to your consultation. Some hospitals are able to send us x-ray images electronically, others are not. Our referral coordinator will work with you and your family veterinarian to ensure that your pets x-rays are available to us. You many need to pick up your pet’s x-rays at your family veterinarian prior to your scheduled consultation time. If so, we will let you know. Working with our referral coordinator will help ensure a successful consultation for your pet.

The doctor will recommend and discuss treatment options with you. Our goal is to create a plan that works well for you and your family, and provides the best possible outcome for your pet. The doctor will assist you in your decision-making, ensuring all of your questions are answered thoroughly. A detailed treatment plan of each option will be provided so that you are fully informed of related costs and have the knowledge you need to make the right decision for your pet.

Our goal is to keep you completely informed about your pet’s condition and progress. We will also communicate with your family veterinarian regarding findings, recommendations and treatment of your pet’s condition.

Payment for your initial consultation along with any tests, procedures or medications is due after you have discussed and agreed upon on a written treatment plan with the doctor. For extended hospital stays, treatment plans will be updated daily and additional payment will be requested at that time. Payment options include cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express and CareCredit.

The ASPCA toxic plant list contains names and photos of plants that have been reported as having negative effects on animals. We are providing the ASPCA link to assist you in identifying poisonous plants that your pet may have been exposed to. Please understand that this service is not intended as a method of providing a definitive diagnosis for your pet. The ASPCA site also includes a 24-hour emergency poison hotline telephone number. Be aware that the ASPCA does charge a phone consultation fee, however the information you gain from the consultation is valuable and may be used in the treatment of your pet. The Animal Poison Control Center may refer you to your local animal emergency hospital to seek treatment for your pet. If you think your pet may have been exposed to or ingested toxic materials, please call CRVS at 360-694-3007.

Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine offers support through a Pet Loss Hotline. They are veterinary students who are dedicated volunteers trained in grief education and they are there to help you deal with the loss of your pet. They are available to listen, answer questions about how to talk to a child, and answer questions about euthanasia decisions.
Pet Loss Hotline Toll Free: 866-266-8635
Email: plhl@vetmed.wsu.edu
Monday-Thursday 7:00-9:00pm
Saturday 1:00-3:00pm

For questions regarding missing or found pets, please contact Clark County Animal Protection & Control.