Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What should I know about the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Ohio State and how can I prepare my client?

• We see patients in specialty clinics on an appointment only basis.
• Please send a completed referral form with copies of laboratory results, radiographs and biopsy results, if available, with the pet owner.
• Please instruct the client about animal preparation. Unless otherwise directed, food, but not water, should be withheld from the patient beginning the night before referral to our hospital in order to facilitate radiography and/or sedation. If you have any questions about continuing drugs, please call us first.
• Please supply the owner with the owner information. This information is designed to instruct the owners about what to expect when they reach our hospital.
• Please call to consult with the appropriate specialty if your client has questions regarding prognosis, cost, or length of stay. Our clinicians are unavailable to speak with prospective clients whose pets we have not seen.

Q: When I refer, what can I expect?

• All appointments are with a specialty service, not with a specific clinician.
• If the referral is not an emergency, your client is welcome to schedule his or her appointment directly through our appointment desk at (614) 292-3551.

Q: What are the Veterinary Teaching Hospital's emergency hours?

• Emergency calls

  Our hospital accepts emergencies from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 12:00 noon to 12:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. When a patient needs to be referred on an emergency basis, please call our referral coordinator, Stephanie Yochem, at (614) 292-0950 to speak to the scheduled emergency clinician to discuss pertinent patient history prior to referral.

• After hours calls

  For any calls after 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday or 12:00 noon to 12 midnight, Saturday and Sunday or holidays, the emergency clinician will be on duty and may be unavailable to answer your phone call immediately. Patients admitted by the emergency clinician are assessed, stabilized and transferred to the appropriate specialty service the following weekday morning. Emergencies received on the weekend and holidays are stabilized and transferred the next business day morning.

  If you have an emergency to refer during the day, please contact the referral coordinator at (614) 292-0950. Our specialty clinicians request that you receive an approval from the service or clinician before sending your emergency referral to assure smooth transfer from your hospital to our hospital.

  Arrangements should be made before the owner leaves your practice. Please do not have your client call to arrange emergency referrals.

Q: What is the Veterinary Teaching Hospital's credit policy?

Our hospital is not subsidized to provide free veterinary care. Clients should be prepared to pay for all care their pets receive at our hospital. All clients receive an estimate of charges before the patient is admitted. The client should expect to pay a deposit at the time of admission. Owners of emergency patients are expected to pay an additional emergency fee. Clients are expected to pay the remaining balance in full upon release. Clients who have questions or concerns regarding financial arrangements are encouraged to speak with our accounting department at (614) 292-1360. Owners will be notified of fee changes as they occur. Please refer clients to our credit policy pages for more information.

Q: Who do I contact about necropsies?

Necropsies are performed by the Department of Veterinary Biosciences as part of its teaching program. There is a fee for the necropsy report. Animals referred for necropsy only or those that have been patients at OSU can be taken to Goss Laboratory at 1925 Coffey Road for postmortem examination Monday - Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and Saturday between 8:00 a.m. and 12 p.m. Outside of these hours, animals can be brought to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital any day until midnight.

If an emergency necropsy is required, prior arrangements must be made with the Department of Veterinary Biosciences faculty member on emergency necropsy duty. The faculty member can be contacted through the Veterinary Teaching Hospital emergency service (614) 292-3551.

A final report on necropsies will be mailed to the owner and referring veterinarian 4-6 weeks after completion.

Q: How are radiology consultations handled?

Radiographs are reviewed the day they arrive by a radiology resident and radiology faculty. A phone consultation is made the same day, followed by a written radiology report/letter. The charge for this service is $30. Follow-up radiographic examinations or additional studies are provided free of charge.

Please complete the radiology request form .