Thank you for considering Summit Veterinary Referral Center to provide your loved one with emergency veterinary care. We take pride in offering the most comprehensive, life-saving care in the south Puget Sound area. While the quality of care we provide has not changed, how we are doing things is different. Every day we are experiencing requests for emergency services beyond our care capabilities. This means that we are routinely unable to see all animals presenting for emergency or urgent care at Summit. 

Should you need our Emergency Veterinary care, here are a few things to know before you come.

WE ARE FOCUSED ON TRUE EMERGENCIES

Summit has recently experienced a significant increase in the demand for emergency veterinary care. As one of the few tertiary level care facilities in our region, we are prioritizing patients transferred from other medical facilities as well as those with true emergency needs. While we try to see every animal in need of care, in some situations we are not able to.

Please be aware of the following:

• Our wait times are often exceeding 5 hours for patients to be evaluated for care. We encourage everyone to research all care options in the area and be prepared for longer waits than any of us would like. Care availability at Summit and other facilities changes on a regular basis depending on the time of day and day of the week.

• If we determine that your pet is not experiencing a medical emergency, we may refer you back to your primary physician or ask you to seek care at an urgent care facility.

• If the number of patients under our care at any time reaches our capacity for care, we may not be able to accept or evaluate new patients for periods of time. This is currently happening on weekends with more frequency than we’d like. We only commit to supporting the number of patients we can appropriately care for at any time to ensure our standards of care are not compromised.

WE ARE STILL PROVIDING CURBSIDE CARE ONLY

We know that in-person visits allow stronger relationships to form and often provide for more effective communication. Summit Veterinary Referral Center has been closely monitoring the CDC suggested guidelines in regards to safely reopening for in-person appointments. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Please brings items that may make your waits easier, including mobile devices and chargers, food and drink, books and anything else of comfort.

• Please bring any relevant medical history on your pet if possible.

• We are not accepting ANY patient belongings during their admission including collars, leashes, carriers, blankets and other personal effects. Please be prepared to remove these items and/or take your pet carriers with you at the time of hospitalization.

• For all new clients, please complete the online form if possible – found on our website: www.summitvets.com/forms2

• Summit has benches, free Wifi and client restrooms while you wait.

OUR PHONES ARE BUSY

We are experiencing significantly increased phone volumes that are impacting the timing and frequency of our calls with you. We know in many situations this less than ideal and we are working hard to increase our capability. Please anticipate that in some situations long waits or leaving a message may be required. We apologize for the inconvenience.

OUR QUALITY OF CARE REMAINS HIGH

While some of the things you will experience may be less than ideal these days – such as long waits in your car, or on the phone, or even just to be evaluated in general, the care that your loved one will receive remains unchanged. Summit is still providing the highest quality medical care in our region and our large and experienced team remains dedicated to the highest standard of medicine possible for your pet.

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU ARRIVE

When you arrive, please pull into a numbered parking stall, follow the instructions on the stall sign and we will advise you from there.

In most cases your pet will be escorted from your vehicle indoors where it will be assessed (triaged) by a licensed veterinary technician. Any unstable pets will be immediately brought to the emergency doctor for treatment while all others will be seen based on medical need. As soon as assessment and stabilization has begun, the emergency doctor will contact you to discuss options for treatment, diagnosis and monitoring.

We will work hard to offer as many options as possible and find the best method of treatment for your pet and your family. We realize that no one plans or wants to come to an emergency hospital, whether for themselves or their pets. Your trust in us and your pet’s health and wellbeing are our top priorities. We thank you for trusting Summit Veterinary Referral Center with your pet’s care.