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Services and Schedule for Internal Medicine Referrals
If you are coming to see Dr. Blount for the first time for an internal medicine problem:
- Expect to come for your appointment in the morning.
Expect to spend about an hour in the exam room going over records, history, and your animal's examination, as well as making a plan for the day.
Be sure to have your pet's medical records sent by e-mail or fax to Dr. Blount's clinic prior to the time the appointment begins, in order to begin on time. Be sure to give
your regular vet plenty of time to get this done -- it takes some time. Make sure the entire record is sent, including test results and any x-rays
that have been done.
- Southwood Drive Animal Clinic (Lufkin): fax - (936) 639-4754; e-mail - tcarlton@swdac.com.
Depending on the needs of your pet, you may need to leave your pet with us for a few hours while we complete diagnostics. We will communicate
with you about test results and recommendations for further diagnostics and treatment when you pick your pet up and the end of the day. We will
also provide that information to your regular vet as soon as diagnostic and treatment plan are complete.
An estimate for recommended diagnostics and treatments can be provided on request, after your initial
consultation is complete.
Recheck appointments can be made later in the day, according to how much time is needed for your pet. Arrangements to drop your pet off rather
than making an appointment can be made for recheck appointments, but not for the first consultation with Dr. Blount. We will need a phone number where you can be reached,
and will make an appointment for patient pick-up during which we will go over results and recommendations.
Preparing your pet for our appointment:
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Unless your pet has a medical condition which requires frequent feeding, please do not feed your pet after dinner
time the evening prior to your
appointment. Many referral appointments will have abdominal ultrasound and/or have bloodwork. As well, some may need to be sedated for diagnostics
or treatments. There is no need to withhold water. Fasting is important for a number of reasons. If the stomach and intestines are full of food,
ultrasound can be difficult. Food in the gut traps air there, which stops ultrasound in its tracks, so that nothing past or behind the food
in the gut can be seen with the ultrasound machine. Also, a recent meal can increase fats in the blood which can interfere with the accuracy of
blood tests. Sedation while that stomach is full can increase risk of aspiration of food and water from the stomach into the lungs while your
pet is sedated, which at best
can result in a cough, and at worst could result in pneumonia or even rarely be a life threatening complication. If you have any questions about
whether your pet has a medical condition requiring a snack early in the morning prior to your appointment, ask your regular veterinarian.
If your pet is taking medications, ask your regular vet whether they should be given in the morning prior to your appointment.
It's good to *not* allow your pet to urinate on the way in, in case we need a urine sample. If we do not need urine,
you can walk your pet as soon as we are finished with the appointment, for their comfort.
Dr. Blount cannot consult with any client until she examines the pet. Many owners will want to talk with me before they come, and
this is not possible. It is unlawful for me to give any medical advice to a pet owner for an animal I have not examined. Of course, phone calls
are fine for patients we have seen before, and any veterinarian is welcome to contact me for a consultation on any animal they have examined by
e-mailing me at drblount@vonallmen.net.
Some of the outpatient diagnostic services that we provide include:
- thoracic and abdominal ultrasound, including ultrasound guided aspirates for cytology
- cardiac work-up: echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart), EKG, chest x-rays and blood pressure
- spinal tap
- bone marrow aspiration or biopsy
- colonoscopy, gastroscopy and in some cases small intestinal scoping
- chemotherapy for cancer
Remember that Dr. Blount sees outpatient diagnostic and treatment services only, and not ICU hospitalization services. Dr. Blount is often not at the same
clinic the day after your appointment to provide hospital support and continuing care. As well, none of our clinics provide after hours nursing
care which is necessary for any intensive care unit. If the referral cannot wait until the next day when I am in, it is a good rule to encourage
the referring vet to make the referral to a hospital that has an ICU and provides 24-hour care. Surgeries can often be scheduled on a day following the
initial consultation appointment.
Dr. Blount is available for referral appointments on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Southwood
Drive Animal Clinic in Lufkin.
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