Medical Oncology

Scheduling Future Visits

Please contact the Appointment Desk at 215-746-8387 to schedule future appointments. If you know that your pet will require frequent visits for treatment, you can schedule many of these in advance.

Pets with unscheduled visits may need to return on a later date or may be charged as an Emergency visit.

Re-check Visits

Recheck visits are different than the initial consult appointment. A treatment plan or recheck plan is typically recommended after the first visit. For most recheck visits, a nurse or veterinary student will come to the lobby to greet you and your pet after you have checked in with the business office.

Please have your yellow sheet completed, so that we can collect all the pertinent information regarding your pet’s status, side effects and refill needs.

The oncologist in charge of your pet’s care will call you with an update and discuss the next treatment after the completion of the physical exam and planned diagnostics. If there is a significant change in status, the clinician will discuss additional tests with you and arrange for a face-to-face consultation whenever needed.

Although you will not speak with the veterinarian when you arrive, you will speak with them during your pet’s time with us, and/or when your pet is discharged.

Your pet will be cared for by a team of oncologists and oncologists in training, so you will very likely see different clinicians at subsequent visits.

Duration of Your Visit

The average length of time that your pet’s recheck visit will take is 2-3 hours, sometimes longer depending on the diagnostic testing required; please make sure we can reach you by cell phone during this time. For your convenience you can drop your pet off before 9:00 am and pick them up in the afternoon. You can schedule this “drop-off” appointment when you speak with the Appointment Desk staff.

Fasting

Unless your pet is going to be sedated or have chest x-rays or an abdominal ultrasound, you do not have to fast your pet prior to the visit. If we recommend that you fast your pet, please do not feed them after 10:00 pm the night before the visit, but continue to allow them water. If your pet should not be fasted due to a medical condition (like diabetes) or is taking daily medications, contact the Oncology Service to make arrangements.

Emergencies

If your pet is experiencing problems during working hours (8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday – Friday) or you need to talk to one of the Oncology clinicians, please call the common Oncology voice mail at 215-898-4805 and leave a message. An Oncology clinician or nurse will get back to you the same day. If your pet is experiencing serious problems after hours or during the weekend, please bring your pet to the Emergency Service for evaluation. The phone number for the Emergency Service is 215-746-8911.

Help Us Help You

Complete the yellow sheet, it is important that you report side effects from the chemotherapy so we can make necessary adjustments in your pet’s treatment plan. Please check your pet’s pill bottles before you come, so that you can tell us your refill needs. If you run low, call for refills before the day of the last pill. If you have blood work performed by your primary care veterinarian, fax copies to us at 215-573-6049 before your next appointment

Pet Support Services

We have our own team of veterinary social workers and interns who provide compassionate support to pet caregivers. These sessions are not professional counseling or therapy.

Penn Vet clients who are interested in one of our Support Groups should ask the attending veterinarian to connect them with a Penn Vet social worker. Our support groups foster mutual support and sharing of experiences.