What Makes ACOSM Stand Out?
We pride ourselves on doing things differently. We insist on providing premier service to our patients and their caregivers. There’s a saying, “Price is what you pay; value is what you get.” At ACOSM, delivering on value is our mission.
We’re proud of our experience, skill, and outcomes; it puts us in a category of one, which means you’ll experience things with us not promised by any other veterinarian in AZ.
We differentiate ourselves by:
- Allowing you to virtually stay with your dog during surgery using our innovative WatchDog™ technology
- Having a single flat fee for many procedures that covers all of your dog’s care from beginning to end – the surgical procedure, hospitalization and associated treatments, and all follow up exams and radiographs
- Offering transparency by providing a detailed report of findings, surgical notes, digital images and video of your dog’s arthroscopy and all radiographs
- Using modern equipment and diagnostics as well as the finest quality orthopedic implants
What’s the Difference Between a Primary Care Vet and a Specialist?
After veterinary school, some doctors further their knowledge and earn board certification. Those wishing to specialize must complete in-depth training consisting of a minimum of a 1-year internship followed by a 3-year residency, which typically includes more than 1,000 general and orthopedic operations beyond that of a veterinary school graduate. Specialists must publish scientific research and pass a rigorous examination.
Academically, the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) board certification represents the highest level of learning and clinical achievement in surgery. Veterinary surgeons use this advanced training to offer the very best surgical care. Only those who earned the Diplomate credential, American College of Veterinary Surgeons (DACVS), are board-certified surgeons and may represent themselves as specialists. There are simply no alternatives, similar affiliations, or academic equivalencies. Be wary of non-specialists who promote special interests, alternate certifications, special training, or expertise.
Specialists are more likely to have access to advanced instruments, equipment, orthopedic implants and diagnostic tools. They have an adequate number of specially trained staff to care for and watch over animals undergoing surgery. Specialists often guide primary veterinarians about complex cases.
Our approach is simple, straightforward, logical, and direct. Imagine your child breaks a bone, and no matter how much you like and respect your family doctor, s/he wouldn’t do your child’s surgery. Your medical provider would recommend a credentialed and experienced orthopedic surgeon for the best possible result. The same should happen for companion animals.
For your convenience, ACOSM accepts personal checks, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover, and CareCredit®. We may require a deposit for hospitalization, evaluation, treatments, anesthesia, and surgery. We expect payment in full for all professional services prior to or at the time of patient discharge or final determination.
Yes, we offer payment plans. For more information, please visit the CareCredit® website.
CareCredit® is a credit card exclusively for veterinary and other healthcare services. Past credit history may affect your approval. You may find out instantly if you are approved and can immediately use your account — even before your card arrives. CareCredit offers several plans from which to choose. If paid in full within six months, there’s a 0% interest plan. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the promotional balance, including optional charges, is not paid in full within a specified time or if you make a late payment. Minimum monthly payments are required.
Yes. With rapidly increasing, modern capabilities for diagnosing and treating animals’ diseases, associated costs of care make having pet insurance a wise choice and a growing necessity.
Current pet insurance programs are financial relationships between the pet owner and the insurance company, and there are no third-party payer systems. As such, Arizona Canine Orthopedics & Sports Medicine ”accepts” all forms of pet insurance and will support your claims for reimbursement.
There are several pet insurance companies. We listed several of them below and encourage you to check program benefits, fees and reimbursements before making your decision. Many companies have a waiting period before you can use the policy. If the policy is for TPLO, ask if they cover treatment for the opposite knee and whether there’s a waiting policy.
We encourage you to make the registration easier by downloading and filling out our New Patient Packet before your consultation. Please fully complete the forms.
If applicable, bring all pertinent information, including a Referral Form completed by your veterinarian, x-rays, blood test results, special dietary needs, and a list of current medications. Information provided to us by your veterinarian before your appointment saves time and prevents you from having to pay for testing a second time.
Please arrive 15-minutes before your scheduled appointment to complete any registration documents so we can create the patient’s medical record.
You may give your pet water and feed according to your regular schedule unless otherwise recommended. Continue your pet’s routine medication schedule and bring all medication(s) with you.
After you’ve checked in with our admissions staff and completed registration, a veterinary technician will greet you and weigh your pet. For non-emergencies, we’ll direct you and your dog/cat to an individual exam room, and a technician will collect your pet’s vital signs.
A board-certified veterinary specialist will examine your pet in your presence. The surgeon provides a detailed assessment of your pet’s medical condition(s), treatment options, recommendations, and an estimated cost of care. Consultations take approximately 60-90 minutes. Please carefully plan your schedule and time requirements.
If you cannot keep your appointment, please give us the courtesy of 24-hour notification. Our client care staff will provide several options to accommodate your needs and your pet’s best interest.
Follow-up appointments allow us to gauge how well your dog is healing and check overall health. These appointments will enable you to ask veterinary staff questions regarding your pet.
Surgical risk and anesthetic risk are, at times, quite different.
Anesthetic risk relates to equipment, instrumentation/monitoring, vigilance, and expertise of the person who appropriately and adequately administers the anesthetic drugs. A dedicated, well-trained anesthetist who monitors your pet’s changing status during general anesthesia is necessary for your pet’s well-being.
Your doctor should discuss factors that increase your pet’s anesthetic risk and their precautions to increase pets’ safety. Always ask who will monitor your pet’s anesthesia and health status during surgery.
Surgeons can safely anesthetize nearly all pets, but there isn’t one anesthetic protocol that’s appropriate and safe for all animals. Our responsibility is to provide safe anesthesia specifically tailored to your pet and anticipate, recognize, and treat complications.
In short, one might say there’s no such thing as safe anesthesia. There are only safe anesthetists!
Rather than considering it difficult, let’s call it challenging. There’s a lot to get used to in the first couple of weeks, especially if you’ve never experienced caring for an animal that’s had an orthopedic procedure. Your dog has a lot to process, too. We provide discharge instructions to instruct you on various topics, including medications, wound healing, activity restrictions, and follow-up appointments.
There are three phases in your pet’s postoperative care:
- Immediate Postoperative
- Home Care and Convalescence
- Rehabilitation and Full Recovery
Following major surgery, your pet will typically remain hospitalized for 24-48 hours with continuous and individualized care provided by veterinary technicians for complete anesthesia/surgery recovery, pain management, and general nursing support. We encourage patient visits and phone calls during this time and recommend waiting at least four hours postop to allow your pet to wake up from anesthesia. We will administer injectable pain medications during hospitalization, monitor vital signs continuously, and offer food, water, and comfort. We allow owners to make their pet’s stay as secure, restful, and calm as possible, so feel free to bring your pet’s favorite blanket, toy, or food.
This period begins when you’ve taken your pet home and may last anywhere from a few weeks to a month or more. You’ll follow the directions included in the written instructions provided to you. You’ll examine your pet’s incision(s) daily. We may ask you to apply cold packs to the surgery site to promote healing and soothe the pain. You’ll also administer medications.
Anesthesia, administration of opioids (pain medications), lack of food preoperatively, and difficulty posturing could cause your pet to not defecate for up to three days postop.
Running, jumping, and playing are not allowed during this period to promote uncomplicated healing.
Especially during the summer months, we ask that you apply sunscreen to shaved areas but not to the incision itself to protect from sunburn. Stubble grows within three weeks of surgery, and complete regrowth of hair occurs around three months after surgery.
We recheck pets at least two to three times after surgery. The first appointment is to remove bandages, sutures, or staples from the skin. Doctors assess healing at every follow-up appointment, and staff will contact you several times to check on progress and answer your questions.
We schedule a recheck exam with your surgeon at the end of the Home Care and Convalescence Period. Depending on the length of the confinement period, we recommend a gradual return to regular activity. As your pet may have been relatively inactive during the recovery period, you should reintroduce exercise slowly. We will outline a simple plan for increasing leash walks, swimming, etc., or recommend an organized physical therapy regimen.
Veterinary professionals remove sutures around 10-14 days after surgery. Some sutures dissolve and don’t require removal.
If your pet has a procedure that requires anesthesia, you shouldn’t give food or treats 8 to 10 hours before your appointment time. Your pet is allowed to drink water only.
Yes. If your dog needs fasting for any reason, we’ll be sure to let you know ahead of time.
Age alone is not a risk factor for general anesthesia. At ACOSM, we specialize in safely administering anesthesia and performing surgery on senior pets, too.
We follow sterile operating room protocols similar to those used in human hospitals. We administer a long-acting antibiotic and supply antibiotics you’ll give at home. Experience allows surgeons to perform surgeries more quickly than less experienced doctors. The less time your pet spends in the operating room, the better its odds of not developing an infection.
Several members of our surgical team monitor pets during surgery. While pets are under general anesthesia, dedicated staff monitor heart rate, blood pressure, pulse oximetry, body temperature, end-tidal CO2, and inhalant anesthetic agent throughout the procedure.
We can dispense medications directly, or if you prefer, we may be able to have some prescriptions filled at your local pharmacy.
Yes. Following major surgery, we typically hospitalize pets for 24-48 hours with continual individualized attention provided by veterinary technicians for complete anesthesia and surgery recovery, pain management, and general nursing support.
