FAQ- Orthopedics Surgery

Orthopedics accepts initial appointments on Tuesdays at 9:15 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 11:30 a.m., and Thursdays at 9:15 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. Plan to be here for a good portion of the day. Your pet will receive a physical and orthopedic examination. Then we will suggest a diagnostic work up and give an estimate for that testing (usually x-rays). If you agree to testing, you leave your pet for diagnostics and return 2 to 4 hours later. At that time, we will discuss our findings and recommendations for treatment including surgical options. Surgery will not be scheduled the same day of the consultation unless it is deemed an emergency.

Because in most cases we will use reversible sedation to get diagnostic quality imaging, we ask that your pet be fasted for the appointment. That means NO FOOD after 10:00 pm the night before and no sedative type medications the morning of the appointment.  Allow access to fresh drinking water at all times.

It is helpful if you bring along the medications your pet is currently taking. If your pet has a sensitive stomach or is on a special diet, you should bring that food with you as well. We have access to Purina and Hills pet food products at no extra charge.

If you have blood work results, X-rays and other information from your veterinarian, please bring them with you to the appointment.

If your pet is a surgical candidate, the surgery and details of the hospital stay will be discussed the day of the consultation.  Surgeries are typically performed the day following your appointment. If you elect to leave your pet for surgery he/she can stay with us overnight and have surgery the next day. All animals must stay the night of the surgery and sometimes one more night depending on how they recover.  We will call you every day while your pet is in the hospital to update you on their progress.

Most orthopedic surgeries require recheck appointments here at about 6 & 12 weeks after surgery. You will know when you need to return at the time of your pet’s release. Your pet will need to be fasted for that appointment as well. That means NO FOOD after 10:00 pm the night before and no sedative type medications the morning of the appointment.

In most situations it is preferable for us to perform the recheck appointments.

Post-operative recheck appointments can be scheduled for Mondays, Tuesdays or Thursdays. There is no charge for the exam; you do pay for sedation and X-rays. (most routine rechecks run about $150-200, depending on the need to take X-rays). These appointments can be shorter but often still involve a few hours total time. 

For orthopedic appointments the typical cost of an examination, sedation and set of x-rays of 1 area of interest is roughly $400 to $650.

The cost of surgical procedures varies greatly depending on the type of surgery and ranges from $2500 to over $7000. For a more specific estimate, please call  (217) 333-5300 and ask to speak to the orthopedics service.

Please note that we require a deposit of payment of the low end of the estimate when you leave your pet for care.

We do not see appointments on the weekend. However, it is not uncommon to release a patient after surgery on a Saturday or Sunday morning (typically between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m.). If you will be coming to pick up on a weekend, you will be given an arrival time. You must make arrangements to arrive at that time because our doctors MUST be present for a postoperative release.

We understand that taking more X-rays may seem redundant. However, in order to make an educated surgical plan, we need to look closely at certain things. Those things are not always visible in older X-rays or the X-rays your veterinarian took as a screening process. Our surgeons sometimes need different views, different positioning or more recent films. We will NOT take extra X-rays if we don’t need to. It is the surgeon’s discretion to make that decision.

Positioning for some X-rays can be awkward and slightly uncomfortable. It is very rare that we can get the exact positioning we need to make a surgical plan without sedation. It is beneficial to your pet to be sedated and have some pain medication available for the type of positioning we need.

We do not have the staff or facilities to simply board a pet. However sometimes surgery requires a longer hospitalization or an extended stay for medical needs. If that becomes a concern, these decisions are approved by the surgeon on the case.

Yes, 95% of all post-operative cases receive physical rehabilitation starting the day after surgery. If the surgeon deems physical rehabilitation beneficial to your pet, our rehabilitation specialist will work with your pet and design personalized home exercises for you to follow at home. Home exercises are included in most surgical estimates. We do not offer rehab treatments on Saturdays and Sundays.

Call (217) 333-5300 to schedule a surgery appointment.
If you have further questions you can leave a message with our orthopedic clinical coordinator at (217) 265-5533.

Because we bill for each service rendered, you never pay for something your pet did not get. However, it can be difficult to give exact estimates for many procedures. An extra bandage, night in the hospital, or pain medication can make a difference in your final bill. Our surgery estimates are rough estimates only. The numbers reflect our best knowledge of the potential cost of your bill during your pet’s hospital stay for the evaluation and surgery.

These estimates include the exam, routine diagnostic work up (x-rays, advanced imaging, blood work) surgery, anesthesia, the immediate post-operative care and post-operative medications. The surgeon will give you a more specific estimate the day you leave your pet for surgery. You will need to leave a deposit of the low end of your estimate when you leave your pet for care. The remainder of the bill must be paid at the time of discharge.