Port Royal Veterinary Hospital, our mission is to help pets live their best lives through extraordinary care. We are “Your Other Family Doctor”. We sincerely appreciate the trust you have placed in this relationship as we fulfill this mission with your pet. Like any good relationship, we believe clear and defined expectations and open communication are important. Because of this, we have created the client rights and responsibilities available below.

As a client, you have the right to…

• Accurate, clear, and impartial information regarding your pet’s health

• Receive full explanations about our decisions

• Know your pet’s diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options including the risks and benefits, based on our capabilities and resources

• Be informed of the costs of service we provide in advance of them being performed with some unforeseen expenses added

• Participate in decisions regarding your pet’s care, including declining treatment options presented

• A full explanation for why our staff may decline to treat your pet or provide a specific service

• Share your questions, concerns, thoughts, or wishes and have them heard by our team

• Considerate, respectful, and compassionate care and communication from our team

• Fair and objective review of any complaint or problem

• Assurance that your personal and medical information is handled in a confidential and private manner

• Receive respect for your time and communication regarding any anticipated delays related to your appointment or follow ups

As a client, you are responsible to…

• Disclose relevant, accurate, and complete medical and behavior history to our team, including previous medical records

• Maintain a respectful and considerate demeanor when communicating with any member of our team

• Share questions or concerns about anything we’ve discussed or left unaddressed

• Honor your financial obligations and payment policies agreed to when your pet receives care

• Help us provide care to other patients by abiding by our scheduling and appointment policies

• Work collaboratively with your pet’s care team to develop and perform the agreed upon treatment plan including any necessary follow up visits and at home care

• Be understanding of potential wait times due to unforeseen circumstances such as emergencies.

• Be aware of the consequences for actions or behavior inconsistent with this client rights and responsibilities document, including potential termination of the veterinary-client-patient relationship.
  
  

Scheduling Policy

We usually see patients by appointment only. Walk in Urgent Care patients will be triaged according to their condition. This may mean a wait time. You may reschedule if you like. We have availability for urgent medical blocked off in our schedule. If your pet has issues please call before bringing in your pet to give us a heads up. Please note, if we are unavailable to assist you it is because we are currently at maximum capacity providing care for other patients.

Appointments can be arranged by phone (843-379-7387), or email (hospital@prvhsc.com); or our website www.portroyalveterinaryhospital.com

For emergency care outside of our business hours, we recommend

• New River Veterinary Specialists in Hardeeville, SC 843-898-6787

• Carolina Veterinary Critical Care in Bluffton, SC 843-706-9200

• Charleston Veterinary Referral in Charleston, SC 843-614-8387

• Savannah Veterinary Emergency in Savannah, GA 912-355-6113
  
  

Canceling or Rescheduling Appointments

We want to be able to provide care to any patients that need it. All new clients and drop off clients must pay a scheduling fee to hold your appointment and when you come in this will be applied to your bill. If you do not show, then this scheduling fee is nonrefundable. We understand that missed appointments can occur for a variety of reasons, often beyond your control. If you are unable to keep your appointment, please notify us by phone, at least 24 hours in advance to reschedule so that we can help another patient in need.

Payment Policy

Medical Records and a Veterinary Client Patient Relationship

By law, among other things, it is required that we have physically examined the patient in question within the past 365 days. This is important to note when requesting refills of prescription medication or food, asking questions regarding health status or behavior, and requesting certain services. We cannot provide these services if we do not have legally valid VCPR.

​​​​​​​The state of SC:

“Veterinarian-client-patient relationship” means: (1) The veterinarian has recently seen and is personally acquainted with the keeping and care of the animal through an examination of or visit to the premises where the animal is kept.

You are entitled to a complete and thorough copy of your pet’s medical records at any time, including transferring them to a third party for adoption of new pets, housing verification, or scheduling of lodging, daycare, training, or veterinary medical specialist appointments. Pet records will be transferred by your request on the next business day. Records transfers may only be made by the listed agent(s) on the account. Upon termination of a veterinary client patient relationship, we will transfer pets’ records to a veterinary facility of your choice.” We will do this by email from hospital@prvhsc.com.