Appointments / Referrals

Schedule An Appointment

Schedule An Appointment

We are grateful you have chosen the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) to treat your animals. As one of the largest and top-ranked veterinary hospitals in the world, your animals are in the best hands. We know your animals are seen as members of your family, and, we will treat them as members of our family. While at UC Davis, they will receive individualized attention and compassionate care.

For Appointments at the Small Animal Clinic 
(M-F 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.)

Please call (530) 752-1393

For Appointments at the Large Animal Clinic 
(M-F 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.)

Please call (530) 752-0290 for in-clinic appointments
Please call (530) 752-9618 for Field Service appointments at your ranch or farm

When scheduling an appointment at the VMTH, please be prepared to provide the following information:

  • Owner’s name and address
  • Telephone numbers and email address
  • Patient species, breed, age, sex, color
  • Presenting complaint or patient problem
  • Name of your veterinarian or clinic (optional)
  • Name of referring veterinarian (optional)

EMERGENCY Service is available 24/7/365

Call (530) 752-1393 (small animal) or (530) 752-0290 (large animal). Follow emergency prompts on phone.

For Clinical Trials Appointments

Please visit our active clinical trials website and sign up to receive more information about our ongoing trials or have your veterinarian request a referral at vetclintrials@ucdavis.edu.

Appointment Information

The following Small Animal Clinic appointments are received at Reception A: Behavior, Dentistry/Oral Surgery, Emergency, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Nutrition, Ophthalmology, Orthopedic Surgery, and Soft Tissue Surgery.

  • If you have an upcoming appointment at the VMTH in RECEPTION A, please park in Lot 50 and follow the "Emergency" signs to the Small Animal Clinic entrance. Check-in at the reception desk on the 2nd floor. Parking is free in designated "Client Parking" spaces - this requires registering at the reception area of your appointment with your license plate number.

The following Small Animal Clinic appointments are received at Reception B: Cardiology, Companion Exotic Animal Medicine/Surgery, Primary Care, Community Surgery, Dermatology, Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Oncology.

  • If you have an upcoming appointment at the VMTH in RECEPTION B, please park in Lot 55 and proceed into the glass-front Center for Companion Animal Health building adjacent to the parking lot. Check-in at the reception desk on the 1st floor. Parking is free in designated "Client Parking" spaces - this requires registering at the reception area of your appointment with your license plate number.

All Large Animal Clinic appointments are received at Large Animal Reception.

  • If you have an upcoming appointment at the VMTH with the Large Animal Clinic, please park in Lot 51 (trailers in dirt section of lot) and proceed into the double glass doors labeled "Large Animal Clinic" adjacent to the parking lot. Check-in at the reception desk on the 1st floor. Parking is free in the dirt section and in other designated "Client Parking" spaces - this requires registering at the reception area of your appointment with your license plate number.

Important Information for Large Animal Appointments:

  • If your animal has diarrhea, fever, cough, or nasal discharge, DO NOT unload the animal before notifying the front desk reception staff. Your animal may be infectious to other hospitalized animals and may need to be sent to our Isolation Unit.

Recheck Appointment Information:

  • For a recheck, suture removal, or bandage change appointment, follow your discharge instructions for any fasting and water instructions.

Fasting Instructions:
If you have a small animal appointment with Neurology, Internal Medicine, Orthopedic Surgery, Soft Tissue Surgery, Community Surgery, or any large animal appointment, please following these instructions:

  • Unless otherwise instructed, your animal should not have food from 7 p.m. the night before and water withheld from 6 a.m. the morning of the appointment, in case sedation is required. Diabetic animals and animals less than 6 months old should be given food and water as normal before their appointment. Animals that have a history of increased thirst or a known history of kidney failure should be given water as normal before their appointment.

If you have questions please, call the VMTH at 530-752-1393 (small animal) or 530-752-0290 (large animal).

What to Expect at an Appointment

The VMTH is the world’s leading veterinary teaching facility. Every patient visit includes a training opportunity for our students and resident clinicians. We strive to provide you and your pet the attention your case deserves. Please allow plenty of time for your initial visit. If diagnostics are needed to determine a comprehensive treatment plan for your pet, the appointment may take several hours, or if your pet has a complex case, it may extend into several days.     

The VMTH’s many specialty disciplines provide training opportunities to our resident veterinarians who are training to become board-certified specialists in a particular field of veterinary medicine (i.e. Internal Medicine, Ophthalmology, Cardiology, Dermatology, etc.)

Upon your arrival at the veterinary hospital, you may park free in the spots designated “Client Parking” closest to the building. Please check in with our client services staff and register your car with your license plate information at the iPad provided in the reception area. You will then be met by a veterinary student who will escort you to an examination room. The student will introduce him/herself, gather a history of your pet's health record, and perform a physical examination on your pet.

Once the preliminary examination has been completed, the student will exit the examination room and present his/her findings to a resident and/or faculty veterinarian, who will then join you in the examination room to discuss your pet’s case. If needed, the student will also assist in obtaining samples for diagnostic tests, and will be involved in the discussion about how to best move forward with your pet’s care. Rest assured, all final medical decisions about your pet’s care will be made by our board-certified faculty veterinarians in conjunction with you. Our discussion with you of your pet’s case will allow us to identify a mutually agreed upon treatment plan that benefits your pet, but works with your lifestyle. Our team approach to your pet’s care is vital to the learning process for our veterinary students and residents.

We are grateful that you’ve chosen to help be a part of teaching the next generation of veterinarians.

The Teaching Environment

The VMTH is a teaching institution. We are dedicated to providing your animal the best possible care, teaching our veterinary students, and training veterinarian residents to be specialists under our faculty’s tutelage. As these are our primary missions, we wholeheartedly embrace this responsibility. A veterinary student’s curriculum involves three years of intensive coursework and one year of clinical instruction. A resident’s training involves three years of clinical care in a particular field of service. Each student and resident is closely supervised by a faculty veterinarian in order to ensure proper training, and that your animal is given the best possible care. With several pairs of eyes on each case, we believe that both you and your animal will benefit from this extra attention.

Costs

Total costs at the VMTH are usually comparable to those of veterinarians in private practice. However, the veterinary medical needs of animals vary widely, according to their illnesses or injuries. Please discuss the estimated cost of your animal’s medical treatment with the veterinarian in charge of the case when your animal is admitted. Please be advised, however, that it is not possible for our veterinarians to determine the exact cost of diagnosing and treating your animal. Since no two animals’ ailments or responses are identical, the numbers and kinds of tests and treatments required can seldom be precisely predicted at the time of admission. Our clinicians will do their best to keep you informed of any changes in the estimate every step of the way.

Full payment for services is required at the end of your visit. If your animal is admitted for diagnosis or treatment for estimates that exceed $3000, a deposit of 100% of the lower end of the estimate will be expected at the time of admission. The deposit for estimates of $3000 and lower is 50% of the high end of the estimate. The VMTH accepts cash, checks, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, ATM debit cards, and Apple Pay. If you are paying with cash, check, or Apple Pay, please note that if you are due a refund, it will be returned to you in a refund check. This process will generally take up to 6 weeks before this refund check will be processed and mailed. When in the course of treatment it becomes apparent that the cost of your animal’s treatment will exceed the original estimate, it is our policy to notify you. If you elect to continue treatment of your animal, an additional deposit may be required. You should also be aware that, even though payment in full is required at the time of discharge, our discharge office may not always be aware of all the charges for which you will be responsible. Therefore, you may be billed for "supplemental" charges.

Starting December 13, 2023, we will be going to paperless billing at the VMTH. We will no longer be sending invoices or statements by mail; you will receive these by the email you provided on your client account. Thank you.

For billing concerns, please email: vmcbilling@ucdavis.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

  • My veterinarian suggested that I should bring my pet to UC Davis. How should I make an appointment?
  • Your veterinarian can call the VMTH to make an appointment or to speak one of the doctors about the need for your pet to be seen at our hospital. You may also make an appointment directly by calling the Small Animal Clinic at 530-752-1393 or the Large Animal Clinic at 530-752-0290.
  • Can I speak to the doctor before my appointment?
  • Animals that are seen through the VMTH often have very complex problems that require communication among multiple doctors. It is not possible to obtain a diagnosis over the phone and we must fully evaluate your pet before offering advice. After we have seen your pet, we are more than happy to discuss issues over the phone.
  • What should I bring with me to my appointment?
  • Your veterinarian will prepare a referral letter describing your pet's problem, results of previous tests, and response to treatment. You should bring any paperwork, medical records, and x-rays with you to your appointment.
  • Will a student perform procedures on my pet?
  • The VMTH is a teaching hospital; therefore, you should expect that veterinary students will be involved to a variable extent in the evaluation and treatment of your animal at our facility. The experience our students gain by being involved in the care of client-owned animals constitutes an essential component of the clinical training that will prepare them to become excellent veterinarians who will serve the needs of animal owners in the future. Our students do not, however, perform procedures or make patient care decisions independently. Rather, they function as part of a team under the close supervision of faculty, resident veterinarians, animal health technicians, and patient care specialists.
  • How long will my appointment take?
  • At your appointment, you will be greeted initially by a student, who will take a history and perform a physical examination. Please give any information from your veterinarian to the student when you enter the room. When the student has finished their examination, they will consult with the doctor assigned to your case and develop a diagnostic plan. Your doctor will then review your pet's physical examination and discuss our recommendations. Any tests that can be performed on the day of your appointment will be performed later in the day. Some tests will require hospitalization. You should anticipate to spend at least two hours at the clinic for your appointment, and it might be necessary for your pet to spend one or more days with us.
  • What should I do if I can't reach my pet's doctor at UC Davis?
  • In the event of an emergency or a situation requiring urgent care, we recommend that you contact your local veterinarian or emergency service, or call the VMTH emergency department at (530) 752-1393 and press 1.
  • How can I get copies of my records?
  • The client services staff can assist you in obtaining copies of your records. Call the Small Animal Clinic at 530-752-1393 or the Large Animal Clinic at 530-752-0290.
  • How can I get a refill on a prescription?
  • Prescriptions can be renewed by calling 530-752-1393 and press 4 for the pharmacy when prompted.
  • Why should I bring my veterinarian's blood tests and x-rays? Won't they be repeated at UC Davis?
  • Diseases are remarkably variable and can change rapidly over time. Evaluation of the progression that occurs in bloodwork and x-rays over time will help the doctor determine what the most likely disease process is, whether current therapy should be continued, and whether additional tests are required.
  • Who do I contact regarding a billing issue?
  • For small animal billing inquiries, please email vmcbilling@ucdavis.edu. For large animal billing inquiries, please email billingla@vmth.ucdavis.edu.