Advanced Specialty Care, Coordinated With Your Veterinarian
West Texas Veterinary Specialist is a referral-only, procedure-based outpatient specialty center. Rather than functioning like a traditional specialty hospital where every patient is scheduled for an initial specialist consultation, WTVS works directly with your primary veterinarian to provide the advanced diagnostic service, specialty procedure, or treatment your pet has been referred to receive. When a separate specialty consultation is necessary or would be beneficial, our team will discuss that with your veterinarian before scheduling.
1. YOUR VETERINARIAN SUBMITS A REFERRAL
Your pet’s care at WTVS begins with a referral from your veterinarian. Your veterinarian submits the reason for referral along with relevant medical records, laboratory results, imaging, and other diagnostic information. Patients may be referred for a specific advanced diagnostic test, specialty procedure, or treatment rather than transferring management of the entire case to WTVS.
2. OUR SPECIALTY TEAM REVIEWS THE REFERRAL
Before scheduling, our specialty team reviews the referral and available medical information to confirm that the requested service or procedure is appropriate for your pet. Because our advanced diagnostic and procedural capabilities are integrated with board-certified specialist expertise, our specialists can consider the requested procedure in the context of your pet’s medical history, previous diagnostic findings, and overall clinical condition. If additional information, a different diagnostic approach, or a separate specialty consultation may be beneficial, WTVS will communicate with your veterinarian before proceeding.
3. WE CONTACT YOU TO SCHEDULE
Once the referral has been reviewed and the appropriate next step has been determined, WTVS will contact you directly regarding scheduling. At that time, our team will provide information about:
- Your pet’s scheduled service or procedure
- Preparation instructions
- Arrival and anticipated discharge information
- Applicable costs and required deposit
- Any additional instructions specific to your pet
Pet owners do not need to contact WTVS to initiate scheduling after their veterinarian submits a referral. Our team will contact you once the referral has been reviewed.
4. YOUR PET’S VISIT TO WTVS
Your pet’s diagnostic service, procedure, or treatment will take place at the West Texas Veterinary Specialists outpatient specialty center in Lubbock. Depending on the reason for referral, services may include:
- Internal Medicine
- Specialty Surgery
- Oncology
- CT & Advanced Imaging
- Ultrasound & Echocardiography
- Endoscopy
- Laparoscopy
- Fluoroscopy
Please make each service above a clean inline link to its respective Specialty Services page. Some services can be performed while a patient is awake, while others may require sedation or general anesthesia. If additional diagnostic testing, sampling, or another procedure becomes appropriate based on the findings, our specialists will determine the appropriate next steps and communicate with the referring veterinarian and pet owner as needed.
5. PROCEDURE & RECOVERY
The amount of time your pet spends at WTVS will depend on the service or procedure being performed and whether sedation or general anesthesia is required. Patients undergoing sedation, anesthesia, or procedures will be appropriately monitored throughout their visit and during recovery. WTVS is an outpatient specialty center and does not provide overnight hospitalization or intensive care. Patients are discharged when medically appropriate. If a patient’s condition or anticipated recovery needs make an outpatient procedure inappropriate, this will be considered as part of the referral and procedural planning process.
6. RESULTS RETURN TO YOUR VETERINARIAN
After your pet’s diagnostic service or procedure, our specialists will evaluate the findings and communicate the relevant results and recommendations to your referring veterinarian. In most situations, your pet then returns to their primary veterinarian for continued care and management, now supported by the specialty expertise, advanced diagnostic information, and recommendations provided by WTVS. If additional specialty procedures or follow-up at WTVS are recommended, those next steps can be coordinated with your veterinarian.
WHY OUR REFERRAL MODEL IS DIFFERENT
WTVS is designed to complement—not replace—your primary veterinarian. Our role is to provide access to board-certified specialty expertise, advanced diagnostics, and specialized procedures that may not otherwise be available locally, while allowing your primary veterinarian to remain at the center of your pet’s ongoing care. By bringing board-certified specialists and advanced diagnostic, imaging, and procedural technology together in one center, WTVS can do more than simply perform an advanced test. Our specialists can interpret findings within the context of the patient’s overall clinical picture, determine whether additional diagnostics or procedures may be appropriate, and provide the referring veterinarian with clinically relevant recommendations for the next steps in the patient’s care.This procedure-based model gives veterinarians throughout the region access to advanced specialty capabilities without requiring them to transfer management of the entire case.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
After your veterinarian submits a referral, our specialty team will review your pet’s medical information and the requested service or procedure. Once the referral has been reviewed, WTVS will contact you directly regarding scheduling, preparation instructions, applicable costs, and any required deposit. There is no need to contact WTVS to schedule an appointment after your veterinarian submits a referral. Our team will reach out to you when the referral review is complete.
For veterinarians: