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Neurology Referrals

Profile	The Neurology service provides diagnostic and consultation services as well as medical and surgical treatments for diseases of the central (CNS) and peripheral (PNS) nervous system. The diagnostic capabilities include the uses of electrodiagnostics, regular and contrast radiology, computerized tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. Therapeutic modalities include intracranial and spinal surgeries, linear accelerator radiation therapy, and chemotherapeutic medical management.
Initiating a Referral	Referring veterinarians should contact us at 334-844-4690 for available appointments or use the online referral form provided.
Making an Emergency Referral	If a case is thought to be an emergency by the referring veterinarian, he or she should indicate so to the appointment secretary and she will try to place you in contact with a receiving neurologist. If contact is not possible at the moment, she will make every effort to get the message to the receiving neurologist quickly so that he or she can return a call. A discussion with the receiving neurologist is necessary so appropriate therapy can be initiated prior to transfer and that the patient will be able to cared for in the most efficient manner when it arrives at the AU-Small Animal Teaching Hospital.
What about work completed prior to referral?	On occasion, we will request certain work to be completed prior to referral. This is important to expedite the patients stay with us, to assure the need for referral, and to compare results at a later time.
Important Owner Information About Referral	The neurological examination fee is usually around $90 to $165 for the office call. Seldom will the office call produce the diagnosis: it usually heads us in the right direction. After the examination has been performed additional diagnostic test(s) will be discussed with the owner and choices made as to how to proceed with regards to time, money and risk/benefit to the patient. A written estimate for the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches will be provided the owner. It is almost impossible to complete a work-up in the day they arrive. Owners should be made aware that they should plan on leaving the patient at least overnight or longer or plan on staying at one of the hotels in the area. The initial receiving will take 1 to 2 hours. We do use these cases to teach veterinary students and they must be involved in the discussion, which increases the time spent with each case.