Charleston Veterinary Referral Center (CVRC)

A specialty hospital does not offer any routine or preventative care.

Our veterinarians have advanced training in specific disciplines such as emergency and critical care, surgery, internal medicine, oncology, cardiology, neurology and neurosurgery, and physical rehabilitation.

We have specialized diagnostic equipment, such as an extensive in house laboratory, digital X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound, echocardiography, and endoscopy.

We have specialized treatment modalities such as pain management, advanced fluid therapy, oxygen therapy, high flow oxygen, ventilation, transfusion medicine, infusion medicine, chemotherapy, endoscopy, laser therapy, shock wave therapy, and more.

Initially on presentation, a veterinary nurse will come and greet you and your pet. They will get a brief history from you, obtain your pet's vital signs, and report this information to our emergency clinician. While we make every effort to see patients in the order they arrive, patients are seen by our doctors based on severity of condition, not always on a first come first serve basis. Upon arrival, you will be asked to fill out a patient registration form. Depending on your pet's condition, you may be asked to sign an initial emergency consent to allow for initial treatment and stabilization of your pet. The doctor will perform a full examination of your pet and formulate a treatment plan with you. We will communicate with you about the status of your pet routinely during the hospital stay and encourage you to contact us for updates or with any questions or concerns. Also, we will communicate with your primary veterinarian during this process to ensure a collaborative treatment plan for the care of your pet.

At the time of discharge, you will be given a printed visit summary with the diagnosis, treatment recommendations, and follow up care for your pet. A full report will be sent to your family veterinarian as well. We welcome your progress reports, questions and concerns any time and will maintain an ongoing relationship with your primary care doctor to ensure the best experience for you and the best care for your pet.

Our hospital is ALWAYS OPEN for urgent and emergency care – 24/7/365, including all weekends and holidays. If you call after normal business hours, please follow the prompts to speak with an onsite staff member.

We encourage you to fill out our New Patient Registration Form to preregister in our system. This can help expedite your visit to CVRC.

All patients have around-the-clock care. We always have doctors and nurses in the hospital to monitor and care for your pet.

While referrals are recommended to see one of our specialists, they are not required. It is always better to speak to your veterinarian about a referral so we can collaborate with your veterinarian to ensure the best care for your pet.

We always allow owners to visit with their pets. Please call and speak with your doctor or nurse so we can coordinate a time that is best for your pet and you. We try to limit visits to twice a day for 15 minutes as to not interfere with your pet's treatment. It is generally discouraged to visit on a day when your pet underwent general anesthesia as sometimes this can be disruptive to their recovery. If you feel there is an extenuating circumstance, please discuss this with your doctor.

It is best to call after noon for an update on your pet. Doctors are in rounds from 8-9am every morning. After rounds, every patient is examined. If we need to communicate with you about a change in status, we will call you right away.

Yes, you are welcome to bring things from home to make your pet feel more comfortable. Please note, however, we cannot guarantee the return of these items as they may get soiled, lost or damaged.

Yes, please bring all prescription medications/foods you are currently giving your pet. You and your doctor will determine if these should be continued during your pet’s stay. We have a full range of diets to feed our hospitalized patients. However, if your pet is on a prescription or special diet we will gladly continue if you provide it for us.

No, we do not offer primary care. Please see your primary care veterinarian for these services. We are exclusively an emergency and specialty care hospital. If you do not have a primary veterinarian in the area, please call us and we can suggest veterinarians that are close by.

Please email us at [email protected] with your request. If the request is urgent, please contact us via phone. Records can be sent via email, fax, or regular mail, while images can often be sent via email, web link for download, or physically on a CD.

We will try to provide a rough estimate of cost prior to being seen, but be aware that this will be a rough approximation, and the actual cost can vary once your pet is examined and assessed. Please contact us at (843) 614-8387, email us at [email protected], or use the Contact Us link for non-pressing questions.

Absolutely, as long as you wish us to. We will keep your primary veterinarian updated about everything that happens here so that we are all on the same page. Your veterinarian will also have access to your pet’s medical record through our portal.

No, a referral is not required to see any of our specialists, you can make an appointment yourself.

Unless you request otherwise, we will collaborate with your pet’s other veterinarians.

We treat cats and dogs. If you wish for us to consider treatment of another species, please contact us beforehand.

Please bring the animal directly to the animal shelter in the county it was found.

Charleston County

Charleston Animal Society

(843) 747-4849 

Berkeley County

Doc Williams SPCA aka Berkeley County Shelter

(843) 761-0683 

Dorchester County

Francis Willis SPCA

(843) 871-3820

If these shelters are not open, you may bring the stray animal to CVRC and we will facilitate transfer to the shelter when they open. We cannot accept any stray animals when shelters are open.

We do not treat wildlife at CVRC. If you find an injured wild animal, please contact one of the following rescue groups right away. Each has an emergency hotline. Leave a message and they will call you back.

• Animal Rehabilitators of the Carolinas - Rock Hill (Charlotte, NC) Emergency Rescue Hotline - (704) 552-2329

• Carolina Wildlife Care - Columbia Emergency Rescue Hotline - (803) 772-3994

• Foothills Animal Rescue - Greenville Emergency Rescue Hotline - (864) 282-1917

• The Center for Birds of Prey - Charleston Emergency Rescue Hotline - (843) 971-7474

• Keeper of the Wild - Saint George Emergency Rescue Hotline - (843) 636-1659

• Paws Animal Wildlife Sanctuary - Laurens Phone Number - (864) 683-3190

• South Carolina Coastal Animal Rescue & Education - Georgetown Phone Number - (843) 546-7893

• Wildlife Rehab of Greenville Emergency Rescue Hotline - (864) 233-0339

Please follow this link for a list of pet-friendly hotels.

We offer discounts to all members of the US military (active or retired), police and firefighters.