Your Partner in Veterinary Excellence
Emergency Referrals
Around the clock care is a community effort.
We consider ourselves an extension of primary care providers, and we are here to support you when you are unable to perform necessary therapy or monitoring for the pets in your care. You may refer patients to us for overnight monitoring or procedures cannot fit into your busy schedules.
We are actively working towards a future where we offer services from board certified specialists to compliment our vision for Western Montana’s veterinary community.
To refer a patient to us please call (406) 218-2800.
Thank you for choosing Sentinel Veterinary Specialists & Emergency as your partner in veterinary specialty care.
We will strive for seamless communication throughout the diagnostic and treatment process so that you are fully apprised of your patient's condition and progress. We will treat your patients and clients with individualized, compassionate care every step of the way.
Our range of specialty services enables us to meet the needs of complex cases, and we will complement any previous diagnostic and treatment programs to create a continuum of care. Our team also provides after-hours emergency and critical care to our patients.
Referral Requirements
We welcome your inquiries and can consult with you prior to referral. We will evaluate your radiographs and other diagnostics prior to creating our treatment protocol. No charges will incur when only verbal reporting is conducted. If a pet requires surgery, we offer expedited or same-day surgeries.
We require a CBC, biochemical profile, and UA (+/- culture) for most elective orthopedic patients. Thoracic radiology is sometimes recommended for patients with cancer or those over 8 years of age. A critical evaluation of the skin is very important to prevent cancelation on the day of surgery due to pyoderma. For cases being referred for joint replacement, we require digital radiographs with a calibration marker, so most will need to be repeated.
Your clients may call us at (406) 218‑2800 or email us at info@sentinelvse.com to schedule a consultation. You may also create an account through our online portal to make it convenient to refer patients to us. To do this, please visit https://bvspets.rvetlink.com/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2FChart.
NOTE: Sentinel Veterinary Specialists & Emergency is a fax-free hospital. We only accept emailed records. If you are unable to scan/email these records, your clients may bring us hard copies of radiographs and other documents.
Post Procedure
We will provide both you and the client with a summary of care and complete discharge instructions. While we prefer to see the client during the recovery period, we understand that this isn’t always feasible due to distance. If this is the case, we can provide interpretation of x-rays via email, free of charge. We will request a follow-up x-ray 6-8 weeks after surgery.
TPLO Radiographs
Medial to Lateral Radiograph: Affected limb is placed down. The stifle and tarsus joints are both visible and at 90 degrees.
PA Radiograph: The patella is central with fabella equally split. The tarsus and stifle joints are both visible on the radiograph. No torsion is placed during positioning so that the limb is allowed to sit "naturally."
Pricing Guidelines
We aim to keep our costs as affordable as possible for pet families. We base our prices on the complexity of a surgery or other procedure and the time spent. We prefer to overestimate fees and refund accordingly. We typically keep patients overnight for their safety and comfort, but we can provide at-home postoperative or post-procedural care instructions per the client's request if the pet is deemed safe for discharge. You are welcome to call us to discuss our prices.