Charleston Mobile generally gives a 2-hour window at time of scheduling, and will call 20-30 minutes before arrival. This phone call is for the front staff to communicate to the doctor/technician that is preparing the patient, to ensure that the patient is on-site, sedated, and all case history has been submitted. As a reminder, we are unable to fully interpret your case until we have all necessary paperwork.

• Shave the appropriate areas prior to the scheduled appointment time (after receiving owner permission).
• You can wait for us to arrive to shave if unsure of shave margins.

• Sedate as necessary (after receiving owner permission.)
• Patient comfort and reduced anxiety with sedation administration, especially for abdominal studies, will give the best diagnostic yield.
• If FNA is requested, sedation or anesthesia is very important.
• Administration of any drugs and monitoring of the patient are the responsibilities of the requesting DVM.
• For any questions on sedation, please reach out to us.

• Because this is a mobile service and appointments may vary due to emergencies, cancellations, add-on cases, etc., it would be helpful if the pet is dropped off earlier than the scheduled appointment time. If there are cancellations, we will call to check if the appointment can be moved up. If you would like to add an appointment, adding on a patient is usually no problem but please call us beforehand to verify an additional appointment.
  
• A veterinary technician or assistant will be needed to hold the pet during the exam. Also, if sedation or anesthesia is used, monitoring by a veterinary technician should be provided. The exam usually takes 20-30 minutes for a single cavity. 
  
• Once completed, Dr. Nicastro will prepare a comprehensive report. For echocardiograms, the image set along with supplemental documents are uploaded to SonoPath.com Boarded specialists (cardiology and ABVP) for interpretation. Turn-around time is 24 hours or less for routine reports. A STAT interpretation service is available for an additional fee.  
  
• Pet Owner/ Guardian attendance for any ultrasound exam is not permitted due to liability issues.