Please allow 1-2 hours for the first appointment. The neurology team makes every effort to stay on schedule. However, there are a variety of reasons that appointments may run over the 1-hour scheduled time.

When you arrive, Liz Collins, the neurology veterinary assistant, or a senior veterinary student will greet you, obtain a patient history, and collect any blood test results and/or radiographs that you brought with you for your appointment. Your pet then will be brought to the examination room where the doctor will conduct the examination. This room has the equipment needed to perform a thorough physical and neurologic examination (e.g., non-slip floor mats, digital thermometers, direct and indirect ophthalmoscope, otoscope, etc.)—this ensures a better examination for your pet. Your pet is then returned to you.

After the initial examination is complete, Dr. Gehrke, a member of the neurology team, will meet with you to discuss the examination findings and recommended next steps. He takes the time to fully answer your questions and concerns and discusses the available diagnostic tests and possible course of treatment. It is rare that a specific diagnosis of a neurologic condition can be made based only on an examination. The examination tells us WHERE the problem is, not WHAT the problem is.