Are you still seeing new clients?
Yes, we are still scheduling new clients, however for new clients we do confirm the appointments at least a week in advance. If your appointment has not been confirmed by noon the day before your appointment, it will be removed to make room for another appointment.
Do you have a cancellation policy, or no-show fees?
Yes, we have a 24 hour cancellation policy. If you cancel your appointment on short notice, we do charge a fee. We have many clients and we need enough time to pull from our cancellation list to reschedule into your cancelled appointment slot. Additionally, if you do not show up to your appointment, there will also be a no-show fee applied to your account. You must pay that fee prior to scheduling any other appointments at our hospital. It is not fair to our other clients who could not schedule for that appointment we had reserved for you. Please respect that we see a lot of sick animals here, and that we do our best to accommodate everyone. We are able to that best when we know who will be coming to their appointments.
What is a drop-off?
A drop-off is an appointment slot wherein you drop-off your pet with us for the day and we see to their medical needs in-between Dr.'s other scheduled appointments. You tell our front office staff what the problems are and we give you a call once we've examined your pet and/or done any diagnostics approved of at the time of drop-off.
Why does my pet need blood work before surgery?
Blood work is required before any surgery. This is due to the anesthesia that your pet will be put under. Blood work would give us a good idea if your pet is a healthy enough candidate for anesthesia. Sometimes an animal appears perfectly healthy, however blood work would reveal if there are any worrying chemical imbalances going on that might affect how your pet responds to anesthesia.
I don't think my dog needs teeth extractions, how do you know they need to be taken?
A tooth is necessary to be taken out of the mouth when the root is exposed, the tooth is broken, gingivitis in the mouth is so bad that it is hanging only slightly, etc. This is to prevent the possibility of infections and abscesses in the mouth. Teeth are removed with doctor's best judgment. When you drop your pet off for a dental, we will ask if you would like a call before extractions. Therefore, it is imperative you leave a number we can contact you with. We do not want an animal under anesthesia for prolonged periods of time. If we cannot get ahold of you, or you do not call us back within a certain period of time, teeth will be removed per doctor's discretion as needed.
Why are you asking about CPR? Why would my pet need it?
We never anticipate there being any problems while your pet is dropped-off for procedures here. That said, we also like to prepare for the worst outcomes so that if the worst were to happen, we could respond as you would have liked us to. You are free to decline CPR for whatever reason, just be aware that by okaying CPR you are authorizing emergency resuscitative procedures if there were any unforeseen problems during their stay. There will also be a charge ~$100 for emergency drugs used and CPR.
When do I need the sutures removed?
Each animal's healing rates are dependent on the animal's health. For optimum healing time, the recommended length of time is anywhere from 10-14 days, but can be extended if necessary.
My dog is never around other dogs, do I really need bordetella, rabies, or DHPP vaccines?
The bordetella and DHPP vaccines are required for most boarding or grooming facilities. That said, if you socialize your animal a lot, take them to dog parks, or other people's homes whom also own animals, you would be risking your pet's health if they are not fully vaccinated. The rabies vaccine is legally required.
How often should my dogs get their toe nails trimmed or anal glands expressed?
It depends on the animal. Most dogs that have never had their anal glands expressed to begin with do not have a problem with their anal glands. For kiddos with long toenails, it is recommended to take them on walks on concrete or gravelly areas to wear their nails down. If this doesn't work and their nails are still long, then you can try to work out a schedule. Usually a month is fine, but if your pet's nails grow quickly it might be necessary to trim them more often.
Why do I need bloodwork done for medications? We've been giving them a long time.
Bloodwork allows us to assess whether the medications your pet is currently on is causing any damage to the liver, kidneys, etc. It also allows us to keep up a client/patient relationship with you. If your pet is on any medication, it is legally required that we examine your pet once a year.
Do you do billing or payment plans?
No, unfortunately we do not. Payment is due at the time of service. If you would like to make payments ahead of time, prior to your appointment, we can leave those payments on your account to serve as a credit for whatever service you are scheduled for.
How often do you offer surgery appointments?
Our surgery days are Monday-Friday. You must call at ahead to schedule an appointment of any kind, and our surgeries have specific instructions to follow prior to their appointment.
What are the specific pre-operative instructions for my pet who is going to have surgery?
At our hospital we perform a variety of surgeries on all kinds of patients. For cats and dogs they must be fasted after 10p.m. the night before. They can have water overnight, but you must remove the water bowls at 6a.m. the morning of their surgery so that they do not drink anymore. This is to minimize the chance of the patient vomiting during anesthetic and potentially aspirating, which can be fatal.
For our exotic patients like rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, mice, and pigs they have a very fast metabolism, so they can have both water and food overnight. Just be sure to pick that up the morning of their appointments, and please bring us some of their food so that we can offer some of their normal diet after they have recovered.
Reptiles like bearded dragons and geckos should not be fed the morning of their surgery either.
Reptiles like snakes aren't fed as often, so usually as long as they haven't eaten anything a few days prior to their surgery, we can keep their appointment.
How far ahead do I need to call for an appointment?
We are a busy practice here, and we typically book 2-4 weeks out on average.
Do you do walk-in appointments?
No. We only do drop-offs and scheduled appointments. Sometimes we do not have any drop-off appointments available either, so it's always best to call and make an appointment.
What are the benefits of laser surgery?
More sterile
Less bleeding
Cleaner surgery site
Less inflammation
Less edema
Less pain
Least invasive
When should I get my puppy/kitten vaccinated? How often do I need to vaccinate?
We recommend the 1st set of vaccines to be given at 8 weeks. The 2nd set is to be given 4 weeks after at 12 weeks. The 3rd set given another 4 weeks later at 16 weeks. We understand that sometimes your pet was given their 1st set at 6 weeks. We typically start over at that point and give them the 1st set again at 8 weeks. This is because the puppies should have been nursing still. Any anti-bodies provided to them through mother's milk would have interfered with the vaccines given.
How long does it take for anesthesia to wear off?
It typically can take 24-36 hours at the most for our anesthesia to metabolize out of their systems. We use sevoflourane which has been proven to metabolize out much quicker than some other anesthetics like isoflurane. If your pet is still lethargic after this window, please give us a call and set up a recheck so our doctors can ascertain if they are still feeling residual effects of anesthesia or if there are additional concerns.
How often does my pet need a dental?
It depends on the health of your pet's mouth. It is recommended to have a dental done at least once a year.
Is there an exam with my pet's vaccines?
Yes. It is legally required for us to perform an exam before we administer vaccines. Therefore, yes, there will also be an exam charge.
