Standards of Care

Clinic Standards of Care

We want to be sure that we are a good fit for you as we care for your pets. Our philosophy of care has led to certain protocols that we want you to be aware of because they are not negotiable for us as a practice. If you want to discuss reasons to better understand any of these, we are happy to have that conversation, but we do not waive these requirements.

1. In order to be an active client, your pet must be:
   1. Examined at least once in a 12 month period
   2. Vaccinated for Rabies (this protects them and our team). If they are not up to date you will have 30 days from when we alert you to get them scheduled to be vaccinated or we may terminate our veterinarian/client relationship.
   3. Able to be handled safely by our team. Biting is not tolerated. We will give options for help with training and prevention of fear related issues and work with you, but we will not hold a pet down with a muzzle to get procedures done. Medications can also be used when needed as long as we can make it safe for people and the pet.
2. Your pet will receive an exam prior to any vaccination. This is for their health and safety. Administration of a vaccine to an unhealthy animal can cause harm or limit the effectiveness of the vaccine. This means that when boosters are needed, they will be given another exam and there is a charge. Pets cannot tell us what has changed for them since their last exam and we need to have first-hand knowledge of their physical health at the time of vaccination.
3. We view the overall health of your pet so you will be told about things that are recommended that you may have previously declined. It is our job to be the advocate for the pet and make sure you are informed.
4. It will be approximately 24 hours to refill medications as the doctors need to review the request in many cases and they do this at the end of the day. Please plan ahead when you will need more medication.
5. Pets on chronic medication will require monitoring bloodwork so we can ensure they are tolerating the medication well and it is doing what it is supposed to. Most are at 6 to 12 month intervals but some may be more often. Medications will not be refilled unless this monitoring is done. You will be told when starting medications about the monitoring involved and given a warning at the last refill whenever possible. Please budget and plan accordingly. FOR YOUR PET’S SAFETY, THIS INCLUDES PARASITE PREVENTION. We will only send enough to get to the annual recheck.
6. Our cancellation policy states that you must notify us 24 hours in advance. We understand that special circumstances happen so we allow one time without a charge, but after that you will be charged for a same day cancellation and services may be terminated with repeat offenses.
7. Patients having surgery must have lab work and have had an exam done in the prior 60 days. This allows us to give you the best cost estimate and to be as safe as possible with choosing medications for anesthesia based on your pet’s current health.