All businesses, especially a medical office, have regulations that guide their day-to-day activities. Some are literally the rule of law, some are simply office policies to allow us to serve you and others promptly and efficiently, and others are in place to ensure the best treatment plan and medications for your pet's good health.
Rules can be annoying, but please understand that each one is there for a solid reason. If you feel that you've been unnecessarily inconvenienced or that your pet's health was not our first concern, please call our office and speak directly to Dr. Dana Allen.
MEDICATIONS
Heartworm preventative can be sold if your last purchase was within the period covered by the last box of medication purchased. If there has been a lapse (a 6 month box extending, for example, over 10 months), we will require a heartworm test before it can be dispensed. This is for the safety of your pet.
Chronic medications can be refilled for no more than 1 year. At that time, we must see your pet for a physical exam before further refills can be authorized. Pets on chronic medication should ALWAYS be examined at least annually.
Refills of other medications must be authorized by a doctor and that decision will be based on the specific problem, its history, and the medication in question.
Prescriptions can only be filled for pets with which we have a "valid client-doctor-patient relationship". This legal requirement requires that one of our doctors has seen your pet before a prescription medication can be dispensed..
PAYMENT POLICY
We accept cash, checks (local), VISA, Master Card and Discover Card.
All services are expected to be paid for at the time they are rendered.
A deposit may be required for an illness or surgery requiring hospitalization, or for some boarding.Arrangements must be made in advance for any services performed without immediate payment.
Care Credit is an option for clients needing to make payments. Their number is 800-365-8295 or www.carecredit.com
OFFICE PROCEDURES
We are pleased to offer extended hours and are proud that, for over 17 years, our services have been available to the public for 10 1/2 hours on weekdays. We are also open from 8-12 on Saturday. Please understand that our staff works hard and all have their own family and pets. Our closing hours will be followed unless a true life-threatening emergency exists. After hours client emergencies are may call Dr. Allen's cell phone or non clients are referred to the All Pets Emergency Clinic, so there is never a time that your pet cannot receive urgently needed care.
Our staff arrive at 7:30AM to treat hospitalized patients and begin a new day of care. If you have a pet boarding with us, we ask that you wait until 8AM to get them. This allows us to complete our medical treatments and morning census.
For the safety of your pet, as well as others in the building, we require that all pets be either on a leash, in a carrier, or securely in your arms. Not only does this protect against the unexpected snap or bite from another patient, but it also limits the contact your pet might have with a sick and contagious pet nearby. Remember this is a hospital and we see infectious diseases!!
We recommend that you call ahead for an appointment, but we also welcome walk-ins. Appointments are given priority over walk-ins, however. If you have a life-threatening emergency, please declare that quickly and you will be seen IMMEDIATELY.
Appointments allow us to see you in the most timely manner and we ask that every effort be made to be on time. When you arrive late, it prevents the next appointment from being seen on time. As a courtesy to the next appointment, if a patient arrives more than 20 minutes late, s/he will then be worked in as a walk-in.