Appointment Etiquette

As we return to full veterinary staffing this summer, in order to take care of you in the most timely way possible, it is critically important to all of us that we work together to keep our appointment schedule flowing smoothly every day.


Here are the systems we now firmly adhere to:

Appointment confirmations and missed appointments:  As we "staff up" to meet the continuing local demand for veterinary care, we must request that you confirm your appointments at least 24 hours in advance of your scheduled time.  We do send out email and text message confirmation appointments, so PLEASE respond to let us know you are coming.  Because we have many appointment requests that we can not accommodate every day, if you do not confirm by 24 hours ahead of time, your appointment slot will be given to someone else on the waiting list.  If you do confirm, but do not come in for your appointment, you will be charged the office visit fee.


 

• On-time arrival for appointments:  We recognize that sometimes things happen,  PLEASE plan to arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled appointment time to allow for unexpected traffic, parking, and check-in.  Our doctors adhere to an already tight schedule and you can imagine the back-up in scheduling that snowballs across our entire day when clients arrive late for their appointments.    If you arrive 10 minutes or later for your scheduled appointments, we will need to ask you to reschedule your appointment.

• "Wellness" Appointments:  Check-ups for new puppies and kittens, and annual examinations on healthy adult pets, are referred to as "wellness visits"., and are usually more than three to four weeks- or longer- in advance.  Puppy and kitten vaccination appointments are best scheduled at the time of their first visit.

• If you regularly have technician appointments for your pets, please make suture appointments as soon as possible, do not wait until symptoms present themselves. 

• Follow-up rescheduling recommendations:
  • Toe Nail Trims: schedule every 3-4 weeks  for non-active pets
  • Anal Gland Expressions: schedule every 3-6 weeks
  • Medical Injections: schedule the next 2-3 appointments for your pet as directed
  • Laser Treatment: schedule future appointments as soon as possible 

•  It is always easier to cancel an appointment for these non-urgent services than to make them with only a few days or week's notice.