Frequently Asked Questions

Our FAQs

Do you take emergencies?
We do our best to accommodate emergency situations, but in the event we are handling other emergencies or do not have the staff available to properly support emergency care, we may refer you to one of our nearby emergency facilities so your pet receives immediate medical attention. Learn more about emergencies here.

Do you take payment plans?
We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and cash. We also accept CareCredit, which is a credit card that can be used for emergency situations (quick approval). CareCredit offers 6 and 12 month no interest payment plans. We do not do any in-house financing, as we simply cannot afford to do so. Veterinary clinics historically have offered delayed payments but unfortunately default rates were so high as to make this practice infeasible.

Do you take walk-ins?
The short answer is no, we see patients by appointment only. The long answer is that we will 'work in' urgent cases when needed in order to make sure our patients are cared for in a timely manner. Routine wellness appointments are not taken as walk-ins. Learn more about our appointment policy here.

Do you require your patients to be spayed/neutered?
Yes. Spaying female dogs prevents breast cancer (which is VERY common in unspayed female dogs), pyometra, and unwanted pregnancies as well as the need for C-sections. Neutering prevents prostatitis, prostatic cysts, testicular cancer, and perianal fistulas/hernias. Dogs and cats are prolific breeders and even a small number of un-neutered animals causes pet overpopulation, which causes needless animal suffering.

I just adopted a new puppy/kitten. At what age should his/her first visit be?
Kittens and puppies should have their first vet visit at 6-8 weeks of age. If your puppy/kitten is older than that, then please schedule their first visit within 5 days of adoption.

The pet store/breeder/random person on Craigslist/at the rescue organization told me that my puppy is "up-to-date" on his/her shots. So I don't need to bring them in to the vet for a long time, right?
Wrong! People who supply puppies are often unclear on this. When a puppy is 'up to date' on their vaccines, it just means that they were good as of that moment. It does not mean that they are fully vaccinated. Your puppy likely needs more boosters. Call or make an appointment if you are not sure about this.

Why is dental care so important?
Teeth are like foreign objects in the mouth. If the area around the tooth becomes infected/inflamed (gingivitis), there is no way for the body to remove the infection. The infection will continue to fester until either the tooth is professionally cleaned or the tooth is surgically removed. That festering infection can seed bacteria into the internal organs, causing heart murmurs, kidney disease, and liver disease. Dental health plays a huge role in overall health.

My dog is vomiting and/or having diarrhea. What do I do?
The only safe course of action is to bring them in to us for an exam. We can't give medical advice over the phone. The physical examination tells us many things about the state of your pet that allows us to give the best advice and treatment. Putting off an exam on a sick pet could potentially lead to more serious disease and a higher cost for treatment.

My dog's ear is dirty no matter how many times I clean it. What do I do?
If your dog's ear has persistent discharge in spite of cleanings, no matter what the color of the discharge, he likely has an ear infection. He needs to come in for an exam and treatment. Ear infections will not clear up from routine cleaning alone.

What treatments do you offer for allergy problems?
Hypoallergenic diets, Heska Allercept Blood Testing and Immunotherapy, Apoquel tablets, and Cytopoint injections. With recent medical breakthroughs, our options for treatment of allergies has greatly expanded.