We thank you in advance for abiding by these policies and helping us keep our clients, staff, and patients on schedule and safe!
Appointment Policies
To allow ample time for all patients, we operate primarily by appointment. Emergency cases shall always receive priority, which is why occasional appointment delay is inevitable. Please know that we make a sincere attempt to see each client on time, and ask that you give us a courtesy call when you are unable to make your appointment.
Late Arrival
We strive to provide quality care and value to each appointment and staying on schedule is a big part of that. We need you to do your part in helping us achieve this goal. Late arriving appointments cause many problems including:
- Increased wait time for those who did arrive prior to their appointment time,
- Increased stress for pets who are waiting for their appointment,
- Less time for our doctors to spend with clients and their pets,
- Increased stress for the doctors and staff trying to get back on schedule,
- Decreased value in services provided
Late arriving appointments may be asked to reschedule if the veterinarian’s schedule cannot accommodate you. Alternatively, your pet may be admitted to the hospital to be seen at the next available time that our schedule allows. Priority is given to patients that arrive on time. If you choose to wait, the wait-time may be considerable and unpredictable. Please arrive at the hospital and be prepared for your appointment to start right at your assigned appointment time.
Cancellation
We call to confirm your appointment the day prior to the scheduled date. If you are unable to keep your appointment, please call to cancel in advance. We require a 24 hour notice for appointment cancellations or changes and a 48 hour notice for surgical cancellations. While we understand that things come up, we need this notice when you are unable to keep an appointment. This allows us to offer that appointment to another sick pet who needs to see the doctor sooner. If you require additional reminder calls, please request this from our receptionists; they would be happy to accommodate your request.
To cancel your appointment, please call or text 604-591-5304. If you do not reach the receptionist, you may leave a detailed message on our voicemail. If you would like to reschedule, please state this and we will return your call promptly.
No-Show
Clients who miss their appointment without cancelling will be considered a “No-Show”. Missed appointments without notice interfere with our ability to provide service to pets who could have used that time. A failure to be present at the time of a scheduled appointment will be recorded in the patient’s file.
Appointment Deposit Policies
New Patient & Exotic Animal Appointments:
A deposit (amount of the examination fee) is required for all New Patient and Exotic animal appointments, in order to secure the appointment time. The deposit is refundable as long as a minimum of 24 hour notice is provided to cancel or change the appointment.
Surgery Appointments:
For Surgeries, we require a deposit of 50% of the estimated cost in order to secure the surgery appointment. This deposit must be paid at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled surgery.
Prescription Policies
Please allow 24-48 hours for prescription refills and order processing.
Compounded medications can take up to 7 days to process as they are ordered specifically for the individual patient.
We are required to have a valid “veterinary-client-patient” relationship prior to prescribing of any medications. Many prescriptions will require your pet to be examined prior to refilling/dispensing; some medications may also require routine blood work. This ensures that your pet is improving and provides confirmation that the medication is appropriate for your pet’s current condition. Our doctors must also feel comfortable that a prescription is being made in the best interest of your pet’s well-being and safety.