WHAT TO EXPECT
APPOINTMENTWHAT TO EXPECT - PET SURGERY
Surgery and anesthesia is a stressful time for both you and your pet but we do our best to make it as stress free and painless process as possible. At drop off there will be a few documents to fill out including a consent for treatment and an estimate. Your estimate is of expected costs, this is an estimate and subject to change if services change. The treatment form allows for you to fill out best number for today, acknowledge we have your pet for the day, and a place to note anything you would like communicated or emphasized to the back staff.
Surgical Drop-off is between 7-8 depending on your scheduled time
- Remember no food after midnight the night before, water is ok
- Please bring your dog in on a leash and cats in their carrier
- We generally do not bring in their blankets in case they get soiled or lost
- If your pet is extremely anxious please let us know prior to this point so we can talk about accommodations
After drop off
- We take your pet to the back where our team gets initial vitals, blood work started, and a catheter placed
- Once your pet is prepped, they will be placed in a kennel or run with blankets while we take in others
- All pets receive “pre-medication” these are injectable medications that include pain control to help anesthesia run as smoothly as possible and minimize need for higher doses of anesthesia.
Anesthesia itself
- If bloodwork is normal we proceed without a call
- All pets are intubated that undergo general anesthesia so we have full airway control and ensure they are properly oxygenated
- All pets are fully monitored with CO2 capnography, respiratory rate, ECG lines, heart rate, SP02 readers, temperature, plane of anesthesia, blood pressure by a designated staff member.
- Pets are recovered and monitored closely by a designated staff member.
- Some pets also have post-operative pain medication that may cause drowsiness into the evening
Pick up
- Pickup times vary by order of who went first, and how long we would like them to recover. More intensive surgeries, older pets, or at risk pets generally stay the day longer with us while eager to go home high energy pets will sometimes go home quickly
- Our general guideline is to watch each pet in recovery for at least 3 hours after their procedure
- Expect afternoon pickup times
- If your pet has a pressure wrap on its leg please remove it in 30 minutes. If you do not feel able to do so, mention it to our staff prior to leaving
Postoperative care
- Your pet may be tired when they get home, this is normal but getting noticeably increasingly tired, listless or more severe issues should be taken to the emergency center.
- Keep the cone on anytime you are not in IMMEDIATE contact with your pet, it can take them seconds to rip out stitches even though many times they are in the skin.
- If your pet is untrustworthy, it happens to us all, keep the cone on at ALL times, they can learn to eat and drink with it on
- Keep the cone on for 10-14 days for the incision to fully heal, if any doubt leave on for the full 14 days.
- If there is any swelling, heat, oozing from the incision site please contact us
WHAT TO EXPECT - DROP-OFF APPOINTMENT
A “drop-off appointment” means our scheduled appointment times with a doctor are full but we understand you’re concerned about your pet, and we are too! We are trying our best to accommodate this. This appointment type is when your pet will be left with us for the day to allow for the most flexibility within the schedule. We will examine your pet between our scheduled rooms and surgeries as quickly as we are able. The estimated time it takes to get your pet back depends on how sick your pet is and how quickly treatments can be finished. We are working you into our already booked schedule because we don’t want your pets to wait either; please be patient with us as we work to see your pets.
Helpful information:
- What is going on?
- How long has it been going on? Has it happened before and if so what helped treat it?
- Any changes that may be related to is?
- It is helpful if you can pre-approve some tests or a monetary amount so we can get started as quickly as possible. A drop off form/estimate will be supplied to allow for better understanding of diagnostics. Consider being prepared to spend $100, $250, $500 or even $1000 depending on what is going on with your pet
*** please be near your phone for when we call for more information, to go over results, set up a pickup time, or approve further testing
WHAT TO EXPECT - DENTAL CLEANING
Surgery and anesthesia is a stressful time for both you and your pet but we do our best to make it as stress free and painless process as possible. At drop off there will be a few documents to fill out including a consent for treatment and an estimate. Your estimate is of expected costs, this is an estimate and subject to change if services change. The treatment form allows for you to fill out best number for today, acknowledge we have your pet for the day, and a place to note anything you would like communicated or stressed to the back staff. Though we do our best if it isn’t written down it may get lost in translation.
Dental Drop-offs are between 7-8 depending on your scheduled time
- Remember no food after midnight the night before, water is ok
- Please bring your dog in on a leash and cats in their carrier
- We generally do not bring in their blankets in case they get soiled or lost
- If your pet is extremely anxious please let us know prior to this point so we can talk about accommodations
After drop off
- We take your pet to the back where our team gets initial vitals, blood work started, and a catheter placed
- Once your pet is prepped, they will be placed in a kennel or run with blankets while we take in others
- All pets receive “pre-medication” this is injectable medications that include pain control to help anesthesia run as smoothly as possible and minimize need for higher doses.
The dental itself
- If bloodwork is normal we proceed without a call
- All pets are intubated that undergo general anesthesia so we have full airway control and ensure they are properly oxygenated
- All pets are fully monitored with CO2 capnography, respiratory rate, ECG lines, heart rate, SP02 readers, temperature, plane of anesthesia, blood pressure by a designated staff member.
- All teeth are cleaned with an ultrasonic scaler and polished same as when we get our teeth cleaned! This is important to do under anesthesia as it allows us to get under the gumline where most of the disease lives! Polishing is also important to smooth out microgrooves that allow for bacteria to get stuck and grow
- All pets get full mouth radiographs to look for disease under the gumline, if we see something suggestive of further dental disease we will give you a call.
- Pets are recovered and monitored closely by a designated staff member.
- Some pets also have post-operative pain medication that may cause drowsiness into the evening
Pick up
- Pickup times vary by order of who went first, and how long we would like them to recover. More intensive surgeries, older pets, or at risk pets generally stay the day longer with us while eager to go home high energy pets will sometimes go home quickly
- Our general guideline is to watch each pet in recovery for at least 3 hours after their procedure
- Expect afternoon pickup times
- If your pet has a pressure wrap on its leg please remove in 30 minutes. If you do not feel able to do so, mention it to our staff prior to leaving
Postoperative care
- Your pet may be tired when they get home, this is normal but getting noticeably increasingly tired, listless or more severe issues should be taken to the emergency center.
- Sometimes a slight cough for a day or two is noticeable, this is normal as long as it stays mild and goes away, likely tracheal irritation from being intubated
- If your pet had extractions small amount of bleeding is ok but we do not expect to see active bleeding. Sutures are dissolvable and will generally go away within a few weeks.
- Feed half their normal dinner when you get home, if you are concerned about pain you can wet down with water or give soft food.
WHAT WE EXPECT OF YOU
Greetings Animal Care Center pet parents,
Over the few years ACC, as well as the entire veterinary profession, has experienced many unforeseen changes to which we have done our very best to adapt and still provide loving care to as many patients as possible. We have seen exponential growth in people seeking veterinary care for their pets. Veterinary clinics across the nation are finding their schedules booked out for weeks to months at a time. Emergency hospital visits have an average wait time of 4-8 hours, with some reaching maximum capacity to the point of turning away patients in need. Veterinary medicine, like many other fields, is also facing an extreme shortage of qualified staff, with many leaving the field entirely due to physical or emotional burnout.
As much as we, at the Animal Care Center, want to help our patients, there is a limit to the amount of quality patient care we can provide in a day. We already take same day, drop off, and squeeze in appointments, but there is a limit and we have been frequently reaching it. This has caused extended wait and appointment times, long phone hold times, and miscommunications. The palpable effect of these issues has physically manifested in mounting frustrations from clients and potential clients. These frustrations have been directly expressed in unacceptable behaviors and actions towards our team members. Our team comes to work each day for a single reason, and that is they love animals and want to help them in any way they can. As you can imagine, giving all your compassion day in and day out only to see some cases not have a happy ending can be draining enough, but to then endure abuse, in addition, can be detrimental.
Beyond providing the highest quality of care for all patients, our mission is to create a safe and engaging environment to develop and retain a skilled team, which only serves to reinforce patient care. Considering the recent behavior of some and the need to care for the team, we will no longer allow these behaviors to continue. Effective immediately, a No Tolerance Policy regarding abusive behavior towards our team members will be enforced. Clients or potential clients who participate in any of the following actions/behaviors will no longer be provided services at our facility. We understand emotions often run high but being respectful to someone who just wants to help your pet is not a big ask.
Prohibited behaviors include, but are not limited to:
- Angry outbursts or yelling at any member of our team.
- Speaking in a demeaning or rude manner to any member of our team.
- Vulgar language in general, but specifically calling any member of our team vulgar names or telling vulgar stories or jokes.
- Disrespect towards any team member based on physical appearance, race, or gender.
- Insinuating that any member of our team doesn’t care about your pet or values financial gain over your pet’s health/safety. We will always offer the gold standard based on AAHA guidelines and standards. We understand that cost and other considerations come into pet care decisions and we always try to provide alternative solutions when requested.
- Unrealistic expectations of care despite being informed of our availability and expected costs
- Threatening to harm anyone, destroy property, or to smear ACC’s reputation to get your way through intimidation.
We greatly value our relationship with all our clients and appreciate your continued support. The basic foundations of any relationship include mutual respect and trust. Our mission is to provide the best possible care we can for every pet we encounter and to support and develop our team in a safe and engaging environment. We appreciate your understanding and support of our mission.
Very respectfully,
Animal Care Center with special thanks to Brookside Veterinary Hospital for allowing us to adapt their above statement
WHAT TO EXPECT - LATE CANCELLATION
Dear Valued Clients,
We want to express our sincere gratitude for your continued trust in Animal Care Center for your veterinary needs. As demand for our services has increased, we often receive requests to accommodate additional patients beyond our doctors’ full schedules. To uphold our commitment to providing exceptional care while ensuring availability for all clients, we are implementing a revised fee structure for cancellations and no-show appointments.
Appointment Confirmation and Cancellation Policy:
- In-room appointments will be confirmed 48 hours in advance.
- Procedure appointments will be confirmed 72 hours in advance.
To avoid any fees, we kindly ask that you reschedule or cancel your appointment at least 48–72 hours prior to the scheduled time.
Same-Day Appointments:
For same-day appointments, we are happy to accommodate your needs, but please be aware that our cancellation policy will still apply. If you need to cancel or reschedule a same-day appointment, please do so as soon as possible to minimize any fees.
Cancellation Fees:
- Cancellations made within 48 hours: $50
- Cancellations made within 24 hours: $79
- No-show without prior notice: $100
- Surgical procedure no-show or late cancellation: $250
To implement this policy, we will need to keep a card on file when you book your appointment. This ensures that any applicable fees can be processed efficiently.
How to Avoid Fees:
To prevent incurring these fees, please contact our office at 360-848-0180 to notify us of any changes at least 48 hours before your appointment.
We understand that extenuating circumstances may arise, and we will consider them on a case-by-case basis; however, we cannot guarantee waivers.
Thank you for your understanding and support as we navigate the evolving landscape of veterinary care. We remain dedicated to providing the highest level of service to our clients and their beloved pets.
Warm regards,
The Animal Care Center Team
WHAT TO EXPECT - Medication Refills
Refilling a prescription
Please allow for 1-2 business days when requesting a medication refill. If we have it on our shelves, and there are pre-approved refills available this can sometimes be quicker but may take up to the full 2 days depending on our caseload each day. Please plan accordingly with holidays and weekends and request early so we can best accommodate you and the supply doesn’t run out. We have been experiencing a high amount of medications going on backorder recently due to many extenuating circumstances so many things are not consistently available.
In your search for a veterinary facility, we believe you should expect high-quality care as well as great service. Our goal has been to assemble a veterinary health care team committed to providing exceptional client service and veterinary health care. Our commitment to you is to continue to offer world-class service and a state of the art veterinary facility.
Your pet’s annual vet check-up will include a total physical exam, with a thorough investigation of your pet’s head, body and tail, and all his assorted cavities. Because even the most cooperative pet may not readily go-along with a tooth and gum brushing, an annual cleaning by your veterinarian may be in order. Like you, your pet can lose his teeth due to decay and neglect. It’s a good idea to keep an accurate medical diary not only of the procedures and vaccinations your pet receives at the vet but also of notes on things like your pet’s elimination habits and any physical changes or unusual occurrences. Keep track of small shifts in your pet’s behavior, including urinary marking habits and mood swings, along with diet and routine modifications. Take this notebook when you visit the vet. These seemingly unrelated occurrences may help explain the results of your pet’s medical tests. Also, if you need to change vets, it’s good to have this journal to provide a complete medical history.
Choose a veterinarian who is calm, compassionate and willing to explain all the procedures your pet undergoes. Try to find a vet with whom both you and your pet feel comfortable. Try to have it convenient, choose a clinic with qualified staff and facilities to undertake surgery and perform procedures requiring anesthesia, such as teeth cleaning. Because of the general risks inherent to anesthesia, especially for very old, very young or very ill pets, your veterinarian will likely suggest a few exams, including a chest X-ray and lab work of blood and urine, before your pet is anesthetized. During the procedure he might need an IV drip; antibiotics may be necessary before and after.
Our doctors may refer you to a specialist, veterinarians who have completed advanced studies in specialties such as internal medicine, surgery, and emergency care if your pet must undergo a procedure that requires more precise knowledge and experience.
When your pet deserves the very best…
Turn to the Animal Care Center! With over 30 years of valuable experience in our corner, trust that your pet’s health is in skilled hands. Schedule an appointment today for all your furry friends healthcare needs.
Location
1005 E College Way
Mt Vernon, WA 98273
Click here for directions.
Our Hours
Sat: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sun: Closed
Contact Info
P: 360-848-0180
F: 360-848-0183