What to expect at your appointment: COVID-19 Edition

As we've mentioned on our home page, we plan to use a curbside model for the foreseeable future. We're hoping this guide will help you to prepare you for your appointment and make it go as smoothly as possible.

There are a few things you can do before you even leave the house. Make sure your phone is charged, operational, and, most importantly, WITH YOU. We also ask every pet to be restrained properly for the transport from the car to the door. We've found the walk to the door is the most stressful for many dogs and for us. By having correct-fitting collars and harnesses with leashes (locked if they are retractable) it greatly reduces the chances of them slipping out. For cats and exotics, we won't carry them into the clinic if they are not properly secured in a carrier or suitable container. If you are bringing a new patient in or this is the first time visiting our clinic, please fill out the "New Patient Form" or "New Client Form" beforehand. Don't forget any pertinent records or samples!

Now that you have prepared for your appointment, here's what will happen when you arrive at the clinic. First, call us at (734)929-4071. We'll get you checked in and take down the best number to reach you at during the appointment. Then you'll likely be placed on a brief hold until a technician is available to take a history. They'll then come out to bring your pet into the clinic for the exam. For dogs, we ask owners to step out of the vehicle while wearing a mask to hand off the leash. Dogs are more comfortable coming with us when we don't reach into the car for them. We're happy to get carriers or other containers from your car, we just ask you wear a mask during face-to-face interactions.

We'll have you wait in the parking lot while we do the exam because we are limited in the number of pets we can have in the clinic at this time. If you leave, we may not be able to get started on our next appointment because we can't get your pet back to you. After the doctor completes their exam, they will call you from a restricted number because we are limited in the number of phone lines we have. The technician will then bring your pet back out if they haven't returned them by this point. They will get you checked out and go over any medications then. Please let us know if you have any questions and we look forward to seeing the top half of your face soon!