Hospital Policies
General Policies
- If you are more than 10 minutes late for your pet’s appointment, you will be required to reschedule.
- Appointments are required for all visits and payment is due at the time of your appointment.
- Please allow up to 24 hours for phoned-in medication refills.
Testing and Public Health Issues
We recommend that all cats and dogs are checked for parasites at least once a year and dewormed at least once a year.
We recommend that all dogs should be tested for heartworm disease yearly in accord with the American Heartworm Society’s recommendations. This yearly test is necessary to buy heartworm pills or request a prescription for heartworm pills. The in-house heartworm test we run also screens for Lyme disease, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasmosis (all tick-borne diseases). A plain heartworm test is also available.
All kittens should be tested for FELV and FIV as soon as possible. This test must also be repeated after the age of 6 months and during any future illness.
Surgery And Hospitalization Policy
All animals admitted to the hospital, whether for the day or longer, will be up to date on core vaccines as well as a negative heartworm test. The only patients exempt from this policy are those determined to not be healthy enough for vaccination by a Glendale Animal Hospital veterinarian.
Pre-operative testing is required for every animal undergoing an anesthetic procedure. Blood tests may be recommended to screen for immune system problems, as well as kidney, liver, or glucose abnormalities. A signature will be required by any patient’s owner that declines recommended tests.
An IV catheter is also required for all surgical patients.
Permission will be sought from a patient’s owner for any other testing recommended based on abnormal findings from pre-op results.
Permission will be sought from a patient’s owner for any other surgical or dental procedures we may find necessary.
Patient Safety
Please restrain your pet in the reception area. For the safety of your pet and others, please keep cats in carriers and dogs on a tight leash. Do not allow your pet to “visit” other animals without permission from the owner. Any other patient in the hospital waiting area may be aggressive or ill, putting your own animal at risk, so please – keep your pet close and under control at all times.
At the discretion of the attending veterinarian, you will be asked not to restrain your own pet during exam or treatment. This request is made for your own safety and ours. While your pet is out of their regular environment, behavior may be unpredictable or uncharacteristic. We are trained to deal with difficult behavior.
