Policies

Hours        Monday – Friday: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
                  Every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the Month:  9:00 am to 12:00 noon

At River Road Animal Hospital we strive to provide our clients and the local community the best medical care possible.  We are a small, high-quality private practice which maximizes our individual customer service, but limits our availability. Please see our Calendar for which Saturdays we are open, and the holidays we are closed.

Appointment Policy

To allow ample time for all patients and scheduled surgical procedures, we operate primarily by appointment.  Emergency cases will always receive top priority, which is why occasional appointment delay is inevitable.  Please realize that we make a sincere attempt to see each client on time.

For your convenience “drop-off” appointments are available.  A “drop off” means you can bring your pet at a time that works best for you and leave them for evaluation and treatment as required.  Usually we ask you drop off sometime in the morning so Dr. Travis can examine the patient during the time reserved for admitted patients.  For the safety of all animals in our care, we require all vaccinations be up to date.  Once the exam is complete, we will call to go over the diagnosis and discharge instructions either via phone call or when you pick up your pet.

Patient Arrival Policy

Even though we make every effort to make our patients feel comfortable during visits, they may be stressed by new people, new surroundings and other pets.  This is one of the reasons we insist you restrain your pet, usually a leash for dogs or pet carriers for cats and exotics, before entering the hospital.  For your protection, and that of others, all dogs must be on a leash and properly controlled while in the waiting area and exam rooms. 

We do offer separate entrances for our older or disabled clients and patients.  We also offer separate entrances for animals that may be aggressive or overly stressed by other animals.  If any of these is the case, please contact us to make special arrangements or simply come in alone first to talk to our receptionist.

Payment Policy

We require full payment at the time that services are rendered.  For your convenience, we accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Debit Cards, cash, personal checks (with proper ID), and now Care Credit.

If you would like further information on Care Credit – a flexible payment option offered only for medical care of your pets and your family – please contact Care Credit at 800-365-8295 or visit www.carecredit.com.

Obtaining Records from Other Clinics

At RRAH we often see pets coming from other clinics for “second opinions”, emergencies, and people visiting or new to the area.  If you bring records from your previous providers we will be happy to accept all valid vaccinations and health care reminders in accordance with the laws of North Carolina.  You may also have your records faxed to us at 910-454-8912 or e-mail at info@rrvet.com.  We will also be happy to contact your previous clinic for you to have the appropriate records transferred if they are able to accommodate such requests.

Online Pharmacies

At RRAH we understand the importance of providing quality medicine at an affordable price.  We strive to provide for all your pets health care needs and maintain a well stocked in-house pharmacy.  We work only with reputable suppliers, compounding laboratories, and local pharmacies and have direct relationships with the drug manufacturers we use.  If we don’t have it in stock, in almost all cases we can get it in a day or less. 

Because there are so many fraudulent pharmacies online and so many counterfeit products being sold to un-suspecting consumers, we do not normally fax prescriptions.  We will however strive to match published prices for medications on sites we deem legitimate, and indeed in some cases we beat them with our normal every-day MSRPs.  Since we work directly with the drug companies, we can assure you our products are genuine, FDA approved, and come with all manufacturer guarantees.  Alternatively, we will be more than happy to refer you to one of the many excellent local, legitimate pharmacies and can provide written prescriptions for you to fill at the business of your choice.

Privacy Policy

At River Road Animal Hospital we recognize the importance of identity protection of clients, patients and those individuals who simply visit our practice or this site. This is a private web site run by a private, family-owned practice.  We do not collect or give out any information to any third party vendors or internet businesses other than those we use directly for patient care or notification.  No information will ever be disclosed to any outside parties from us or our web site hosting company.

It's that simple!  And we strictly adhere to this policy.

Your privacy is protected in our hospital at all times.  At no time will any medical information be given out about a client or pet without the consent of the individual owner.  We adhere to a strict Doctor-Patient-Client relationship and feel trust and open discussions about your pet’s health demand the strictest confidentiality.

Boarding

A. All animals entering the River Road Animal Hospital boarding facility must be current on all required vaccinations and testing.  If these are not current, they will be updated at the time of admission.
For dogs: Rabies, Distemper/Parvo, 6-month Bordatella, intestinal parasite exam
For cats: Rabies, FVRCP, Bordatella, intestinal parasite exam. 

B.  If your pet is vaccinated at another facility, you must provide written verification.  If you cannot provide verification, the necessary vaccines and testing will be provided.  If your pet has not been examined by a doctor at River Road Animal Hospital within the past year, an exam is required prior to boarding. 

C.  All pets will receive a wellness assessment at admission.

D.  All pets must be free of external parasites upon admission.   Any observed fleas, ticks or mites must be treated at admission.

E. Owner is aware that there is no staff on the premises overnight.

F. Although we allow personal items to be brought with your pet, we are not responsible for items lost or damaged while boarding.  All personal items must be marked with owner’s last name in a permanent manner.

G. We encourage you to provide your pet’s diet from home.  If you prefer, we will provide our sensitive stomach/gastro enteric diet (Purina EN) at no additional cost.  Please be aware that variations in diet and any changes in normal home feeding habits can cause GI disturbances.  At the discretion of the veterinarian, fecal exams will be performed and treatment for diarrhea administered to ensure the health and safety of all of our boarders.

H.  Although we encourage a low-stress environment, some pets will bark much more than normal while boarding.  This may cause sore throats, bronchitis, or temporary changes in your pet’s bark (hoarseness).  Cats are also susceptible to upper respiratory infection; cats will not be given “playtime” in the cat room with other cats, but there is still a risk of airborne transmission.  At the discretion of the veterinarian, isolation and treatment for pets suspected of upper respiratory infections will be administered for the health and safety of all of our boarders.

I.  Although your pet may appear healthy at drop off and we examine them upon admission, it is impossible to detect many problems until a pet starts to show clinical signs.  Changes in your pet’s lifestyle (such as boarding) can results in stress and weaken the immune system, resulting in these clinical signs.

J.  We will use all reasonable precautions against injury, escape or death of your pet. The clinic and staff will not be held liable for any problems that develop provided reasonable care and precautions are followed.

K. Kennel sanitation is of the utmost priority for us, but some pets still soil their cages and step in or lay in the soiled area.  This can take only a minute.  This can cause a kennel odor; we strongly recommend a bath before checkout.

L.  We allow pets from the same family to be boarded together at the owner’s request, but cannot be held responsible if any injury occurs due to playing or squabbling that may occur in a restricted environment.

M.  Owner is responsible for all boarding fees, veterinary services and any other expenses incurred while their pet is boarded.

BOARDING MEDICAL AND EMERGENCY CARE POLICY

We are a full service veterinary hospital that also provides boarding facilities. As such, we provide the same high standards of medical care for our boarding pets that we do for our hospital patients. In our experience, a few animals are not good candidates for boarding and may become ill, or chronic conditions may worsen during their stay. Please be advised that any observed, untreated, or worsening pre-existing chronic health conditions that are causing your pet pain and discomfort during a boarding stay will be treated by our doctor at our standard rate.

Any health condition observed with your pet deemed a non-emergency will be noted and we will attempt to contact you regarding treatment options.  If we cannot reach you, you will be advised upon your return of any additional medical, dental, or surgical procedures recommended.

In the rare event that a life-threatening emergency arises with your pet and we are unable to reach you, we will proceed with every necessary life support measure including surgery, in order to save your pet’s life.  We will continue to attempt to contact you unless you indicate in writing otherwise. (ie. DNR or Do Not Recesitate)  Every attempt will be made to contact you or your emergency contact that you provided for us.  Payment for all services rendered will be due upon your return.

You may download our Boarding Policy form here.