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Veterinary Services
FAQs
We have disposal and cremation services available. Costs vary by the weight of the animal. Please ask one of our receptionists for the price of these services.
General disposal means the hospital disposes of the pet according to hospital policy (West Cost Memorial). Communal Cremation means the animals are created in a group, and you don't get the ashes back. Private Cremation means the pet is cremated by itself, and the ashes are returned to you.
Yes, if one our doctors has determined that euthanasia is the most humane alternative for a patient.
We do not do billing or regularly schedule payment plans because we are not a bank and have no investors who want to loan money to our clients. We provide estimates for our services and work hard to develop treatment plans that will be successful and fit into the family budget. However, payment is due when services are rendered. We accept all major credit cards and debit cards. Additionally, we offer a medical credit card that allows for defined no-interest periods through Henry Schein for those clients who qualify.
We can only take in strays or surrendered/abandoned animals on a very limited, case-by-case basis. We do have a foster home program for nursing orphaned animals; once these are weaned, these kittens are available for adoption with the purchase of the kitten care package that provides the preventative health care services that all kittens need. There is no specific adoption fee for the kitten. Some mom cats (queens) come in with their kittens and will need homes. We sometimes have clients who die and leave specific directions and funds for their pets through their attorneys with our hospital to re-home their pets. However, for most adult cats, dogs, and puppies, we direct them to the nearest shelter, rescue group, or non-profit haven. There are no-kill shelters in the area as well.
Not necessarily. Without examining your pet, we can't inform you of this. Even though you aren't seeing testicles in the scrotum, your pet could still be intact and able to reproduce. There is a condition called cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testes fail to descend from the abdomen into the scrotum. Therefore, the testicles could still be present in the body, and your pet is still able to reproduce. Additionally, your pet is still likely to want to roam due to the active testosterone in his system.
It could be that this pet was neutered at a location where they do not perform the green line tattoo as part of the process. The green line tattoo indicates that the pet has had a spay/neuter and is not intact anymore. However, our vets have a lot of experience in this field and are good at determining, by visual exam, if a male dog or cat has been neutered.
We aren't sure. Scars on a pet's abdomen can result from a cesarean section operation (the pet is still able to reproduce) or an operation due to a stomach or intestine issue, etc. Therefore, the scar does not tell us if this pet is truly fixed or not. Only a green line tattoo is a definite indicator to us that the pet is no longer able to reproduce and is fixed. If we see a tattoo, we will not proceed with surgery.
If your pet is presented for spaying and we see a scar but no tattoo, our veterinarians will decide, per their professional opinion, to proceed or not. If you are unable to be reached on the day of surgery and you have already signed for that service, we will likely proceed with the surgery. Our vets are unable to know if a pet is truly intact without going inside the abdomen to explore and/or seeing the green line indicator. Please be sure to discuss the scar you've seen with our vet before checking in your pet with us.