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Guidelines and Policies for Every Visit

Learn about all of our most important hospital policies, from appointments and arrival policies to accepted methods of payment and patient privacy. These guidelines are in place to keep visits smooth and stress-free for you and your pet. They also help us provide consistent, high-quality veterinary care at every visit. By reviewing our policies ahead of time, you’ll know exactly what to expect when you arrive.
We are committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and efficient environment for both pets and their owners. Our policies are designed to ensure that every patient receives timely medical attention while maintaining a smooth workflow for our doctors and staff. By following these guidelines, you help us provide the highest quality of veterinary care. We also strive to balance convenience with safety, so that urgent cases, wellness visits, and surgical appointments can all be managed responsibly. Transparency is very important to us, which is why our policies are openly shared with clients. Please take a moment to review them carefully so you know what to expect when visiting our hospital. We want every pet parent to feel confident in the care their animal receives. Clear policies also help avoid confusion and build trust between our team and clients. Together, we can ensure a positive experience for you and your pet.
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Appointment Policy

To allow ample time for all patients and scheduled surgical procedures, we operate primarily by appointment for wellness care. We do understand that you cannot plan when your pet will be ill or injured and we welcome daytime urgent care and emergency appointments. Emergency cases will always receive top priority which is why occasional appointment delay is inevitable. Please know that we make a sincere attempt to see each client on time.

For your convenience, “drop-off” appointments are available for established clients. This means that an established client can leave their pet with us for a few hours for examination, diagnostics, and treatment. We typically request that “drop-off” occurs sometime in the morning so that our doctors can examine the patient between scheduled appointments. Once the exam or testing is complete, we will call to discuss the diagnosis (if applicable) and a plan for treatment.

Arrival Policy

When you arrive for an appointment, PLEASE REMAIN IN YOUR VEHICLE AND CALL 540-972-2203 ! Your pet will be checked in over the phone. If you are scheduled for an in-person appointment, you will be invited into the building when a room is ready for you. Technician visits (nail trims, blood draws, other visits not scheduled with a doctor), drop-off appointments, and same-day urgent care appointments will be conducted via curbside service.

This is NOT A COVID PROTOCOL. We are very busy and only have three exam rooms. Performing check-ins over the phone and conducting some appointments via curbside service allows us to accommodate more of our wonderful patients!

Our staff will not reach into a vehicle to retrieve a pet or take a pet directly from your arms. Please be prepared to remove your pet carrier and set it on the ground and/or remove your dog from your vehicle on a leash. Cats will not be brought into the hospital unless they are in a secure carrier.

Thank you for your cooperation and for always being kind to our hard-working team!

Missed Appointment Policy

We have designated time and staff to devote to your pet. Late cancellations prevent us from helping other animals in need of our services. PLEASE NOTIFY US ONE BUSINESS DAY in advance if you need to cancel your appointment. ALL NO-SHOWS OR LATE CANCELLATIONS WILL UNCURE A MISSED APPOINTMENT FEE. (Example: Monday 10AM appointments must be cancelled by Friday at 10AM to avoid a fee.)

There will be a fee for “no call” and “no show” appointments as well as cancellations made with less than 24 hours notice (48 hours for dental/surgical appointments). This fee will be collected prior to additional appointments/services being scheduled. Clients who have excessive “no call” or “no show” appointments or late cancellations may be seen exclusively on a walk-in basis. Thank you for respecting the time of our staff and your fellow clients!

Patient Arrival Policy

Even though we make every effort to help our patients feel comfortable during visits, they may be a little uneasy about new people, new surroundings, and other pets. This is one of the reasons we require pets be placed on a leash or in pet carriers before entering the building. Your pet may love other pets and other people; however, not all of our patients feel the same. For the safety and health of patients, clients, and staff, cats are to be left in their carriers until the doctor’s examination. Dogs must remain on a short leash and under direct control (retractable leashes are not allowed to be used in the building, we can provide a slip lead) until they are in an exam room.

Payment Policy

We require full payment at the time that services are rendered. For your convenience we accept MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express, and offer payment plans through CareCredit®. We do NOT accept checks or cash.

Per Care Credit’s policy, we are only able to process payments when the cardholder is present and can produce a photo ID. We are unable to accept Care Credit cards as payment from anyone who is not listed on the account as an authorized user. We appreciate your understanding and apologize for any inconvenience.

Privacy Policy

Lakewood Animal Hospital recognizes the importance of protecting the privacy of our clients, our patients, and those individuals who visit our website. We do not give out any information to any third party vendors or internet businesses. It’s that simple!