Dispensing Medications

As directed by law, a veterinarian can only dispense or prescribe medication to patients that have a current veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR), which requires an examination of the patient annually. It is illegal to dispense medications to patients who have not been seen by the veterinarian. If the patient has a written prescription from another clinic or veterinarian, and we have the medication in stock, we are able to fill the medication. We can prescribe and dispense medications only for our current patients.

Prescription refills (including heartworm preventatives, flea and tick preventatives, and prescription foods) take 24-48 hours to process and complete. Please allow yourself at least two days to have the medication filled. Plan ahead if the prescription is due on a weekend or holiday, and give us enough time to prepare the prescription.

Requests for same-day, walk-in refills may not be honored. You must give the staff 24-48 hours to prepare the prescription. Any request made after 4 pm will be considered a next-day request.

Third Party Pharmacies

Effective immediately we no longer accept requests from third party pharmacies which includes Chewy, 1800PetMeds, Amazon, and more. If you choose to use a third party pharmacy we will provide you with a written prescription which can be submitted to the pharmacy of your choice. The written prescription(s) can be picked up from our hospital.

We have several reasons for this policy change:

• We believe in safe products. There may be a significant percentage of online medications that may not be safe. Many online pharmacies are selling products that the manufacturer has not sold directly to them. Some medications may even be counterfeits which can be dangerous to our pets. They may not have been stored properly or even near or exceeding expiration. These products may then be ineffective or dangerous to our pets.

• We have found numerous issues with medications filled by third party pharmacies. There have been times where they fill the incorrect dosage or the incorrect drug. We have also found third party pharmacies filling drugs that were not approved by a veterinarian.

• It is taking away from patient time. Online pharmacies send us requests to approve a prescription and they often send it multiple times daily via fax, email, and sometimes even phone calls. Their fax machines sometimes do not work when we send in approved prescriptions nor do they process our approvals when we call them directly to their pharmacist. Many online pharmacies will request refills from us when the owner has not. All of this requires more staff time reviewing patient charts and less time treating our patients. It also leads to frustration for you and us when a prescription is not filled quickly due to all the extra steps involved.

• Dosing Safety. We are not able to track refills well which leads to patient safety concerns.

• We do caution you to be wary of where you order from online, as pharmaceutical products may be marketed through third-party sites and unverified vendors. In order to ensure that you receive the proper prescription for your pet, we strongly advise ordering directly from https://eagleriver.myvetstoreonline.pharmacy/, our online pharmacy or from a reputable local pharmacy.

Any procedures that requires anesthesia (soft tissue surgeries, dental procedures) are scheduled Tuesday through Thursday, with a scheduled drop off time between 7:45am to 8:00 am. Contact information will be confirmed at time of drop to ensure we have the best number to reach you at. If your pet is on medications please consult with the doctor to advise whether they should be given the morning of the procedure.

If you are a new client or the pet has not been examined in over a year, an exam is required before scheduling any anesthetic procedure. Dental procedures require an examination to be performed within 6 months before scheduling the procedure. All canine and feline pets MUST be up to date on their Rabies vaccine and annual wellness exam. All pets must be free from external parasites. Any pet found to be carrying fleas upon admittance to the hospital will be treated at an additional expense.

All senior patients that undergo anesthesia are required to have lab work performed within 3 months of the procedure. The type of panel that the pet needs is determined by the doctor. If your pet has had recent lab work at another hospital we can forward the results to the doctor to see if they are acceptable for the procedure.

The night prior to the procedure, your pet should not receive any food after 9:00pm. Water is acceptable. Your pet should also not have any food the morning of the procedure.

On the day of surgery, your pet will be at our hospital for the majority of the day and will be monitored to ensure that the recovery process is safe and comfortable. After the procedure the doctor will call with an update and to schedule a pick up time. During the time of pick up a technician will go over discharge instructions and any medications with you. You will also receive either an email or paper copy of the instructions.

Pets may be sent home with a small bandage on their front or hind leg. This bandage is similar to a band-aid and is used to prevent bleeding after removal of an IV catheter. If your pet is sent home with a bandage, please remove it once you arrive home (about 20 minutes after leaving our hospital).

Procedures that are canceled less than 24 hours prior to the appointment will require a $200 deposit to reschedule.

Eagle River Animal Hospital seeks to continually provide a welcoming and safe environment which ensures trust and respect for all people and pets. Our hospital has a zero-tolerance policy for offensive, rude or belligerent behavior from clients towards any members of our staff. Any type of verbal abuse or hostile language will not be tolerated. Those that choose not to respect our boundaries or make our staff feel unsafe or uncomfortable will have their pet’s care transferred to another veterinary hospital of their choice. Eagle River Animal Hospital has a duty to ensure the safety, emotional well-being and welfare of our team. We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone at any time.

We appreciate your kindness, compassion and support as our team strives to do the best they can to care for you and your pet. In return, you can expect the same fair treatment and level of care and empathy from our team.

Appointments

To ensure that all of our patients receive prompt and thorough attention, Eagle River Animal Hospital operates on an appointment-only basis. Please call, text or email in advance to schedule an appointment with our customer service representatives. The further in advance you schedule, the more likely that your preferred time slot will be open. Of course, we will always do our best to accommodate you to the best of our abilities.

During appointments we require that an adult owner be available to discuss the exam with the doctor and please refrain from being on your cellphone during the appointment. We also ask that the patient is accompanied by an adult to the appointment. If this isn’t feasible, please reschedule for a time when an adult caretaker is available.

New clients and clients that have not had an active patient at our hospital for 2+ years are required to submit a deposit at the time of scheduling an appointment.

Patient Arrivals

For your protection, and that of others, all dogs must be on a leash and properly controlled while in the waiting area or exam rooms. All cats must be presented in an appropriate cat carrier or on a leash. If your pet is coughing, sneezing, vomiting, or showing any other signs of a possible infectious disease, please remain outside or in your vehicle with your pet. Once you arrive, please call us at 715-479-7090 and we will provide you with further instructions.

Cancellations

We understand that circumstances may arise that may prevent you from keeping your appointments. In the event that you need to cancel your pet’s appointment, we ask that you notify us at least 24 hours in advance, if possible. Failure to show up for an appointment, give 24 hour notice before their appointment time, or showing up late will result in a missed appointment fee. When you do not call to cancel an appointment, you may be preventing another patient from receiving much needed treatment.

Tardiness

We understand that delays can happen, however we must try to keep the veterinarian and other patients on time. If you arrive 10 minutes past your scheduled time the appointment is considered an overbooking and there is an additional fee applied to the exam. Appointments that arrive 15 minutes past their scheduled time may be asked to reschedule if the veterinarian’s schedule cannot accommodate.

No Show

When you schedule an appointment and fail to show or notify us of your inability to keep this appointment time, it impacts our ability to schedule other patients that may need to be seen. If a client has 2 or more “no shows” we may elect to no longer reserve appointments, no longer provide care to that client’s pets, or charge a non-refundable deposit prior to scheduling an appointment.

Payment is due in full at the time services are rendered. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer payment plans to our clients. Acceptable payment methods include Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Care Credit, American Express, checks and cash.