Hospital Policies

Welcome and thank you for selecting Look Ahead Veterinary Services! We hope that the information below will make your visits to our hospital pleasant and convenient. We are here to help your pet live a longer, healthier life.

Office Hours & Address

Our address is:

1451 Clark Road

Butte Valley, CA 95965

Our current business hours are:

Monday - Friday 8 AM - 1 PM & 2 PM - 5 PM

We are closed from 1 PM - 2 PM Monday - Friday for lunch.

We do not schedule appointments during this hour nor are medication pick-ups or vaccine drop-ins permitted. During this hour, our office phones are off, but you are welcome to leave a message or text us.

Our Workflow

Our doctors work as a team to provide medical care to our patients and your pets. They discuss and share opinions concerning the diagnosis and treatment of non-routine and difficult conditions. We encourage you to meet all of our doctors so that you and your pet will feel comfortable with each of them.

If you prefer a specific doctor, you may request that doctor when making an appointment. However, if your pet is admitted to the hospital, inpatient procedures (surgery, dentals) are generally performed/overseen by the designated inpatient doctor or surgeon.

Appointments & Scheduling

The owner's name listed/signed on hospital policy forms, questionnaires, and authorization forms must be the legal owner of the animal(s) and match the account records in our database. If the legal owner of the pet is unable to be present for the exam, drop-off, pick-up, procedure, etc, prior notice must be given to our front office staff. Please note that if the name of the legal owner listed on an authorization form or questionnaire does not match the account records in our database, we will be unable to examine/treat the pet.

No appointment is required for vaccines or heartworm testing. We have discounted vaccine and heartworm test clinics every Thursday.

We aim to be respectful of your time and ask that you do the same in return. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late, we may be forced to reschedule your appointment. Every effort will be made to fit your pet into the doctor's schedule; however, it is not always possible. We ask that you please let us know in advance if you will not be able to keep your scheduled appointment. Drop-offs are considered appointments as we reserve doctor time and kennel space for your pet.

A maximum of 2 pets from the same household can be scheduled together. Requests for appointments to examine 3+ pets in a single visit will be declined.

Appointments canceled with less than 24 hours notice may be charged a cancellation fee. Appointments that are missed will incur a no-show fee. No-show and cancellation fees must be paid prior to booking additional appointments. Please note that surgery appointments will incur higher fees than non-surgical appointments. A non-refundable booking fee may be required to reschedule missed appointments; booking fees can be applied toward future incurred charges. Regardless of prior appointment attendance, booking fees may be required for any surgical, dental, eastern medicine, or multi-pet appointments.

Missed appointments may result in the refusal of services.

Our practice management system sends email and text reminders for appointments as well as for vaccines and routine services.

Emergencies

If an emergency develops during business hours we will do our best to accommodate your pet. However, we are not set up as an emergency/walk-in clinic therefore may have to refer you to one if it is in the best interest of your pet's health.

For a list of local emergency clinics please ask our front desk and we would be happy to provide you with contact information.

Prescriptions

Federal and state law requires that a doctor/patient relationship must exist for each pet before any prescription drugs can be dispensed. To maintain this relationship, your pet must be physically examined at least every 12 months. Medications are prescribed at the doctor's discretion.

Prescription refills must be requested 24-48 business hours in advance; same-day refills are not guaranteed. Refill times vary depending on doctor approval and staff availability.

Written prescriptions are available upon request. Please note we DO NOT call in, email, or approve online prescriptions to/from outside pharmacies.

Prescriptions filled by Look Ahead Veterinary Services will be restocked 7 days after the date it was filled and ready for pick up. If your medication is restocked, a $10 fee will be applied to your account.

If you prefer to order online, our pharmacy is available here www.lookaheadvet.vetsfirstchoice.com/. Online approvals through 3rd party services such as Chewy.com will not be accepted.

If you plan on purchasing your medications through an outside pharmacy, please note that you will need a written prescription from the doctor, which will then need to be delivered to the pharmacy of your choice. If you need written prescriptions, please make sure to notify your pet's medical team during your appointment.

Vaccination & Parasite Control

To protect our patients and staff, all pets must have a current Rabies vaccination. Medical exemptions are permitted on a case by case basis and at the discretion of our doctors.

Pets are expected to be free of fleas & ticks if your pet is staying with us for any length of time (day drop-off, surgical stay, in-patient medical care). If your pet is found to have fleas or ticks during their visit, we will treat them at your expense to prevent exposure to staff and other animals.

Boarding & Grooming

We DO NOT do non-medical boarding. We are happy to provide you with a list of boarding facilities upon request.

We do not do non-medical or non-behavior-related grooming. We will clip/shave pets for medical reasons i.e., sanitary clips and foxtail clips, or behavior-related reasons i.e., aggressive, anxious, etc.

Behavior & Handling

Our goal is to provide the best care in the least stressful and safest manner possible for all involved. The safety of pets, staff, and other visitors is our top priority. We understand that some pets may exhibit aggressive or fearful behaviors in unfamiliar or stressful environments. If your pet shows aggressive behavior or poses a safety risk we may require that you bring them in with a muzzle or in a secure carrier. We may also require pre-appointment sedation and in some instances may need to use additional injectable sedation.

In the event we are unable to safely handle your pet despite our best efforts, we may:

Refer you to a specialist (such as a veterinary behaviorist) for further evaluation of treatment of your pets behavior
In rare cases, we may reserve the right to refuse service if the risk to staff and/or other patients is deemed too great

All pets are required to be restrained either by leash or in a carrier at all times.

Communication

We offer communication through email (staff@lookaheadvet.com), text, or phone call.

You will receive reminders from us via email and text for:

Due/overdue vaccinations & treatments
Upcoming appointments

When you text our office, it will go to our front office staff, who will respond as they are able to. All texts that are received during business hours are responded to by the end of the day.

When you call our office you will reach a phone tree where you will have the option to leave a voicemail or be connected to the front desk. Voicemails are checked multiple times throughout the day and generally called back within a few hours however it can take up to 24 business hours.

We expect all phone, email, text, and in-person communications with staff and other clients to be done respectfully. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for abusive behavior toward our staff or other clients. This includes but is not limited to yelling, threats, aggressive, hostile, or inappropriate language or behavior, and/or physical aggression.

We reserve the right to refuse service or terminate the client relationship if inappropriate behavior occurs.

Financial

All payments are due at the time of service. Upon request, we are happy to provide an estimated treatment plan prior to any procedure. You will be responsible for the full cost of services rendered, regardless of whether an estimate was provided. While we do our best to stay within the provided price range, unforeseen situations may arise during treatment that could result in additional charges. We will make every effort to keep you informed should unexpected costs occur. Estimates are provided as a courtesy and are not a guarantee of final charges.

We accept Care Credit and Scratch Pay as well as Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.

We cannot accept checks over $200.

A booking fee will be required for all new client appointments. This fee will be applied toward your balance on the day of your appointment. If your appointment is no-showed your booking fee will be forfeited and if you reschedule an additional deposit will be required. New Client Initial Eastern Medicine booking fees are higher than new client Conventional Medicine appointments.

What To Do When You Arrive

Upon arrival at our clinic, you may check in via phone call, text, or in person at the front desk. If you are scheduled for an appointment with a doctor, one of our nurses or assistants will meet you at your car or in our lobby and escort you to an exam room once one is available.

General Information

Currently, we are accepting new conventional medicine clients on a limited basis. If you wish to become a new client, you will be added to our waitlist. Our staff will contact you once there is an opening.

We are taking on new integrative medicine clients/patients on a case-by-case basis. If you wish to become an integrative medicine client, you will be asked to submit your pet's records for review prior to scheduling your appointment.

Quarterly, we review our database and current client/patient count. We will announce when our books are open to all new clients.

All clients are required to agree to and sign a copy of these policies yearly.