Frequently Asked Questions
We are here for you
New to Renforth Vet?
Yes! We are happily taking all new puppies and kittens as well as new pets for existing clients.
We are also taking new clients with patients transferring from other veterinary clinics (with a few exceptions). In order to manage our patient caseload and ensure that we can adequately address your pet’s medical needs we will need to review your pet’s previous history before scheduling an appointment. See Below for instructions to have your pet’s medical history transferred to us.
- Please call us! In our initial phone call we will set up a file for you and your pet in our system.
- You will then need to call your previous clinic and request that they email your pet’s complete medical record to our clinic. Histories can be emailed to: info@renforthvet.com. If your last name and/or your pet’s name has changed please request that the clinic sending the medical history include the last name and pet’s name that you used to set up your file at our clinic.
- Ask the clinic when they anticipate they will be able to send the file and call us around that time to verify if we have received your pet’s records. Once your pet’s file has been reviewed by one of our veterinarians we will let you know if we are able to take your pet’s case at this time. If so, we can set up your first appointment at that time.
An invoice will generally itemize any services performed and/or items purchased at a particular visit it does not contain all the information your veterinarian needs. Medical records provide the basis for the continuity of veterinary care. A complete medical record includes any x-rays your pet has had taken, the results of lab tests that have been performed for your pet, the doctor’s notes from each examination and the details of any surgical procedures and/or general anesthesia your pet has under gone. It will include their prescription history and any known reactions to medications, vaccinations and food. Your veterinarian needs this information in order to safely provide veterinary care for your pet.
Puppies & Kittens
When to bring your puppy or kitten to the clinic for the first time depends on a number of factors:
- Is your Puppy or Kitten less than 6 weeks old?
- Is your puppy or kitten healthy?
- Is your puppy or kitten up to date on their vaccinations?
- Is your puppy or kitten up to date on their vaccinations?
- Adopting through a rescue agency or breeder?
- Do you currently have a pet at home?
If your puppy or kitten is less than 6 weeks old at the time of adoption, you should make an appointment with the clinic right away so that the doctor can assess his or her nutrition and hydration status and provide assistance with any needed supplementation.
Puppies or kittens showing any signs of illness (not eating, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy) should see a veterinarian right away. Due to their small size and young age they can become dehydrated and deteriorate quickly. If he or she appears healthy, is active and eating well, has clear eyes and ears and shows no evidence of fleas or other parasites, you can wait to schedule your first visit until he or she is either 8 weeks old (if not previously vaccinated) or 3-4 weeks after the last vaccine if he or she has already been vaccinated.
Puppies and kittens need a series of vaccines in order to be fully protected from the diseases we vaccinate against. Typically these vaccines are given at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age. Some puppies and kittens will have had their first vaccine prior to coming to their new home.
Puppies and kittens need a series of vaccines in order to be fully protected from the diseases we vaccinate against. Typically, these vaccines are given at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age. Some puppies and kittens will have had their first vaccine prior to coming to their new home.
If you are adopting through a rescue agency or breeder be sure to double check any contracts or documentation you are provided with. Contracts often require an examination by a veterinarian within a given time frame (often within 48 hours) in order to validate any health guarantees.
If your family currently includes other furry friends, it is ideal to have your new addition examined by your veterinarian before exposing him or her to your existing pets. Ensuring that your new family member is free of any parasites or active infections will help to protect your other pets.
Please bring any paperwork that you received that details the veterinary care your new pet has received, including vaccinations or other medical treatments. We also ask that you bring a stool sample (in a plastic bag is fine) with you to your first appointment so that we can test for intestinal parasites, as this is a relatively common finding in puppies and kittens. It is important to diagnose and treat parasites as soon as possible.
Emergencies
If your pet is experiencing an emergency during our business hours, please call the clinic. We do our best to accommodate the need for emergency appointments during regular business hours. In the case of some acute, life-threatening emergencies, we will recommend you take your pet directly to a local emergency clinic where they have access to facilities and equipment that we do not. Additionally, in situations where your pet will require treatment and monitoring after we close, we will recommend transferring his or her care to a local emergency clinic.
Food & Medication
Your pet’s food and medication can be ordered by phone, by form/email or on-line. Click here for details.
When ordering by phone or email, food and medication orders are typically processed on the same business day they are received. We will contact you to let you know when we expect your order to be ready. Please note that some items may take a few days to arrive. We encourage clients to place orders well in advance of need, especially if your pet’s specific food or medication is a medical necessity.
Tick prevention should begin in March and continue through to December, depending on outdoor temperatures. Ticks are most active locally in the spring and fall but pets (and people) are at risk for contracting ticks when temperatures are above 0 degrees Celsius for periods of 3 or more consecutive days. Prevention is also recommended for pets traveling to warmer climates during winter months.
Heartworm prevention should start June 1st through to November 1st.
Veterinary clinics are bound by very strict rules and regulations when dispensing and selling medications. As veterinarians we have legal responsibilities and special obligations when selling or dispensing medications. We are required to assume responsibility for making clinical judgements on the health of our patients and the need for medical treatment. We realize that at times it may seem as though what is happening with your pet is exactly the same as last time and that the same medication is all that is needed. However, there are many factors that our veterinarians need to consider. For example, there may be changes to your pet’s health status that you may not be aware of in other regards that may make the same medication inappropriate for your pet at this time. In some cases the fact that the same issue is recurring may suggest that there is an underlying issue that needs to be addressed and continuing the same treatment at that point could be detrimental.
For long-term medications, you can request prescription refills by phone, email or web form, provided that:
- the doctor has examined your pet within a therapeutically appropriate time frame
- any medically necessary monitoring is up to date and
- there are no other changes to your pet’s health status.
You have the right to request a written prescription for an external pharmacy for your pet’s medication. A $22.00 + HST fee will apply for writing prescriptions for medications that are available through our clinic. There is no fee for written prescriptions for medications that are not available through our clinic.
Issuing a prescription isn’t quite as simple as pulling out the prescription pad and a pen. Your veterinarian must review your pet’s complete medical and medication history prior to writing a prescription to ensure there are no dangerous contraindications, that the medication is appropriate for your pet, calculate the dosages and check if any required monitoring tests are up to date. Sometimes the size of medication in the human and veterinary fields can vary and the doctor needs to research what forms and strengths the medication is available in (generally and at local human pharmacies) and whether or not the appropriate dosage can be dispensed by an external pharmacy. The doctor may need to recalculate the dosage and/or modify the prescription accordingly. Additional time is required to update the patient’s medical file so that any other doctors that review the file know your pet’s complete medication history and that their records are in compliance with the College of Veterinarian’s stringent requirements for medical record documentation.
We are unable to offer credit for any unsealed medication that has left our veterinary hospital. Medications that are manufacturer sealed can be returned for credit less any applicable prescription fee. Unopened food or supplements can be returned for credit.
Opened food and supplement returns are subject to the policy of the manufacturer.
Clinic Policies
We see patients by appointment only. Walk-in urgent care and emergency patients will be triaged and seen based on medical priority or referred to a local veterinary emergency hospital. Call us before seeking care because we have limited urgent care appointments reserved in daily schedules.
If we have reached maximum patient capacity or have insufficient time in a given day to provide your pet the care he or she needs, we will refer you to an emergency hospital so your pet may receive timely care.
While we aim to have all appointments begin on time we ask for your understanding of the fact that medical care can be unpredictable.
Patients with pre-booked appointments will be prioritized over same day appointments subject to triage for any patient whose condition is critical.
Our veterinarians are not available for consultations outside of scheduled appointments and subsequent follow-ups. If you want to speak directly to a veterinarian about your pet’s health concern, please schedule an appointment or telemedicine consult (a consultation fee will apply). If you are unsure whether you need to consult with a doctor, call our client service team.
We ask you to arrive before your scheduled appointment time so you may benefit from your full exam time. A grace period of 10 minutes will be granted for unforeseen delays that you may encounter while traveling to our hospital. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late for an appointment, we may have to reschedule your appointment to a different day. If our schedule allows we may be able to offer the option of being seen as a work-in or day admission.
Clients who have three or more late arrivals for appointments will be required to prepay the examination fee. If you arrive on time for this appointment, the fee will be applied to the invoice. If you are late for this appointment or fail provide 24 hours notice to cancel it, the fee will be forfeited.
If you are unable to keep an appointment, notify us by phone or email (info@renforthvet.com) at least 24 hours in advance so that we may offer the appointment spot to help another patient in need. Missed appointments will require prepayment of the exam fee when rescheduling. When this prepaid appointment is kept, the fee will be applied to the invoice. If the prepaid appointment is not kept, the fee will be forfeited. Multiple no-shows for appointments will result in termination of the veterinary client relationship with our practice.
We have a zero tolerance policy for threatening behaviour towards our clinic, veterinarians, technicians, other support staff or your pet. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in immediate termination of the veterinary client relationship with our practice.
Mutual trust is the basis for a healthy veterinary client relationship. To this end it is imperative that you are upfront and honest with our team regarding your pet’s current condition and previous medical history (including and especially any history of biting, scratching or aggressive behaviour either with veterinary staff, people or other pets).
Both your pet’s and our staff’s safety are a priority at our clinic. When it is determined that performing diagnostic procedures (including physical exams) or treatments would involve undue risk to your pet’s health or our staff’s safety, alternate arrangements will need to be made and it may be necessary for your pet to receive sedation. This may or may not require that the procedure be rescheduled to a different day. In extreme cases it may be necessary to refer your pet to another facility.
Services
Renforth Veterinary Clinic is a full service hospital focused exclusively on dogs and cats. We provide our patients access to onsite X-rays, dental services and comprehensive diagnostic, surgical and medical care. Please see our Services Page for more details.
A physical examination is a very important part of your pet’s overall health care. Our pets age much faster than we do, particularly as they get older. A single calendar year can be more like the equivalent of 10 years for your pet. Because our pets instinctively hide signs of weakness, pain or illness they will often only show outward signs when they are unable to mask them any longer. Our veterinarians are trained to pick up subtle changes in your pet’s health. In combination with their consultation with you, the findings of their physical exam will often allow your veterinarian to detect signs of illness that may not be evident to a pet owner until the condition becomes advanced.
Annual exams allow your veterinarian to ensure that necessary vaccinations and preventative medications are up to date to protect your pet from transmissible disease. Detecting disease processes early cannot only improve the chances your pet will get better but it can also significantly reduce the cost of treatment. Your veterinarian may also make recommendations that can decrease the chances of your pet developing certain illnesses. Regular examinations are a key factor in helping your pet live a longer, healthier life.
When we have been part of the care of an ailing pet, together with the owners, we are able to determine when euthanasia is the right decision. If we do not have an existing relationship with the owner and have never seen a pet before, we may be in a situation where we are uncomfortable or unsure if euthanasia is the best option. We may not even be sure if the pet belongs to the person bringing it to us. In light of this, we have enacted our policy of reserving euthanasia for clients with which we have a pre-existing relationship.
We do not offer cosmetic grooming for dogs or cats. However, we perform medically necessary grooming when required. We do offer grooming services for pets that need to be anesthetized (or heavily sedated) in order to be groomed safely.
Nail trims can generally be done for cooperative patients during your appointment with a veterinarian or technician. Alternatively, appointments for nail trims can be scheduled with a technician. In the interest of ensuring the safety of your pet and our staff, and to ensure your pet has a positive experience with us, we ask that you call our team to discuss alternate options for your pet if he or she becomes unduly stressed or offers to bite during nail trims.
Payments
Payment can be made by cash, VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS or e-transfer. We are unable to accept personal checks.
E-transfers can be sent to info@renforthvet.com and will be auto-deposited. Please advise the clinic if you are making a payment by e-transfer and include the invoice number in the memo section of the on-line e-transfer form.
We do not offer direct billing with insurance companies. Paid invoices and claim forms can be submitted to your insurance company for reimbursement.
Unfortunately we are unable to offer payment plans. In the interest of being able to continue to offer affordable, quality veterinary care to our clients we require payment at the time of service.
While we are unable to offer payment plans directly to our clients, if you have cost constraints, please consider using Petcard to assist you. They offer financing for veterinary care through the company i-finance. Visit their website for more information at www.petcard.ca.
Appointments
Our doctors see appointments Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm and from 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm. On Saturdays appointments can be booked between 9:00 am and 1:30 pm.
We do not have designated walk-in hours. We have a limited number of same day appointments available for urgent or sick pet appointments.
Please call the clinic to schedule your visit. At times we may need to triage our available appointments by medical urgency and may not be able to accommodate all appointment requests.
While some situations and conditions require the doctor to physically examine and treat your pet, there are some issues that can be addressed in a telemedicine appointment. Telemedicine appointments are booked in the same way that regular appointments are booked. At the time of booking we will take a contact number for the appointment. Please call the clinic to schedule. The doctor will call you at the number provided and will conduct the consult over the phone. Our regular consultation fee applies.
Veterinary visits and, in some cases, even trips outside of the home can be very stressful for some pets. In many cases anti-anxiety medication can significantly reduce your pet’s anxiety and make the trip in to the clinic and/or the visit easier for them and for you. Your veterinarian can prescribe a medication that is appropriate for your pet.
Please contact the clinic for more information. For extremely anxious pets that do not respond well to anti-anxiety medication we recommend contacting a house call veterinarian.
