Hospital Policies

At Yorktown Animal Hospital, one of our goals is to provide high quality veterinary care to our patients and efficient, friendly, compassionate customer service to our clients. To ensure you and your pet receive the best service possible, please refer to the following policies and procedures:

Appointment Policy

To allow sufficient time for all of our patients and scheduled surgical procedures, we see patients primarily by appointment. For new clients or patients, we request you arrive 15 minutes prior to the scheduled appointment time and bring any previous medical information with you. New client forms can be downloaded here, filled in, and submitted ahead of time.

Although we make a genuine effort to see each patient on time, please understand that there may be unavoidable delays at times due to emergency situations. All emergency patients receive top priority and are seen immediately. We appreciate your cooperation with this policy and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Patient Arrival Policy

For your protection and that of our clients and other patients, we require all dogs to be brought in on a leash while in our waiting area and exam rooms. All cats must be confined to an appropriate carrier or leash. We make every effort to make our patients as comfortable as possible. However, some patients may become anxious and agitated, so please be sure to properly restrain your pet during your visit as well. If you do not have a leash or crate, several are available at our front desk.

Drop-off Policy

Morning drop-off appointments are available Monday through Friday for your convenience. Typically, we ask that drop-offs occur in the morning so our doctors can examine your pet either prior to appointments or in between other scheduled appointments. For your convenience, forms for drop-off patients are available for download. Please allow enough time at admission to complete required paperwork.

Once the doctor has completed the examination, he or she will call you to discuss the diagnosis and treatment options, along with discharge instructions. Most patients admitted in the morning will be ready to go home between 3-6pm that afternoon. A staff member will go over the case with you at the time of discharge.

Vaccination Policy

For the safety of all animals in our care, we require all patients to be up to date on vaccinations unless a medical exemption is given. This applies to all animals hospitalized and/or boarding with us. Valid rabies vaccination is required for all patients.

Boarding Policy

Patients registered for boarding can be admitted during regular office hours only. We are unable to accept or release pets outside normal operating hours. Emergency phone numbers or contact information is requested for all boarders in case of medical issues that may arise while your pet is in our care. Please be prepared to bring this information with you at check-in. We also request a medical directive statement to be filled out for each patient, in case we cannot reach you.

All pets boarding with us are required to be up to date on vaccinations and have a negative fecal test no more than six months prior to boarding. If a medical issue arises while a pet is boarding, a courtesy exam will be provided, and a member of our staff will attempt to contact the owner. Any diagnostic testing or treatments will be discussed with the owner, if reachable, and are at the owner’s expense. All medical exams requested at the time of admission are also at the owner’s expense.

All boarders will be checked for fleas at the time of check-in. If fleas are noted, appropriate flea medications will be administered at the owner’s expense.

Payment Policy

We require full payment at the time that services are rendered. For your convenience, we accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, cash, and personal checks. A $100 deposit is required for all surgery and hospitalized patients. Estimates for services for animals admitted to the hospital are gladly provided.