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Practice Policies & Procedures
Hello and thank you for your interest in our practice. We appreciate the opportunity to serve you and your pet(s). They are our highest priority and we value your devotion to their health and well-being. All clients have access to their Client Portal where they can access information from their pet(s)’ medical record 24/7. Login information is provided with their Welcome Kits at their first appointment.
Below are answers to some common questions about our practice's Policies and Procedures so we may better serve you. We look forward to getting to know you and your pet(s)!
Appointments
Due to the nature of the practice and limited staffing, all services are scheduled by appointment only. This will enable us to respect the valuable time of our clients by ensuring that we not only arrive as scheduled, but also have a large enough window for a full consultation and completion of services. We will of course see urgent matters as needed if our schedule permits for an additional fee. There is an $85 pre-payment required to reserve appointments in advance. This amount will be applied towards the cost of your visit and is due at least 48 hours before the start time of your appointment. If the pre-payment is not received within 48 hours of the start time of your appointment, it will automatically be subjected to cancellation or rescheduling based on the needs and availability of the practice. If you cancel or reschedule your appointment within 24 hours or less of the scheduled appointment time, your $85 pre-payment is forfeited and cannot be applied towards your next visit. By submitting your pre-payment, you agree to not chargeback or dispute this fee. If severe weather prevents us from safely getting to your home, your pre-payment will not be forfeited and will be applied towards your next visit.
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Given the unforeseen nature of traffic, severe weather, or other factors beyond our control we ask that you allow a 60-minute arrival window. This window can extend 30 minutes before or 30 minutes after your scheduled appointment start time. You will be notified via text message the day of your appointment when we are on the way to your location. If you prefer a phone call, please let us know when you make your appointment reservation. We allow a 15-minute wait time once we arrive at your address. If there is no answer or no one is available at the designated address, your $85 pre-payment fee is forfeited.
Special Instructions
Please help us and your pet(s) by confining them in the agreed upon manner prior to your appointment. For example, cats must be confined to a carrier or small bathroom, and any outside dogs must be restrained with a leash prior to our arrival. It is against our policy to chase your pet throughout the yard or house or to wrestle them out from underneath furniture. This puts your pet(s) and our staff at risk of injury and also creates undue stress and anxiety for your pet(s). Failure to confine your pet(s) may result in a rescheduled appointment as well as a forfeiture of your $85 prepayment regardless of our ability to obtain them or not, and the prepayment cannot be applied towards any future visits.
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​The veterinarian will arrive in a fully equipped mobile clinic (Mercedes Sprinter Van). However, for most cases we will be working in-home or a designated space at the residence. Therefore, we will require a small working space with hard, flat surface for a 4-foot table, a 3-foot by 4-foot floor scale (for large dogs), and/or medical supply bag. We ask that the owner or authorized representative that the pet is most comfortable with be present at the initial visit to ensure that any stress or anxiety during handling is at a minimum. We also carry muzzles, slip-leashes, and other restraint equipment if needed.
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​If we require a urine or stool sample during your visit (usually for annual or first puppy visits, urinary or loose stool/diarrhea issues, etc.), we request that you collect those samples within 12 hours of the visit and store them in the refrigerator or postpone letting your pet use the bathroom until our arrival. Many pets do great with a house call vet, but some that are fearful at the vet's office figure out the vet has come to them and become fearful in the home as well. Sedation can be recommended and administered for pets with moderate to high levels of fear, stress, or anxiety. However, if we cannot perform a physical exam during the first visit, we will perform a visual exam and/or prescribe anti-anxiety medication for you to give prior to a second appointment to get a full physical exam completed. There will, of course, be additional fees for the extra visit. Some pets are un-manageable enough that it is in their best interest to go to a full-service, brick-and-mortar veterinary hospital.
Emergency Care
Southside Mobile Veterinary Services offers general veterinary in-home care on an appointment-only basis. Although we have a fully equipped mobile clinic, we are unable to provide specialty/advanced surgery or urgent/critical care or critical care services. Also, most samples for testing are sent to an outside laboratory and results will not be available until the following business day at the earliest. If it is determined your pet needs more in-depth diagnostics and/or treatment, we will refer you to the nearest 24-hour emergency or specialty hospital. Click below for a list of emergency and specialty veterinary hospitals in your area.
Preventive Care (Wellness)
We believe in the benefits of regular preventative care, and follow the standards established by our national veterinary associations. We will make all recommendations that best suit the needs of your individual pet and lifestyle. Ultimately, the decision to accept treatment recommendations is then up to you.
Medications and Prescriptions
We do stock a limited number of medications and parasite preventatives to dispense directly during our house calls, in addition to providing 24/7 access to our online pharmacy for a broader range of options that can ship directly to your address. We do not respond to any outside prescription authorizations. We will provide written prescriptions on request at the time of the visit, or we can mail them to your address for a $5.00 mailing fee. Below is a link to our full Medications and Prescription Policy.
Fees and Payments
Payment is due at the time services are rendered. We accept, in order of preference, Zelle, Apple Cash, Cash, Checks, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Apple/Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo. As of November 1, 2025, a surcharge of 2.8% will be applied to all credit card transactions to cover processing fees. There is a $35 fee on all returned checks. We will provide you with an estimated cost of services during your visit, however we cannot give an estimate over the phone for non-routine procedures without seeing your pet. We offer flexible, third-party financing options that fit your budget through Cherry, All Pet Card and Scratchpay as well as using VetBilling to manage our in-house prepayment plans and Pet Health Savings Accounts.
Insurance/Previous Records
We request that you submit our Pre-Visit Questionnaire prior to each appointment and any health records from your previous veterinarian(s) be forwarded to our fax or email. This will allow us to not only properly prepare for your appointment, but also provide the most up to date care in addition to keeping your pet(s)' data accurate. If you have pet insurance, please have any paperwork that may need to be filled out by our staff available at your appointment. For more information on pet insurance, please click on the link below.