March 2023 Newsletter
General Housekeeping
Payment Policy
In an attempt to “keep up with the times” and streamline our check-out process - CAC will no longer be accepting cash or checks as payment. We do offer payment via credit/debit card, Care Credit, and Apple Pay. We appreciate your understanding in this transition!
Prescription Return Policy
In accordance with Virginia state law, Clarendon Animal Care is prohibited from allowing the return/refund of any prescription medication once it has left our facility. Additionally, all controlled substances are non-refundable once they have been prescribed. If you have old or unused medications, please visit the Arlington VA Government website for disposal locations.
Outside Prescription Request Policy
Is your pet on regular medication from an outside pharmacy? Remember to be prepared with refills, as these can take up to 5 business days on our end to process, in addition to the processing and shipping time from the online pharmacy. Additionally, there are some online pharmacies that are not equipped to handle our faxed requests so it may be necessary to pick up a written prescription directly from our office. Please review our prescription page for further information!
Pet's Photo on ezyVet
Please take a moment to upload your pet’s photo to the ezyVet portal so we have your favorite picture in your pet’s medical records. You can also navigate to the "MAKE AN APPOINTMENT / PET PORTAL" button on the homepage of the Clarendon Animal Care website.
Monthly Reminder
If you are no longer a CAC client, please contact us so we can deactivate your account and send records to your new hospital. You can also log into our Patient Portal to confirm and update information.
Vaccine Certificates
Reminder that you can access your pet’s vaccine status on the patient portal - unfortunately, the system does not allow a download of it but feel free to screenshot the vaccines or “right click” the page and print for reference; if you need a PDF or physical copy of the vaccine certificate, please contact the clinic!
Annual Exams - but my pet is doing fine?
Just like us humans, your pet and their doctor must have a legally established relationship - also referred to as a “Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR)” in order to provide medical recommendations and prescribe medications.
The American Veterinary Medical Association defines the the VCPR as being present when the following conditions are met:
The veterinarian has assumed the responsibility for making clinical judgments regarding the health of the patient and the client has agreed to follow the veterinarian's instructions.
Patient records are maintained.
The veterinarian has sufficient knowledge of the patient to initiate at least a general or preliminary diagnosis of the medical condition of the patient. This means that the veterinarian is personally acquainted with the keeping and care of the patient by virtue of a timely examination of the patient by the veterinarian, or medically appropriate and timely visits by the veterinarian to the operation where the patient is managed.
The veterinarian is readily available for follow-up evaluation or has arranged for the following: veterinary emergency coverage, and continuing care and treatment.
The veterinarian provides oversight of treatment, compliance, and outcome
You can check out this post on our blog for more info and details on the VCPR relationship - please note, a “timely” examination will depend on various factors, including the signalment (age, breed, sex) of the patient, underlying conditions, and what medications are involved; where senior pets may be requested to be seen bi-annually instead; but at minimum, a yearly exam must be completed for all pets.
Nail Trims - Tips, Tricks, and Alternatives
While CAC is no longer performing nail trims on pets who do not need it done while sedated or for a medically necessary reason this doesn’t mean your pet still doesn’t need their nails trimmed. So what do you do?
Try it at home! Check out these articles for cats and dogs to get some tips, tricks, and alternative methods to nail trims at home! These articles detail options like scratch boards, non-slip surfaces, and desensitization to help trim those nails!
DVM Blog Post Highlight - Routine Fecal Testing
In this month’s DVM Blog post, Dr. Ungerer highlights the importance of routine fecal testing and scooping the poop! While it may seem like an added, unnecessary expense, routine fecal testing is super important in maintaining the health of your pet! Because even when you think they may be “fine” or “healthy”, they could be carrying parasites or infections with no clear signs and symptoms.
This is exactly what happened to our own CAC staff member’s pet, Dillion - who had previously tested negative on her fecal testing in September, wasn’t experiencing any symptoms, but ended up testing positive for giardia this month! Unfortunately, this isn’t an uncommon occurrence either - as 4-5% of CAC patients’ fecal tests are “positive,” or show evidence of at least one of the more common intestinal parasites.
Both CAC and the Companion Animal Parasite Council recommend bi-annual fecal testing - as well as always scooping the poop after your pet goes to help keep not only them healthy but other pets who may come across the area and interact with any infected soil, water, or materials.
Fear Free Tip of the Month
So your pet is a patient at a Fear Free clinic…that must be enough to reduce your pet’s fear, anxiety, and stress related to vet visits, right? Nope! Fear Free visits are definitely made in the clinic but they do begin at home. Check out this article for information on how to best prep your pet for their Fear Free visit; such as bringing familiar, favorite items in the car and to the visit, bringing your pet in extra hungry to ensure they’re treat motivated, or even just allowing extra time to get to the visit to avoid extra jitters from the hustle and bustle of getting there.