October 2022 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.
Fear Free Halloween - no tricks, just treats!
With October 31st soon upon us, most of us are planning our costumes, trick-or-treating routes, and what kind of candy to give out; but as pet owners, it’s also important to plan for how to give your pet a Fear Free home to enjoy this Halloween!
From pet costumes to candy ingestion to repeat opportunities for escape attempts through continuously opening doors there are lots of risks for your pet on Halloween - check out this article for tips and tricks on how best to prep you and your household for spooky season.
DIY Enrichment - How to Keep Your Dog Entertained Without Breaking the Bank
With the weather getting colder, you may find that you’re wanting to spend less time outdoors on walks or play time at the park but still worried about getting your dog’s enrichment in and keeping them stimulated and tired out at the end of the day - luckily there are plenty of at home DIY options to help you do both!
As pet parents, we always want the best for our pets - but we may not always want to (or be able to) open up our wallets to give them that; you can check out this article for a variety of ideas on DIY enrichment for your dog from food puzzles to scent games to interactive play!
DVM Blog Post Highlight - Separation Anxiety: Prevention is Key!
For this month’s DVM blog post, Dr. Lockhart discusses separation anxiety, its causes, and tips, tricks, and training to help combat it to relieve the stress on both you and your pet! Often anxiety is genetic-based, but there are activities and training to help ease these symptoms and even prevent them from happening - which is the most important step for long term success!
While there are plenty of things you can do at home to help with separation anxiety - including food puzzles, toys, appropriate chewing, and training activities - if you are seeing signs of separation anxiety in your pet, no matter how mild they may seem, contact your veterinarian for a consultation to help create a specific plan based on your pet's needs and prescribe supplements or medications if needed!
Fear Free Tip of the Month
There are a lot of ways to help make your pet’s vet visits fear-free but one of the most important is how your vet team handles the care and interactions with your pet!
In order to offer the best care and craft a plan specific to your pet’s needs, there are a few things that are helpful for your vet team to know prior to your appointment! These include treat/toy preferences, fears, sensitive touch areas, and other general behaviors; you can check out this post on the Fear Free Happy Homes site for a complete checklist, and also be sure to visit our website page about fear free vet care - prior to your annual vet visits to complete our Fear Free Pre-Visit Questionnaire!