Please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with our policies prior to your first visit. We are here to foster relationships founded on mutual respect that benefit you, your pet and our entire care team.
Mutual Respect Policy
At Highland Veterinary Center we value kindness and a safe working environment is of the utmost priority. We understand that caring for a sick pet can sometimes lead to unexpected costs and emotional distress. We also recognize that situations beyond our control can affect our overall attitudes toward others; however, it is unacceptable to verbally or physically harass our staff. Clients who raise their voices, use profanity, refuse recommended care, or threaten violence may receive a warning or be banned from the practice entirely according to the individual situation.
Aggressive Animal Policy
Everything we do at Highland Veterinary Center is meant to prioritize the health of your pet. In some pets, fear, anxiety and aggression present a barrier to providing veterinary care. Every pet, regardless of demeanor, is entitled to receive excellent patient care; however, in certain cases we may recommend muzzling your pet, sedating your pet, or rescheduling your pet for another day with medication(s) on board prescribed specifically to help alleviate fear and anxiety. We ask that you respectfully accommodate these requests and understand that they are made thoughtfully so that we are better able to evaluate and treat your pet without risking injury to them, to you, to our team members, and to the attending veterinarian.
If your pet has previously demonstrated fear aggression and/or experiences undue stress in a veterinary or social setting, please call us ahead of time and we are happy to accommodate a telemedicine consult in advance of your first visit.
Payment Policy
Payment is required when services are provided. For your convenience, we accept cash, checks, credit and debit cards. A processing fee of 2.5% applies to all credit card transactions; this fee does not apply to cash or debit card transactions. We offer financing options through CareCredit. We provide treatment plans with services and fees for hospitalized patients, surgical procedures, and dental procedures. If circumstances unexpectedly change, we promise to keep you informed on care, as well as costs. You are entitled to ask about the cost of your pet’s care any time.
Scheduling Policy
We see patients by appointment only. We are also able to accommodate a limited number of drop-off appointments per day. 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 our daily schedule. If we have reached maximum patient capacity, we will refer you to an emergency hospital so your pet may benefit from receiving timely care. You may schedule appointments by phone at (423) 922-7702 or online.
Late Policy
We ask that you arrive 10 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time so you may benefit from your full exam time. New client and patient history forms should be completed in advance to help our team members prepare for your pet’s visit. A grace period of 15 minutes will be granted for unforeseen delays that you may encounter while traveling to our hospital. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late for your appointment time, we may be able to offer options for being seen as a drop-off appointment or rescheduling, if time permits. We strive to ensure clients and patients are seen in a timely manner and appreciate your on-time arrival.
Medical Records and VCPR Policy
By law, we must establish a veterinary-client-patient relationship (VCPR) to provide medical care for your pet. This is defined by our doctor physically examining your pet within the past 365 days. A VCPR is required to request refills of prescription medications and food, ask questions about health status or behavior, and request certain services such as telemedicine. We cannot legally provide these services if we do not have a valid VCPR.
You are entitled to request a copy of your pet’s medical records at any time, including transferring them to a third party for adoption of new pets, housing verification, or scheduling of boarding, daycare, training, or veterinary specialist appointments. Medical records will be transferred by your request on the next business day. Record transfers may only be made by the listed agent(s) on the account. At request or upon termination of the VCPR, we will transfer your pets’ records by email to a veterinary hospital of your choice.