Frequently Asked Questions

Pet Poison Hotline
855-764-7661
www.petpoisonhelpline.com

ASPCA Poison Control
888-426-4435
www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control
What to expect when calling ASPCA Poison Control Center.

Please see our links for local urgent care and emergency centers here.

We are a small clinic, currently with only 2 veterinarians. We want to provide excellent medical care for the next few decades. To do that we need to be fully recharged when we are working. This means that we have a reasonable number of hours for all of our staff.

We have a few options for payments. We take major credit cards. We also take CareCredit and Scratchpay. In addition, we will soon offer monthly payments on preventative care to help spread the cost.

We are excited to work with Trupanion and offer you the convenience of Vet Direct Pay! We can now submit claims electronically at checkout, so if your pet is covered by a Trupanion policy, you can skip the traditional claims and reimbursement process. You’ll pay only your portion of the bill—Trupanion pays the rest of the balance directly to us at checkout!

Click here to view a testimonial about Vet Direct Pay!

Pet insurance is not required, but pet emergencies can run into the thousands quickly if emergency surgery or 24 hours hospitalization. Insurance, a credit card, or a dedicated savings account for emergencies can make an already stressful emergency more manageable.

There is no way to properly clean and take dental radiographs in an awake patient. For more information please click here.

A gastropexy is securing the stomach to the body wall internally to prevent GDV/bloat/twisted stomach in at risk breeds.

Click here to learn more about GDV.

Put them on a leash. Walk them to pee/poop and bring them back in. We offer sedatives for all post surgery patients if owner think they will help. As to why? As an emergency veterinarian, I have had treat many post-op infections in licked wounds, and have put internal organs that fell out, back in. Restriction of activity and cone of shames are no fun. Emergency surgery and prolonged bandage changes are worse and more expensive.

No.  We will work with you to provide alternatives to declawing.  Tail amputations will be performed if medically necessary.  For more information about declawing please click here.

Medications can not be returned if doses are changed or the medication is no longer needed.

For a few reasons. One, cats can accidentally get outdoors. Two, wildlife can get indoors. I have met many cats that have killed bats inside houses. These cats must be quarantined for up to 6 months if not vaccinated, and we can’t test the bat for rabies.

Leptospirosis can cause acute kidney failure, liver failure, and even death. This is a disease that can be transmitted to humans. Even though it is not a legally required vaccine, it is still recommended in the state of Colorado.

After vaccines, your puppy can go for walks. Socialization is vital for the long-term behavioral health of your puppy. Please see the AVSAB Position Statement on Puppy Socialization for more information on timing.

One is per city of Brighton requirements (Sec. 6-4-100. Rabies vaccination required. (a) Vaccination required. The owner or custodian of any dog or cat six (6) months of age or older shall have such dog or cat vaccinated against rabies by a licensed Colorado veterinarian unless such owner or custodian presents to the animal control officer a written statement from a licensed Colorado veterinarian that vaccination against rabies would be detrimental to the health of such dog or cat.)

Two is that even the nicest, sweetest animal can bite if in pain or scared. If an unvaccinated animal bites a person, including veterinary staff, the animal will need to be quarantined for up to 6 months, and the person may need up to $10,000 in painful post-exposure immunizations. No one wants either of these to occur. Therefore in providing optimal care for our patients and a safe working place for the staff, all patients are required to stay up to date on rabies vaccines. The only exception to this will be the discretion of the veterinarian.

1. Mosquitoes spread heartworm, and due to our beautiful Colorado weather, they can exist year round.
2. We travel with our pets now more then ever, including to endemic areas of heartworm infection.
3. Many of our preventatives cover other parasites as well.

Not all wormers kill all worms, and there are parasites that aren’t worms that can be seen in our pets.  Some of these parasites can infect humans. It is important to know that all parasites have been treated.

I can’t say that would be wise.

Although fleas aren’t common in Colorado, ticks are becoming far more prevalent, they are gross, and they can carry many diseases.

In short, we don’t fully understand the link between grain-free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy. Until we understand the exact cause, there are no supplements that can be given. For more information about diet choices please read the WSAVA Guidelines on Selecting Pet Foods.

For more information on the link to heart disease please read this Evolution Veterinary Specialists Cardiology Update.

In addition to the risk of GI upset, parasitism, and malnutrition, there is a risk to human health. Please read more information about raw diets here.

At this time, we recommend Science Diet, Royal Canin, Purina Pro Plan, or Iams/Eukanuba.

More than 50% of our pets are overweight. You can view a good visual guideline here. 
If your pet is overweight please discuss it with us so we can make a good weight loss plan.

First, don’t touch the bat, even if you think it’s dead! Your cat needs to be brought in to update rabies immediately, even if current on rabies vaccines. The bat should be sent in for testing to know how long the cat will need to be quarantined.

1. A complete physical exam of your pet by one of our staff veterinarians will be necessary every six to twelve months pending their age and medication needed.
2. Prescriptions will be written with enough refills for six months only. Exception: Heartworm and Flea/Tick Preventives will be written for 1 year.
3. Appropriate monitoring blood work must be performed.

We respect the right of our clients to get their pet’s medications from the pharmacy of their choice. Unfortunately, due to the high number of requests by online pharmacies that are inappropriate and consume a large amount of our staff time, we have elected to allow clients to engage themselves. We can not replace lost or misplaced prescriptions. We will not write new prescriptions if you choose to change pharmacies. In the event you must change pharmacies, you will need to contact the original pharmacy to have your prescription transferred. We are sorry for any inconvenience this policy creates. Still, it is necessary to ensure excessive prescriptions are not acquired and to manage our staff’s time caring for the pets we see daily.

• NSAID – Chemistry Panel every six months
• Thyroid (dog)– Yearly once regulated, or as needed to regulate proper levels
• Thyroid (cat)- Hyperthyroid panel (thyroid and kidney) every six months
• Insulin– As required to monitor the effectiveness of the medication, more frequently at the beginning treatment then every three-six months
• Heartworm– Testing will be required yearly for products filled by retail pharmacies
• Seizure medications- At least yearly once regulated, but as required to monitor for toxicity and effectiveness
• Behavior/Anxiety Medications– Chemistry Panel Yearly
• Estrogen- Chemistry & CBC Panel Yearly
• PPA- Urinalysis and blood pressure every six months
• Heart Medications and/or Furosemide- CBC, Chemistry Panel Yearly, +/- Chest radiography, +/- echocardiogram