Admissions/Forms

**Exceptions to these hours may be made with advance notice and will incur an additional fee**

Patient Arrival Policy

For your protection, and that of others, all dogs must be on a leash and properly controlled while outside our building as well as in the waiting area and exam rooms.  All cats must be presented in an appropriate cat carrier.  If you feel you need help controlling your pet for your appointment, please keep your pet safely in the car, and let the reception desk know before your pet is exposed to other patients.

Appointment Policy

To allow time for all patient visits and scheduled procedures to be completed, we operate by appointment. Please realize that we make a sincere attempt to see each client on time while providing the best care possible and making sure we allow the time each client needs to answer all of their questions.

• Life-threatening emergency cases shall always receive top priority. When we have such emergencies, it is inevitable there will be a delay in seeing the scheduled appointments at their appointed times.
• Urgent care cases will be triaged by a technician before being seen by the first available Doctor and will incur additional fees.
• Walk in cases will have the last priority and will be asked to wait until there is a break in the doctor’s appointment schedule or may choose to schedule an appointment for a later date/time.
• New clients may be asked to leave a non-refundable deposit of $100.00 when scheduling a procedure prior to a general examination with the veterinarian.

Late Policy

In order to keep our schedule running smoothly and to prevent unnecessary delays, we ask all clients to arrive five to ten (5-10) minutes before their appointment time so the front desk may check you in. If you are running late, please call our office at 301-292-1150 as we may be able to guide you as to what would be most convenient for you. Clients who arrive more than 15 minutes late may be asked to re-schedule the appointment.
Appointment Cancellation Policy/No show Policy

In – House Prescription Policy –

Our pharmacy stocks most of your pet’s prescription needs. Our online store is a convenient alternative option to order your prescription refills (delivered directly to you).

• In order for medications to be refilled the Annual Wellness Examination, Progress Evaluation and blood work as required must be up to date.
• Prescription refill requests require at least 24 hours notice. Any requests made with less than 24 hours will be considered “urgent” requests and will be assessed an Urgent refill fee.

Written Prescription Policy –

We are  aware that there are many internet sites which sell pharmaceutical products directly to consumers. At Indian Head Animal Hospital, we take pride in being your family member’s doctor and know that we play an integral part in providing healthcare to your pet.

We will provide a written prescription upon request, provided:

• We have recently examined your pet – The timeframe of “recent examination” is at the doctor’s discretion but will never exceed more than one year from your pet’s last Wellness examination. 
• Any required tests are current – The timeframe “current” test is at the doctor’s discretion but will never exceed more than one year from your pet’s last test. 
• The particular medication or product requested is appropriate based on the weight and health of the pet

The written prescription will be provided directly to you.  You may request to pick it up or take it with you the day of your appointment.  We DO NOT mail or fax prescriptions to you or to the pharmacy.  We do not charge a fee for writing prescriptions for our patients.  We will only provide written prescriptions on our tamper-resistant prescription forms.

We do not respond to fax requests or telephone calls requesting prescription authorizations from pharmacies or online companies. Due to the ever increasing number of online pharmacies, we cannot determine if any specific pharmacy is safe, ethical or a legal provider of medications.  Our best recommendation is to order from a Veterinarian VIPPS (verified internet pharmacy practice site) accredited pharmacy. It is important to be aware that despite having the VIPPS seal of approval, it is possible  that diversion may be involved with your products and that the product manufacturer will no longer guarantee the product.

If you choose to use an internet or catalog pharmacy to obtain your pet’s medications, you should mail the original written prescription to the pharmacy.  Any attempt to fax, copy or scan them will cause the word “VOID” to appear across the prescription, thus invalidating it. 

If you have lost your prescription, you can request a replacement prescription once, but you must sign a lost prescription affidavit.

Prescription refill requests require at least 24 hours notice.  Any less than 24 hours will be considered and “urgent” request and will be charged a fee.  You may request your refills on our webpage www.indianheadanimalhospital.com, our phone App or through our automated phone system.

Thoroughly research your pharmacy prior to selecting them.    It is your responsibility to make sure the medication you are giving your pet is what was prescribed by our doctors and that it is a safe product.  We can only guarantee the safety and accuracy of your products if they are purchased from our hospital or our online store.

How to request a refill?

1. You can call us 301-292-1150, and use our automatic prompt
2. You can request a refill using the Mobile App*
3. You can use the Request a Refill link on the webpage*
4. You can also call our online store at 1-877-738-4443
   
   *Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We carry a very limited selection of food in our hospital. We can special order any food (delivered to hospital) or our online store is a convenient alternative option to order from (delivered directly to you).

How to order?

1. You can call us 301-292-1150, and use our automatic prompt
2. You can request a refill using the Mobile App*
3. You can use the Request a Refill link on the webpage*
4. You can also call our online store at 1-877-738-4443

*Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

1. Please complete and submit the appropriate form/s as soon as possible and at least 7 days before the Procedure.
2. Do not feed your pet after 12:00 AM the night before surgery. Water is ok to give throughout the night
3. Please drop off your pet between 8:00 Am and 8:30 AM.
4. At the time you drop your pet off, we will let you know at what time you can call for an update or pick up time
5. When you pick up your pet make sure you understand the post-operative instructions.

1. Do not feed your pet after 12:00 AM the night before the ultrasound.  Water is ok to give throughout the night.
2. Please drop off your pet between 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM.
3. Please complete and submit the Admitting Form at least 72 hours before the procedure. 
4. At the time you drop your pet off, we will let you know at what time you can call for an update or pick up time (usually after 4:00 PM).

We do not have someone on the premises after hours.
Our hospital has a fire/burglar alarm system.

TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ABOUT US AND CLAIM YOUR REWARD!

The greatest compliment our clients give us is telling their friends about us! We appreciate the confidence our clients show by referring their family, friends, and neighbors to our practice. As a token of our appreciation with this new program you can refer a new client to us and receive a credit for $25 off YOUR next visit! Includes all services (medical, surgical, dental, grooming, Therapy laser or boarding).*
 
When your new referral comes to see us, make sure they tell us that you sent them and we will put a credit on YOUR account. When you schedule your appointment just let us know that you should have a credit.  IT’S THAT EASY!
 
Use your credit within 1 year.
*Prescriptions and food are excluded.

We accept any of these methods of payment:

• Cash         •Personal Checks      •Master Card    •Visa    •ApplePay                 
•Discover    •American Express   •CareCredit       •Scratch Pay   

Special Pricing

Senior Citizen, Active Military and multiple pet owners are eligible for discounts. 

Payment Policy

It has always been our policy to expect payment in full at the time of services.

We understand that emergencies arise and that billing is sometimes necessary. Billing is a courtesy we provide for our established clients in a time of need. Our accounts receivable, incidence of nonpayment, and late payments are very costly to the hospital.

Rather than raise fees for our services, we have decided to institute the following payment policies. 

All clients must provide proof of identity (driver’s license or valid photo ID), be at least 18 years of age, and be named on the account..

First Time Clients:

• For all first time clients, payment must be made in full at the time of completion of services.
• In the event that your pet requires admission to the hospital, a deposit of the low end of the estimate is required in the form of cash or credit card at the time of admission.
• Clients who have not been seen in our office within the last three (3) years may be considered “new” clients for billing purposes.

Established Clients:

• We provide care when we see a medical necessity; if you have financial concerns related to this care, it is your responsibility to make these concerns known prior to the rendering  of services,
• Estimates of charges for anticipated medical and/or surgical treatments will be supplied at your request.
  • We will do our best to provide accurate estimates; however, keep in mind that an estimate is just that. It is impossible to anticipate the exact final charges.
• All clients must provide proof of identity (driver’s license or valid photo ID), be at least 18 years of age, and be named on the account..
• Any and all arrangements for credit must be made in advance of service with our reception staff.
• In the event that your pet requires admission to the hospital, a minimum deposit of 50% of the low end estimate is required in the form of cash or credit card at the time of admission. . 
• All clients requesting credit, (i.e. not paying their bill in full at the time of service) must apply to CareCredit and/or Scratch Pay. We are unable to offer payment plans.
• All accounts requiring use of an outside third party agency (i.e. attorney or collection agency) to collect payment will incur fees equal to those incurred by our hospital
• When in default of payment or agreements and third party collection is necessary, services will be denied until payment in full (cash or credit card) is received, and future credit requests will be denied
• All payment concerns and agreements are to be dealt with and arranged by the reception staff and/or office manager
• Estimates of charges for expected medical and/or surgical treatments will be supplied at your request
• We will do our best to provide accurate estimates; however, keep in mind that an estimate is just that. It is impossible to anticipate the exact final charges

 Estimates

• Estimates of charges for anticipated medical and/or surgical treatments will be supplied at your request.
• We will do our best to provide accurate estimates; however, keep in mind that an estimate is just that. It is impossible to anticipate the exact final charges.

Our priority is, and always has been, to provide the highest quality care for your pets while keeping our prices as reasonable as possible. Many of you are long term clients with excellent payment histories. We want to be able to continue to provide this service for you whenever it is necessary.

In order to do so, we must not only have this policy, but also enforce it without exception.    

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Pet Insurance

We strongly believe that pet’s should carry health insurance.  We work with several Pet Insurance Companies and would be happy to help you complete claim forms.  For more information on pet insurance please see this page.