new patient

​​​​​​​WHAT YOU'LL NEED FOR YOUR FIRST VISIT

• Records

• Pictures of any food they use

• Medications your pet has already

WHAT TO EXPECT FOR YOUR FIRST VISIT

• Discuss behavior

• Crate training

• Nutrition and diets, Heartworm prevention, flea, and tick prevention

• When to spay or neuter

• Vaccination schedule and options

• Breed peculiarities

• Answer any other questions you may have
  
  

​​​​​​​Reception/Waiting room guidelines

Check in with our receptionist at the front desk when you arrive for your appointment.

Please make sure your dog is on a leash and your cat in a carrier before getting out of your car and keep your pet contained at all times in the reception area. This keeps not only your pet safe, but also prevents “unexpected encounters” with other pets who might be a little nervous. Please keep “retractable” leashes in the shortened position at all times.

For cats, if you do not have a carrier, please make our reception staff aware so we can put your cat into an exam room immediately, out of sight of other pets who might frighten him.

All exotics (birds, ferrets, lizards, snakes, rabbits) should be in appropriate cages, carriers or tanks upon arrival. This will reduce the chances of your pet getting loose.

Payment Policies

Payment is due when services are rendered.

There is a surcharge on credit cards, but no surcharge on debit and cash. We do not accept checks.

We accept cash, American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and Care Credit.
​​​​​​​

If you are interested in applying for Care Credit, please go to www.carecredit.com to apply online. You may also apply at our hospital. You will need two picture ID’s to complete the application process at our hospital.

Pet Food Policies

• Beach Pet Hospital only sells prescription diets. We do not carry maintenance diets.

• The pet food prescribed by your veterinarian for your pet is considered a prescription medication.

• Most of these foods are not stocked by Beach Pet Hospital and have to be ordered by you as needed.

• You can have your pet’s food shipped directly to your doorstep through our online store, www.beachpetstore.com.

• If you prefer to have us order your pet’s food and pick it up at our facility, our ordering policies are as follows:

• All orders must be called in by the end of day on Monday for delivery the following Friday. PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO YOUR PET’S SUPPLY SO YOU WILL NOT RUN OUT OF FOOD BEFORE DELIVERY DAY.

• Because of limitations of space, all orders must be picked up within three weeks of delivery date. Foods left at the hospital after that point will be donated to an animal shelter.
  
  
  

Prescription refill policies

• Federal law prohibits the dispensing of certain medications without examination or prescription.

• A yearly physical exam is required by our veterinarians before we are able to dispense any medications.

• If we have not performed a physical exam on your pet in over a year, we will not be able to refill medications.

• All requests for refills must be made 48 hours in advance of pickup. We will do our best to accommodate special needs as they arise.

• Your understanding is greatly appreciated.

​​​​​​​Our goal is to provide quality individualized medical care in a timely manner. No-shows, late shows and cancellations inconvenience those individuals who need access to veterinary care. Please understand that the purpose of this is so we do not turn pets away due to an overbooked schedule, while other clients do not show for their appointment preventing us from treating an animal who desperately needs medical care. We would like to remind you of our policy regarding missed appointments. Thank you for your understanding!

A missed appointment is when you fail to show up for an appointment without a phone call or a 24-hour notice.

A veterinary/client relationship is built on mutual trust and respect. As such, we strive to be on time for your scheduled appointments and ask that you give us a call when you are unable to keep your appointment. As a courtesy, we provide reminder text messages and calls prior to your appointment. Our missed appointment policies are outlined below.

Cancellation of an Appointment:

In order to be respectful of the medical needs of other patients, please be courteous and call our office promptly if you are unable to show up for an appointment. This time will be reallocated to someone whose pet is in need of treatment. If it is necessary to cancel your scheduled appointment, we require that you call at least 24 hours in advance. Appointments are in high demand, and your early cancellation will allow another patient access to timely veterinary care.

How to Cancel Your Appointment:

To cancel your appointment, please call our office at 757-428-3251. If you do not reach the receptionist, you may leave a detailed message on our voice mail. If you would like to reschedule your appointment, please leave your name and phone number and we will return your call promptly.

Late Cancellations:

A cancellation is considered to be late when the appointment is canceled without a 24-hour advance notice.

Appointment No Show Policy:

A “no-show” is a client who misses an appointment without canceling it. Failure to be present at the time of a scheduled appointment will be recorded in the client’s chart as a “no-show”. This includes arriving 15 minutes after your scheduled appointment. The first time there is a “no-show” or late cancellation there will be an exam fee charged to the client's account.

Please understand this policy is to ensure your pet gets the help he/she needs in a timely manner. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding!

Dear Clients,

Please understand that we receive over a hundred refill requests each day. Requests take the time of our doctors and support staff to approve, invoice, and fill each medication. For this reason we ask that you allow us 48 hours to fill your pet's medication, and that you pick up your pet's medication within 2 weeks of it being filled. Medications that are not picked up take staff time to return to stock and remove that balance from the client's account.

​​​​​​​Due to an overwhelming amount of medications not being picked up, we will now be leaving a $10 restock fee if your pet's medication is not picked up within 2 weeks of being filled. Please understand medications have expiration dates and we risk losing product costs if not picked up. Thank you for your understanding!