FAQ’s – Ansley Animal Clinic

Hospital Policies

Do you take walk-ins?

All exams or services requiring a veterinarian or a veterinary technician to examine your pet requires an appointment. If your pet is a current patient of ours, you may find a list of technician services on our kennel services page. Please give our front desk staff a call to schedule an appointment.

Do you take Pet Insurance?

Pet insurance works like property insurance in that you will pay our clinic in full, file a claim, and be reimbursed by your insurance company. We are happy to provide your insurance company with any information they may need in order to process your claim.

Can I bring unused medication to you for disposal or refund?

If you purchased medication from our office or online store, and it is still factory sealed, we will refund your account. If the medication is not factory sealed, we are not permitted to take it back by law. However, there are several other avenues for safe drug disposal. For drug take back locations in your area, please view this FDA article.

Do you take Care-Credit?

No. We do however take American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Cash, or personal check with Valid ID.

Can I set up a payment plan?

No. Full payment is due at the time of services rendered.

Do you work with online pet pharmacies such as 1-800PetMeds?

We are happy to work with you to provide you with a written prescription. However, it is our policy to not work directly with on-line pharmacies through faxed prescriptions or by authorizing prescriptions over the phone. The inefficiency of the on-line pharmacy process (repeated faxes and multiple phone calls for confirmation) draws our attention away from what is most important – the animals and their owners needing immediate attention within the clinic. So, for the best experience, please mail an original prescription to the on-line pharmacy of your choice.

Be sure as you place your on-line order to place it in the name of the same person as listed on the original prescription you are provided. This is the primary account holder in our system. If the names on your on-line order and your written prescription do not match, your order will likely be denied.

Can someone on your staff pet-sit?

No. Our hospital policy is that our staff does not pet-sit for clients. However we can recommend:

From Frogs to Dogs (Does Overnights): www.frogstodogs.com
Robin Pepper: www.animaliainc.com

Recommended Care

What vaccines do your doctors recommend?

Our doctors follow guidelines set in place by The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). You can also learn more about your pet’s vaccines by visiting the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

Are Solensia and Librela Safe?

Dear Clients,

Media coverage has reported neurologic side effects from Librela like ataxia (stumbling, trouble walking) and seizures.

As with all drugs, there is a risk for adverse side effects. We encourage you to discuss possible side effects with us as well as read the product insert (which can be found at www.zoetisus.com) for all possible side effects.

Though Librela is newer to the US, it has been used in Europe for 4 years (came to market February 2021). It has been shown to be both safe and efficacious. The side effect incidence for both Librela and Solensia is low, with 0.18% reported for Librela and 0.3% for Solensia*. Reported side effects like ataxia are rare (1-10 reports in 10,000 dogs treated to date). This is a very low chance of any adverse effects.

If your pet experiences a possible side effect from Librela or Solensia we encourage you to let us know as well as Zoetis and/or the FDA. Zoetis is required to report adverse side effects to the FDA and you can as well by calling 888-963-8471 or www.fda.gov/reportanimalae.

We are here to discuss your concerns and weigh the benefits for your pet’s vs the risk of possible adverse effects. We want to provide your pets with the best quality of life we can!

Remember that we are usually giving these drugs to older pets, who are at increased risk of having other co-morbidities and diseases. We do believe in the safety and efficacy of these drugs and that they can improve your pets’ quality of life.

Sincerely,

The Doctors at Ansley Animal Clinic

*As of March 2024

Why should I spay or neuter my pet?

Two main reasons to spay or neuter is to avoid overpopulation of animals, and to reduce the risk of certain diseases. For example, intact males have an increased risk of prostate and testicular cancer. Intact females are at risk for Pyometra, an infection of the uterus that if left untreated can be deadly.

In addition, intact females are more at risk for breast cancer, ovarian and uterine cancer. Some common myths you may have heard are that spaying and neutering causes laziness, reduced protective instincts, delayed maturity or alter their personality.

Why does my pet need a dental cleaning?

Have you noticed a foul odor coming from your pet’s mouth or a brown accumulation on the teeth? Your pet may suffer from dental disease. It’s not uncommon. Nearly 85% of dogs and cats suffer from some degree of dental disease. Proper dental care will increase your pet’s quality of life.

Dental disease can cause tooth loss, pain during chewing and lead to more serious disease. At your pet’s annual exam the doctor will check the teeth and tell you if it is time to schedule a cleaning.

Does my pet need flea or heartworm prevention in the winter?

Our doctors recommend flea and heartworm prevention year-round. Heartworm prevention is especially important as heartworm disease is prevalent in the South-East United States and can be fatal if left untreated. Because of the serious nature of heartworm disease, preventative products require a veterinarian’s prescription. Most oral flea/tick products require a prescription. For your convenience, we carry several of these prescription items and a few non-prescription items in our office. Please call us to find out more.

If your pet is on a preventative product we do not stock in our office, you will likely be able to find it on our online store to have shipped directly to your house.

Should I microchip my pet?

We recommend all pets get a microchip. We implant the PetLink Microchip, which is a small informational chip placed under the skin. PetLink uses an internationally standardized technology that allows your pet’s microchip to be scanned and read anywhere in the world.

In addition, we can scan other microchip brands to help reunite owners with their lost pets. If you’ve found a stray or lost pet, bring it to Ansley and have us scan the pet at no charge. If we find a chip number on a pet we call PetLink, give them the number and they give us the client information that is registered to that pet. We then contact the owner to pick up the pet.

IMPORTANT: Don’t forget to register your pets’ microchip with your information and update address and phone number if it ever changes. If the chip company does not have the correct information it is impossible for us to reunite pet and owner. If your pet was microchipped at Ansley Animal Clinic, you can register your pets’ microchip here.

Should I give my dog bones or antlers for chewing?

Our doctors do not recommend bones or antlers for chewing as these can be very hard and crack your pet’s teeth. Instead they recommend something that softens as your pet chews, like a rawhide.

What are Soft Paws?

Soft paws are soft caps you can put over your pet’s nails to prevent destructive scratching or slipping on smooth surfaces. Soft paws come in a variety of sizes for cats and dogs. They can be a painless alternative to declawing your cat. How to Apply