Appointment expectations

What to expect at Four Lakes Veterinary Clinic, as of today (the quick read version):

When you arrive, no matter who the pet or what the plan, we are asking that you call our clinic. We will, as soon as we are able, come out to you. We are doing this as a Fear-Free measure to control the space our patients travel. We will deliver all medication, food, and paperwork to your car, rain or shine. We will collect all samples this way, too!

Are you here for an appointment? 

Tech appointments (vaccinations, blood draws, allergy shots, anal gland expression or nail trims) will be conducted in rooms unless directed by our team otherwise. Sometimes when we do these procedures, we have better results with less people in the room. We will communicate with you about how the appointment will work should we feel curbside is the best option.

Regular appointments will be choose your own adventure. You can either be escorted in with your pets for appointments or hang out in your vehicle and we will talk with you once we have completed the exam.

Curbside appointments: Call the clinic! We will take your information and bring your pet inside just as soon as we have a space ready for them. See the detailed version of the appointments below if you would like to know more about the process. (We suggest this option if you are feeling under the weather or taking extra precautions to protect yourself or loved ones.)

In-person appointments: Call the clinic! We will escort you and your pet into the building once their room is ready. We ask that if you are feeling under the weather either to wear a mask or opt for a curbside appointment. Our team will be wearing masks if we are feeling unwell to protect you.

Want more details as to what we are doing, why and other info? Read on!

Curbside appointment details: These appointments will begin with you making a call to us and we will come out to ask questions, take note of your concerns, and bring your pet inside. Once a doctor has assessed your pet, they will call you or come out to your vehicle to discuss the diagnosis, possible treatment, and address your concerns. For this reason, we ask that you stay in our parking lot, unless you have let the admitting Technician know otherwise. We do ask that if you choose to run an errand, that you return promptly, as we do have a limited amount of space in the clinic. At the conclusion of your discussion and any treatment, we will bring your pet out to you along with any medication your pet requires and collect payment. Now you are ready for your next adventure. 

Same-day admission appointments:

When you arrive for your appointment, please remain in your vehicle and call the clinic, if you do not have a mobile phone, please inform us when scheduling or confirming your appointment.  

A staff member will come out to your vehicle to get your pet and bring him/her into the clinic.  If you received a form to fill out, please remember to email it back to us or bring it to the appointment.  Include any concerns or questions you have about your pet or be prepared to spend a few minutes providing information regarding your concerns, symptoms, current medications, etc. We will call or email to discuss any questions we have, as well as any diagnostics and/or treatments we recommend, and our care plan.

We will send home or email detailed discharge instructions or a report card after the visit.

Payment is due at the time of service, and we accept credit cards, checks or cash payments.

When your pet is ready to go home, we will bring your dog or cat back out to your car.  

Food and/or medication pick-ups:

If you need refills on food or medication please call, text, or email the clinic, or send a request through our pet portal: https://petportal.vet/fourlakesvetclinic .   

We will bring the products outside to you. Payment will be taken outside by card, check or cash.

You may also order food and medications from our online store and it will be shipped to your residence.

Why are we still suggesting masks and offering curbside?

1. We have a small clinic. If one of us gets sick, a lot of us get sick. We want to protect our team and our clients!

2. We are protecting our kids. We are excited that we have more than one "clinic baby." These little ones are susceptible to illness and while we believe in vaccines, our littlest future animal advocates can't receive them all yet.

3. Pandemic pets are nervous pets. People with animals who are nervous and have anxieties have gone out of their way to seek our services. It means that more animals who come to us are reactive in some way, and while we are trained to read body language and take precautions, not everyone is. A fear-free way of creating a safe space is to bring pets directly to a safe and quiet room, something we can't do if people are in our lobby or other animals are sitting and waiting for their appointments to begin. 

Thank you for entrusting us with your pet's care and for understanding our added precautions to keep everyone safe and healthy.