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FAQs

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Pet Health Library

Here are some questions/answers that we are frequently asked. If you have additional questions that aren't covered here, please feel free to give us a call at Middle River Veterinary Hospital.

1. What are the Hospital hours?

Our hospital is open Monday - Thursday 7:30am to 5:00pm. The clinic is closed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

2. Do I need to have an appointment?

Yes, patients are seen by appointment.

3. What forms of payment do you accept?

Cash, Check, Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover and Care Credit

4. Can I make payments?

Payment is required at the time of service.

5. At what age can I have my pet spayed or neutered?

Spaying or neutering can be done at any age, but we prefer to do these surgeries between 6 and 11 months of age. Your pet is given an exam prior to surgery to help determine whether your pet is healthy enough to undergo the surgical procedure. Current vaccinations are required at the time of surgery. Also, a pre-anesthetic blood screen is required prior to undergoing anesthesia and surgery.

6.  What is the pre-anesthetic blood screening?

This is a blood test that is run here in the clinic prior to surgery. It tests the organ functions, blood counts and clotting function of your pet. The pre-anesthetic blood screening is done to assure safety during surgery and the ability to heal following surgery.

7. How long do the sutures stay in after my pet's surgery?

If we place skin sutures, these usually need to be removed in 10 -14 days following the surgery.

8.  Is it a good idea to let my pet have at least one litter?

No, there is no advantage to letting your pet have one litter. However there are plenty of advantages to having you pet spayed or neutered. These advantages include decreasing the chances of breast tumors later in life, decreasing the chance of cystic ovaries and uterine infections later in life, decreasing the desire to roam the neighborhood, decreasing the incidence of prostate cancer later in life, helping prevent spraying and marking, and also decreases the surplus of unwanted puppies and kittens.

9.  Do you board pets?

No, we do not board pets, however we can refer you to reputable boarding facilities and pet sitters.

10.  What are your kennels like?

Our dog kennels are all indoor. The dogs are walked 2-3 times daily while they are hospitalized. The cats are housed in a separate area away from the dogs. Blankets and food are provided, but you are always welcome to bring your own.

We have the following forms available for you to complete prior to your appointment. To expedite the check-in process, you may submit the completed forms by email to info@middlerivervet.com or fax to 540-248-7236.  You are also welcome to bring the completed forms with you at the time of your appointment.  Please try to arrive about 15 minutes early, so we will have time to transfer this information into our computer record system.

New Client Information Form

Disclosure Form

Client Questionnaire

Employment Application

Appointment Policy

• To allow ample time for all patients and scheduled surgical procedures, we operate primarily by appointment. Emergency cases shall always receive top priority, which is why occasional appointment delay is inevitable. Please realize that we make a sincere attempt to see each client on time. 
  
  
• If you will not be able to make your pet's scheduled appointment, please call us, so we can reschedule your pet's care at a convenient time.
  
  
• If your pet requires more extensive testing or treatment than can be accommodated in the usual 30 minute appointment, we may request that you leave your pet with us after the examination to complete these procedures.
  
  
• For your convenience, "drop-off" appointments are also available. A "drop off" means you leave your pet with us for a few hours, or even all day. Usually, we will ask you to drop your pet off sometime in the morning, so we can do a thorough exam and start treatment in between appointments or surgeries. Once the doctor is done, she will give you a call to go over the diagnosis and treatment plan, and to schedule a discharge appointment.

Patient Arrival Policy

• For your protection, and that of others, all dogs must be on a leash and properly controlled while in the waiting area or exam rooms.
  
  
• All cats must be confined in an appropriate cat carrier or on a leash.
  
  
• If your dog is aggressive toward cats or other dogs, please let us know this when you make the appointment.  It is much easier for us to avoid problems, if we know your pet does not like other animals.
  
  
• If you have any special needs, please let us know when you make your appointment.  Our staff will be happy to assist you any way we can.
  
  
• For the safety of all animals in our care, we require that all vaccinations be up to date. Even though we make every effort to make our patients feel comfortable during visits, many pets may be a little uneasy around new people, new surroundings and other pets. This is one of the reasons we ask you to restrain your pet. We recommend that animals be placed on a leash or in pet carriers before entering the waiting room.

Payment Policy

We require full payment at the time that services are rendered. For your convenience, we accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Care Credit, cash and personal checks.

In addition to the Pet Health Care Library, we have provided the following links to websites that provide some great information on a variety of topics related to veterinary medicine and pet health care. We will update this page frequently, and would love to hear your ideas on links that you would like to see us add to this page to share with other pet owners. Feel free to send us your favorites. If we like them, we will add them to our list!

• Heartworm Society Everything you ever wanted to know about heartworm disease can found here!
  
  
• Veterinary Partner A series of articles on pet food labels, ingredients, diet and the skin, food safety, pet food manufactures and canning.
  
  
• CattleDog Publishing Founded by Dr. Sophia Yin--focuses on teaching the individual how to use humane animal handling techniques. 
  
  
• National Animal Poison Control Center This is the website of the National Animal Poison Control Center. It includes a library, links to other sites, and phone numbers for the poison control center.
  
  
• AAVMC This is a great link to all of the websites of veterinary schools in the United States.
  
  
• USDA Animal Health and Plant Health Inspection Service The USDA maintains this website with the information on a variety of animal health related topics, including the latest news on such things as Mad Cow Disease, foot and mouth disease, and many other things.
  
  
• Rainbow Bridge Anyone who has ever lost a pet should visit this wonderful site. It is a terrific tribute to our lost family members.
  
  
• AVMA American Veterinary Medical Association - This site is a good starting point to learn more about a variety of topics, including feline injection-site sarcomas and the latest subjects in veterinary medicine.
  
  
• The American Association of Feline Practitioners The American Association of Feline Practitioners is like the American Medical Association for cat doctors, and has a lot of good information regarding feline health.
  
  
• The United States Drug and Food Administration The United States Drug and Food Administration provides pet health information from the Food and Drug Administration.
  
  
• AKC Headquarters of the American Kennel Club. This site includes breeds, life with dogs, events, clubs, shop AKC, registration, news and inside AKC.
  
• Rabies Control This site gives a lot of information about controlling and preventing rabies.
  
  
• The Shenandoah Valley Animal Service Center The Shenandoah Valley Animal Service Center provides local animal control services regionally for Waynesboro, Staunton and Augusta County. Stray, abandoned, lost and surrendered dogs, cats and other companion animals will be cared for at this new shelter. 
  
  
• Petlink Microchip Registration ResQ microchip registration site.
  
  
• CareCredit Care Credit is a payment option for healthcare services. You can learn more and fill out an application online.
  
  
• AVMA Feline Preventative Healthcare Guidelines AAHA/AVMA Feline Preventative Healthcare Guidelines.
  
  
• AVMA Preventative Healthcare Guidelines AAHA/AVMA Feline Preventative Healthcare Guidelines.
  
• Companion Laser Therapy Companion Laser Therapy is used world wide for the treatment regarding pain management, wound healing and as an anti-inflammatory mediator. Visit this site for more information on the use of laser therapy - now available at Middle River Veterinary Hospital.
  
  
• Agape Pet Services Agape Pet Services provides a full range of pet cremation services for families in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina, including dog and cat cremation, as well as horse cremation services. Agape also provides pet cremation urns, cremation jewelry, and keepsakes available for delivery worldwide. We offer communal cremation, individual cremation, private cremation and resources to help you through the grieving process.

Middle River Veterinary Hospital provides you with a full library of pet medical information  from the Veterinary Information Network.  VIN is the world's first and largest online veterinary community, where new articles are added weekly by the experts at VIN to make sure that our readers have the most current veterinary information available.