Animal Hospital

☎CALL: 423-775-4003

Monday - Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Saturday 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Closed Sundays - Holiday hours differ

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Walk-in or Appointments

Appointments: are not required, but they help us plan our day. Appointments receive priority over walk-in, regardless of arrival time. Appointment no-shows are a problem. We don't add a fee for no-shows, but it is necessary that those who no-show, lose the privilege of making appointments in the future.

Walk-in: By nature, walk-in means a wait time. To reduce the wait, or the possibility of being turned away, it is a good idea to call ahead and ask that your name be put on the schedule. This is not an appointment, and we can move it as needed, but it helps us plan ahead a little.

We do not take walk-ins right up until the last minute because we have a relatively hard closing time. This means that as our day begins to get full as we look forward in time, we stop taking walk-ins. This could occur anytime between 12:00 and 5:00 pm. Our surgery schedule also affects whether or not we can accept walk-ins at the moment.

The nature of the visit also has a bearing on whether or not one can be seen as well. For some examples on this, see emergencies.

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We are not an Emergency facility

We refer emergencies to: VCA Regional Institute for Veterinary Emergencies and Referrals located at: 2132 Amnicola Hwy, Chattanooga, TN 37406. Call: 423-698-4612. If you are experiencing an emergency it is a good idea to call them and head that way.

By law, in the state of Tennessee, to claim to provide emergency services, the practice must be open 24-hours continously.

Examples of Emergencies

Cardiac Arrest, Respiratory Distress, Heat Stroke, Profuse Bleeding, Bloat, Lateral/ Non-responsive, Hit by car, Severe Trauma, Male cat straining/ unable to urinate, Active seizures/ cluster seizures, Collapse, Felines unable to use back legs.

Urgent Care facilities:

By nature, walk-in clinics are Urgent Care facilities. This doesn't mean that they can handle every case that comes through the door. The doctors in these facilities know when to refer a case to an emergency, or specialty provider.

Urgent examples:

Fractures, Persistent diarrhea/ vomitting, Foreign body with signs of illness (vomitting/ diarrhea), Eye Trauma, Constipation/ straining to defecate, Fever, Not eating 24+ hours, Cough/ Sneeze, Ruptured Mass.

Semi-Urgent examples:

Vomitting (2 or fewer episodes), Acute diarrhea, Witnessed ingestion of foreign body, Blood in urine/ frequent urination, broken toenails, Masses/ cysts, Small lacerations/ wounds.

Non-Urgent examples:

Cronic illness with no changes, Abcess, Ear infection, Allergies, Wellness, Anal Gland issues, Tick removal, Nail issues/ nail trim, Medication refills, Parasites.

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Surgery Scheduling

All surgeries are scheduled for 8:00 am. Early arrivals for surgeries can begin at 7:30. The arrival deadline is 8:30; this is an absolute firm time. Any arrivals after 8:30 must be rescheduled for another day. There is much in preparations in advance of surgery, hence the reason for these hard rules. These are all drop-offs, and require paperwork which includes blood-testing and CPR elections.

Blood Testing

Blood testing is important; no different for animals than humans. A doctor gets a much better picture of your pets internal condition with blood testing, especially as the pet ages. There are different levels of blood testing; with each increasing level, the knowledge that the doctor gains gives insight into the risk of surgery to your pet. Also, with each increase in the level of blood test, the price goes up.

At the very least, minimal blood testing is done before all surgeries and is included in the surgery price. If a pet is five years old or older, a higher level of blood testing is required because the risk to pets is greater as they age.

We can do surgeries with minimal blood testing, which is at your assumed risk to your pet. Blood testing is not a part of the surgery quoted price; it is an added cost. Be crystal clear that you understand the costs of the surgery and blood testing at the time that you drop off your pet.

Your surgery preparation obligations

Follow the instructions you are given for your planned surgery. Generally, your pet must not eat or drink after the evening meal the night before surgery. If your surgery is a spay, and your pet is in heat, notify us immediately because the heat increases the possibility of complications considerably, along with the cost of the spay.

Your after surgery obligations

You must follow the doctors orders, or your pet will suffer. You absolutely must not remove the cone from your pet no matter how much they protest it. Your pet does not have the ability to make decisions, and to leave a surgery site or wound alone: they will irritate it. In most cases, if the cone is removed they will rupture their sutures or damage a wound, which could be fatal. Surgeries to repair damages caused by your pet to themselves usually cost more than the original surgery, and this cost is your responsibility.

Low cost spay and neuter

We are not a low cost spay and neuter provider. Low cost surgeries are low cost for a reason, they come at a significantly higher suffrage to the pet and we don't support that.

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aka Puppy Litter Check

Puppy litter checks are now priced per puppy. Call for current pricing.

The puppy check includes: an exam for each puppy at a reduced litter rate, the current shot due, and deworming. If a fecal is desired, that will be an additional cost.

None of these terms are negotiable regardless of receipts showing that the breeder has purchased any given vaccine or deworming medication. The vaccine and deworming interval for puppies is critical for efficacy, therefore any claim that a puppy has been previously treated at another practice must be backed up by records.

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Payment in full at time of service

Payment is required in full at the time of service. Every client is informed in advance what those charges will be.

We accept several forms of pet insurance as well as CareCredit. All of these options require some form of authorization. If coverage is declined then another payment method must be used.

We accept most major credit and debit cards, and we do not charge a fee to accept them at this time. We do however charge a fee for accepting cards over the phone because we are charged an additional fee for that as well. This fee will show on your statement as, "Card Not Present Fee".

We do not offer any payment plans in house.

Authorizing services for which one has no method, nor intentions of paying immediately is shoplifting.

We Accept

CareCredit

trupanion™

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Prescriptions

Prescriptions are usually in stock. If we don't have what you need, we will order it in house and it may be picked up at the practice. Most orders arrive the next day or second day. We try to keep our prices competitive with other sources. Special order medications require prepayment which can be accomplished in house or over the phone.

We also have an online store for your convenience, from which orders are delivered to your home. You can sign up for this while you are at the practice, or you can call the office and the receptionist can email a link to you.

In a few cases clients are looking to establish a veterinary connection so they can obtain drugs/medications through other online sources like Valley Vet and Chewy for example. We provide those needed medications at our practice and through our own online store only. We do not approve medications from other online sources such as those mentioned. The reason being that those other online sources do not contribute to, nor support our existence in any way. The reason they can provide some products at a lower cost is because they don't provide you with the service of a doctor.

There are some exceptions where we will approve prescriptions that can be picked up at a local pharmacy. This may occur when someone has dire need, and the drive is long to the practice and/or we don't have the medication in stock.

Is a visit required?

State law requires an annual contact relationship between the doctor, patient, and client. No medications which require a prescription may be administered or dispensed without this visit. Preventative flea and tick medications fall under this law. Of course over-the-counter options exist for which this law does not apply, but those options are minimally effective.

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We provide services to most species of large* farm animals which has included exotics such as camels and zebras. However, in most cases, large animals must brought to the practice. Because we are a single doctor practice we can not leave the practice during normal business hours; there are some exceptions. Like others, the doctor has to have rest, so we won't likely be providing after hours services until such time as we get another doctor who fits our model.

Exceptions: Generally, all large animals must be brought to the practice, and contained in such a way that they are not a hazard to our staff at any time. We may provide the service of farm calls to those who are already established clients with their pets, and also not far off our normal driving route, typically within two (2) miles of U.S. Hwy 27 between Dayton and Rockwood. These farm visits are limited to Saturday afternoons, with the occasional late day visit at about 4:00 p.m. *We define large animals as anything that is not the typical dog or cat, and not small exotics. In all cases, large animals we care for must be reasonably tame. If they are exotic, they must be "very tame". We do not provide services for any animals of any species large or small if they are unable to be handled or mean.

If we go to a farm, there must be adequate facilities, and animals must be already captured and contained or secured in a manner that is safe for our staff. We provide medical services, we don't "handle" large animals; that is the job for farm hands and cowboys. When bringing your animals to the practice, it would be beneficial if farmers bring one of their employees to assist in managing the animals they bring to us for medical attention.

In many cases, we have found that farmers are looking to establish a veterinary connection so they can obtain drugs/medications through other online sources like Valley Vet and Chewy for example. We provide those needed medications at our practice and through our own online store only. We do not approve medications from other online sources such as those mentioned. The reason being that those other online sources do not contribute to, nor support our existence in any way. The reason they can provide some products at a lower cost is because they don't provide you with the service of a doctor.

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Veterinarian Position Available

We would like to have another veterinarian on staff. This person doesn't have to do surgeries, but can if they like to. Nor would this doctor be required to care for large animals, but they could.

This could be a part-time position, a full-time position, or a partner position. In all cases, the person must be motivated and a good fit in our environment.

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Licensed Veterinary Technician

This position requires a formal education and a State issued license, and is the highest paid position with regard to medical staffing under the doctor.

In the state of Tennessee, as in many others, it is unlawful, in fact a class B misdemeanor, for someone to claim they are, or use the words "tech", "technician", or "veterinary technician", in association with their names unless they are licensed.

Experienced Assistant

A significantly experienced assistant would have experience in many facets of the veterinary practice. This would typically include experience monitoring anesthesia during surgeries. We expect at least some anesthesia monitoring experience.

Volunteer positions are also available

Volunteering is an option, and a good way for someone to learn from others by shadowing and doing various tasks. Any volunteer working directly with animals must be at least 18-years old, and should be motivated to learn. It is a good opportunity to work with all other staff positions, and see if the job is a future for them.

Basic Culture

All positions must be willing to multi-role as needed. A high degree of professionalism is a must. Building a strong client relationship is important. Clients must be treated in a valued way.

No cursing, foul language, nor smoking and/or vaping permitted on these premises. Discussions involving politics and religion not allowed.

All articles and information this site copyright © 2024-2026, Angelica Inc. Rockwood, Tennessee, unless otherwise noted. Reproduction without written permission forbidden. For permission to use articles, or to send comments or editorial suggestions, write to: rodcopter@gmail.com.

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