Our Policies
Felines First Veterinary Hospital
Deposits, Appointments and Payment Policy
Due to limited appointment and surgery schedule availability, and after careful consideration of the rate of failed appointments, Felines First Veterinary Hospital will collect a deposit in the amount of the service cost of the evaluation, exam, drop-off, recheck, consult, or surgery for the type of appointment being reserved with the veterinarian.
We regret the need to create this policy but, as a new small business with one veterinarian, our schedule is limited and often booked up. Clients failing to arrive or provide notice have a large effect on the practice and our ability to provide timely care for other patients in need of the already limited appointments available. We apologize for any inconvenience with the implementation of this policy and hope to continue providing care for all of our patients. The following policy has been designed with fairness in mind and consideration of our time and our clients’ time and needs. This policy is effective beginning October 27th, 2022 to all clients and appointment reservations of the listed types above and below.
Scheduling, deposits, and payments are for and handled solely by Felines First Veterinary Hospital, therefore all notices referenced below are to be provided to the dedicated phone line (252 637-4541 option 2) or email (reception@felinesfirstvet.com) for FFVH ONLY.
Deposits:
The deposit amount will be equal to the service cost of the evaluation, exam, drop-off, recheck, or consult that is being scheduled. Deposits for surgeries are a set price. The deposit must be paid at the time of reserving any appointment type, with the exception of emergency visits and run-back "tech" appointments that are scheduled with assistants. Appointment times will not be reserved until the deposit is paid. The deposit amount collected at the time of scheduling will cover the anticipated main service charge but may be different from the service charge ultimately determined by the Veterinarian at the visit. The deposit amount will be waived on the invoice as a credit when checking out after your scheduled appointment. Balances for all other charges incurred must be paid for, in full, at the time services are provided.
Appointment requirements:
Early arrival time is requested for all visits as this allows the time needed to prepare necessary paperwork prior to the start of the scheduled appointment time and maximizes the time that's been reserved for your cat's individual needs. All cats must be placed in pet carriers before entering the waiting room.
Appointments of any type are considered failed in the event of a no-show or in the event that the arrival time is more than 10 minutes past the scheduled visit, and deposits will be forfeited.
New Clients:
It is required that all new clients submit the new client form and any previous veterinarian records of any pets being examined, electronically or in person at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled appointment. This allows time to update your pets’ records and acquire necessary information about your cat’s health and history in an effort to provide informed care to each and every patient. If your information is not provided by the 24 hour mark from your appointment, your appointment will be rescheduled until that information may be obtained.
Drop-Offs:
All drop-off appointments must arrive at the scheduled time between 7:30 am and 8:30 am. This allows time for proper pre-evaluation set-up and that day’s schedule considerations.
Surgery:
Surgery patients must arrive at the scheduled time between 7:30 am and 7:45 am with a 15 minute grace period. This allows time for necessary vitals to be assessed, pre-anesthetic preparation, and pre-medication prior to induction. All surgery appointments will require a deposit of a predetermined amount for the type of procedure at the time of scheduling.
Second Opinions:
When scheduling a second opinion, if the records to be reviewed are from any veterinary hospital other than Craven Animal Hospital (due to immediate access of patient files and diagnostic reports), they must be provided as soon as possible, and at the latest 24 hours prior to the scheduled time. Failure to provide these records in the allowed time frame will result in the need to reschedule, using the one allowed reschedule.
Behavioral consults:
Behavioral consults require the questionnaire provided to clients by the veterinarian to be submitted as early as possible and, at the latest, 24 hours prior to the scheduled appointment. In the event of failure to provide this information within the allowed time frame, the appointment will need to be rescheduled, using the one allowed reschedule. As with all appointments, failure to be available within 10 minutes of the original scheduled consult time, failure to provide at least 24 hours notice of the need to reschedule the original consult, or failure to be available at the rescheduled time, will result in forfeiture of the deposit.
Deposits and Rescheduling:
The deposit amount collected will apply to the original reserved appointment for an in-person evaluation, drop-off for evaluation, recheck exam, consult, second opinion, or surgery. In the event of the need to reschedule the original appointment, drop-off, recheck, consult, second opinion, or surgery, one rescheduled visit is permitted to which the deposit would still apply, provided notice is given to Felines First Veterinary Hospital at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled appointment time. Voicemail messages or emails received in the appropriate time window are acceptable. Failure to provide Felines First Veterinary Hospital with at least 24 hours notice of the need to reschedule or, failure to arrive within 10 minutes of the rescheduled appointment, will result in forfeiture of the deposit.
Deposits and Cancellations:
In the event of a cancellation, the deposit may be refunded if Felines First Veterinary Hospital is provided at least 24 hours notice by phone at 252-637-4541 opt.2, or by email at reception@felinesfirstvet.com. Voicemail messages or emails received in the appropriate time window are acceptable.
Delays and emergencies:
To allow ample time for all patients and scheduled surgical procedures, we operate primarily by appointment. Please realize that we make a sincere attempt to see each client on time. Emergency cases that our hospital agrees to schedule will always receive top priority, which is why occasional appointment delay is inevitable. An emergency fee will apply for any unscheduled visits.
Payment Policy:
We require full payment at the time that services are rendered. For your convenience, we accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Care Credit, cash and personal checks. We do not currently offer any in-house financing options or payment plans.