Policies
Thanks for choosing us to be your veterinary healthcare provider! In order to ensure that all our patients and clients receive the best possible care, please keep the following policies in mind when you come in.
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The FIRST 5 EXISTING CLIENTS in line at 9am for vaccines only, will get checked in first. You must only have 1 pet with you to get checked in first. After the first 5 vaccines are checked in and placed in rooms, we will open up for all exams and vaccines.
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WINTER months check-in- At 8am (Mon/Wed/Fridays only), we will place a board on our front door for everyone to sign in on while they wait for us to open at 9am. Please put your information down and then you can head back to your warm vehicle while you wait for us to call you in. This is to help save spots in line so you do not have to continue to wait in the cold.
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Closed for lunch: We will be closed (Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday) from 12:30pm to 1pm for a 30 minute lunch break for all of our staff. We will not be accepting walk-ins, prescription, or pet pick up at anytime during this 30 minute period. (Times can vary by 10-15min depending on how busy we are)
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Vehicles: Please make sure you have a vehicle to wait in with your pet while you are here. Make sure your vehicle is equipped with A/C (for summer months) and a heater (winter months) to ensure both you and your pet are kept comfortable while waiting. We recommend that ALL brachycephalic breeds do not wait in the heat during the summer months as they are more likely to have heat stroke during the hot summers.
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PARKING: Parking spaces are first come first serve. Please do NOT park in no parking zones. This is becoming a huge issue here and people are having problems getting around the parking lot. If you are parked in a no parking zone or parked in a non parking spot, you will be TOWED at your own expense.
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Payment is due at time of service. There are no exceptions. Failure to pay at time of service will result in permanent suspension of any and all services.
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Be prepared for long wait times! Our wait times can occasionally be short, but may climb to as much as 3-4 hours on a busy day. Please plan accordingly!
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Client behavior: We are saddened that we have to put this up. However, due to daily client intimidation, belligerent behavior and disrespect towards our staff members, its a must at this point. We have policies set for specific reasons and we DO NOT tolerate our staff to be talked down to, intimidated, or cursed at. IF this happens, you WILL be asked to leave and to not return, this is a ZERO tolerance policy. We will give you a copy of your records for your future vet to have. We want our staff, clients, and patients to have a healthy happy relationship.
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Coughing dogs and dogs with GI symptoms should NOT enter the building until it is their turn to be seen and have been told the pet can come into the building. Any pet with coughing, sneezing, vomiting or diarrhea and who are not eating or drinking must wait outside IN YOUR VEHICLE. You also must have proof of vaccines if your pet is vomiting, having diarrhea or not eating or drinking. If you do not have proof of vaccines, your pet will need to be tested for Parvovirus (exam $35 and Parvo test $30) For more information, click here. There is a $50 cleaning fee if we have to clean/ sanitize after your pet.
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All dogs who require a muzzle for safe handling must arrive with a basket muzzle (click for a good example). Traditional muzzles, especially ones with velcro will not be accepted due to the safety risk they pose, since they inhibit the dog's ability to pant and regulate body temperature. We do not have basket muzzles for sale, and your pet will be turned away if you arrive unprepared for your visit. Basket muzzles can be bought at pet stores or online. We are no longer providing muzzles and you MUST have your own. If you are not able to muzzle your pet, you will be turned away.
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If you are coming in from another vet, emergency clinic, specialty clinic, for a second opinion, or you just have records from another clinic, you MUST have records sent over in advance for a 24- 48 (business) hour review period. We need to have the records to review in order to determine if we are able to see your pet or not and to ensure we are doing everything we can for your pet. Pets with longer medical histories or more complicated cases, we ask you to give us at least 48 hours to go over paperwork. Failure to do this will result in us having you return another day once we can view your records. **Please note: If you are having records sent over, please be sure to call & leave a message or text us to let us know records have been sent over for your pet and you would like them to be reviewed and what the reason is for the review.**
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Written Prescriptions: Due to a larger amount of people wanting written prescriptions, limited staff and the time it takes for written prescriptions to be done, we will now be charging a $5 fee for all written prescriptions as of 4/1/22.
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Waiting with your pet and pet behavior in the lobby: In order to keep our lobby as peaceful as possible, we require all patients exhibiting fractious or noisy behavior to wait outside in your vehicle while you are checking in, waiting to be seen, and checking out. Please note that NO pet is allowed to wait in the bed of any truck, tied up anywhere outside of our building or tied up in the grass area next to our building during anytime of year but especially during the warmer months. You will be told to place your pet into the vehicle with you where they have access to the A/C or heater (depending on the time of year) or you will be asked to leave if you can not provide appropriate accommodations for your pet.
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Facebook Updating: We work hard to make sure our Facebook is updated if we cut off earlier than normal on most days. We also post new information and any upcoming changes. However, we do not check the messages on our Facebook due to overwhelming demand. Please check it out and like us on Facebook to keep in the loop. https://www.facebook.com/MichiganStreetVet/
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Dental/ Teeth cleaning update: Due to overwhelming demand and limited doctor and technician availability, we have stopped performing dentals that need major extractions at this time. However, we will still be doing the teeth cleanings. We are not performing any extractions on cats.
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No more than 2 animals per person per visit. Exceptions are made for litters of puppies or kittens (a litter vaccination fee of $35 will be charged in addition to any medications, vaccines, or procedures performed). This will be enforced in the event of only having 1 doctor on the medical side.
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All fractious cats and dogs will have an additional fee of $10-$20. This fee will cover the additional time/restraint/assistance your pet requires. This will become effective July 1, 2021.
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Kittens/Puppies age: Unfortunately, we are unable to assist with puppies and kittens under the age of 6 weeks.
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Rabies Vaccines: Are required by law, no matter the pet or if they are indoor or outdoor. It is required especially when handling your pet so it decreases a rabies risk for our staff. If your pet does not have one, it will be done when your pet is in unless otherwise noted by the doctor due to medical condition.
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Prescription refills: For all prescription refills, you must allow 24-72 hours for your prescription to be filled. Please call ahead, leave us a detailed message, text our phone number or ask for one through our Vitus Vet App! If your prescription is a special order, you will be required to prepay for the medication before it can be ordered.
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Cut-off times may vary due to patient load and doctor schedules. We reserve the right to turn away clients that arrive after we have cut off for the day. We will do everything we can to inform clients of any change in schedule, including updating our Facebook page, website hours, and voicemail hours.
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We are NOT an emergency clinic. For true emergencies, we always recommend proceeding directly to an emergency clinic. We may be able to help in certain emergency situations, but we may refer you to an emergency clinic if the patient would be better served there. For a list of local emergency clinics, please click here.
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We do NOT respond to faxed requests for prescriptions or prescription refills, and we do NOT fax or call in prescriptions to outside pharmacies. We do NOT respond to requests to confirm prescription orders by fax or email. If you wish to have a prescription filled outside our facility, you must pick up a written script at the office. There are no exceptions. For prescription food orders, you may either request a written script or you may purchase food from our online pharmacy.
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We do not provide training or behavioral services. Owners of pets with separation anxiety, aggression, or other behavioral concerns are encouraged to find a specialist.
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West Michigan Street Veterinary Clinic declines to provide any medical services for any breeding animals under joint ownership or contract under any circumstances. By signing any medical or surgical release forms, you acknowledge that you are the sole owner of a pet being presented for medical services, and you acknowledge that West Michigan Street Veterinary Clinic is not liable for any breach of contract that may result between the client and any joint owner or individual with breeding agreements.