At Cascade Hospital for Animals (CHFA) and Breton Village Animal Clinic (BVAC), the safety and health of our patients, clients, and staff is our top priority. Effective Monday, November 9, 2020, we have modified our curbside services due to inclement Michigan winter weather. We are excited to welcome our clients back into our building for check in and check out.
What you need to know:
How check in and check out works:
Outpatient appointments – At check in, we will ask for your cell phone and credit card information. We will have you exit through the exit lobby and wait in your car while the technician and DVM examine and treat your pet. We will contact you by telephone to discuss what your pet needs and let you know when your pet is ready for you to meet us at the lobby exit. Please wait in your vehicle and remain in the parking lot. Keep your cell phone turned on and near you. Our staff will be communicating with you via cell phone and will need to be able to reach you.
Grooming – Please check in your pet in the main lobby at your scheduled check in time. You may pick up your pet in the main lobby.
Boarding, day admission, rehab and baths – Please check in your pet in the main lobby. You may pick up your pet in the main lobby.
Surgery and Dental check in (CHFA) – Please come in through the main entrance at your scheduled check in time and follow the signs to the surgery and dental check in area. A Veterinary Nurse will meet with you in an exam room for check in and discharge.
Exotics Surgery check in (BVAC) – Please come in though the main entrance. You will check your pet in at the reception desk, complete paperwork and provide payment for your deposit. You may pick up your pet at the reception desk after check out.
We strongly encourage all visitors to either location to remain at home if they are feeling ill or displaying any signs of respiratory illness.
We offer Telemedicine:
If you have a medical concern about your dog or cat, but don't want to risk the exposure of COVID-19, you can schedule an appointment with Dr. Abel through our app! Learn more at https://chfa.net/services/veterinary-telemedicine.
Prescriptions refills:
All prescription refills will be ready the next day. Please enter through the main entrance for pickup and payment.
You may also refill prescriptions at our online pharmacy: https://www.myvetstoreonline.pharmacy/main.asp…free shipping over $38!
Payments:
We accept Cash, Check and Credit cards (MC, Visa, Discover, Care Credit)
We do not accept American Express
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this ever-changing situation. We appreciate your loyalty and look forward to seeing you and your pet soon!
Making the decision to have an anesthetic or surgical procedure performed on your pet can be difficult or stressful. Our team will help you understand the advantages, risks and alternatives to the procedures your cat or dog needs. We have carefully chosen protocols and procedures to minimize the stress, discomfort or risk to your pet. We are here to guide you through the decision making process and to help you care for "our" patient before and after the procedure.
Pre-Surgical Instructions
Although some surgical procedures or patient-specific requirements call for modifications of our pre-surgical instructions, the following general guidelines apply to most surgeries:
Feeding: Unless directed otherwise, please do not feed any food after midnight the night before surgery. A small treat can be given in the morning, if it is needed to administer medications.
Water: You can allow your pet to drink water until you leave to come in for surgery.
Medications: Generally speaking, we prefer your pet to continue taking any medications they are currently prescribed. We may have special instructions for patients taking particular medications like insulin or some pain relief medications.
Check-in: Your check-in time will be scheduled between 7:30 - 9:00 AM. It is important we have all patients in the hospital prior to us starting surgery, so we can provide appropriate pre-anesthetic medications and plan our procedures safely.
We will require you to leave us a telephone number where you can be reached if we have any questions or to call you following the procedure.
We will provide written instructions on appropriate post-operative care for your pet. Please let us know if you have any questions.
Anesthesia
Cascade Hospital for Animals is accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). We follow their strict guidelines pertaining to pre-surgical evaluation, anesthetic monitoring, recovery procedures and pain management. We perform pre-anesthetic blood testing prior to administering anesthesia. Depending on the age and condition of your pet, other testing might be required (e.g. radiographs, ECG, clotting panels, etc.). These tests help us evaluate anesthetic and surgical risk and potential complications.
Veterinary anesthesia is extremely safe when the patients are properly evaluated, ongoing medical conditions are appropriately treated and anesthesia is carefully monitored. There is always some risk to anesthesia, but our highly trained surgery team will take all the steps we can to minimize that risk.
Many variables influence the length of anesthetic recovery, including type of anesthesia used, length of the procedure, age and condition of the patient, and post-operative pain medications. It is normal for some patients to be lethargic or disoriented the evening following anesthesia. You will need to protect your pet from stairs, jumping off furniture, bodies of water and anywhere else they might endanger themselves.
Post Surgical Care
You will receive detailed written post-operative instructions for your pet that will be specifically tailored to the procedure performed and your pet's needs. However, here are some general guidelines that apply to most procedures:
Hospitalization: Whether a patient is discharged the evening of the procedure or is hospitalized for one or more nights depends on the length and type of surgery, and the post-operative needs of the condition of the pet. We will generally schedule a time for you to pick up your pet either at the time of admission or when we contact you after the procedure. Occasionally we have high-risk or critical patients transferred to a 24-hour care facility for continuous monitoring or treatment.
Patients should be monitored closely for the initial 24 hours at home. They may be confused or disoriented from the anesthesia and pain medications and need to be protected from injuring themselves.
Food & water: Unless directed otherwise, allow a small amount of food (25% of normal feeding) and water after your pet has had a chance to settle down, then wait 20 - 30 minutes to make sure they have no nausea or vomiting before feeding an additional small amount of food. Normal feeding can generally resume the following morning.
Activity: Please restrict running, jumping or playing activity. Limit outdoor activity to the minimum amount of leash-controlled time outside necessary to provide for eliminations.
Incisions: Your pet may have visible or buried dissolving sutures. You will be instructed when to have the incision rechecked and sutures removed. Please prevent licking or scratching at the incision site. Monitor the site for redness, bruising, swelling or discharge. Occasionally a bandage or Elizabethan collar may be needed to protect the incision.
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There are several training and behavioral modification methods that can be tried prior to resorting to surgical declawing of your kitten. Please feel free to contact us for more information. We carry both the Feliway and Feliscratch products mentioned below in our hospitals.