Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I get my pet’s annual vaccinations at the North Laurel Animal Hospital?
   Yes. We are proud to provide all routine vaccinations and yearly exams.
2. How often should my pet receive preventative vaccinations?
   We recommend vaccinating your pet once a year. This will ensure that your pet will be healthy if they become exposed to disease. The American Animal Hospital Association advises that protocols have changed in recent years based on the activities of various animals. For instance, if cats are regularly outdoors, they may need to be strictly vaccinated every year. If cats are only indoors, they may need to be vaccinated less regularly. We still recommend that animals be vaccinated once a year. For more specific vaccine protocols, please go to the Forms tab on the left side menu and download our vaccine protocols for cats and dogs.
3. Is consistent flea, tick and heartworm prevention really necessary?
   Yes. We recommend your pet be on preventative medicine for these parasites for life. This will ensure a high level of parasite and disease prevention.
4. Can I board my animal with the North Laurel Animal Hospital if I am not a client?
   Yes you can board your animal with the North Laurel Animal Hospital if you are not a client. We accept any animals to board with us. However, if the pet is not a patient of our hospital, our doctors are required to examine your pet. Your pet must also be current on all vaccines. This is to ensure the health and safety of the other animals in the hospital. In order to ensure this requirement is met, we need proof of current vaccines from your veterinarian. If proof cannot be obtained, we will be happy to provide the necessary vaccinations for you.
5. Can my pet be groomed by Cindy Shipley, the North Laurel Animal Hospital groomer, if my pet is not a client at the North Laurel Animal Hospital?
   Yes, Cindy can groom your pet regardless of whether it is a patient or not. We simply require proof that your pet is current on all vaccines. To do this, we must see medical records from your regular veterinarian.
6. Does my pet have to be current on all vaccines to board at the North Laurel Animal Hospital?
   Yes, to ensure the health and safety of the other pets in the hospital, we require proof that your pet is current on all vaccines. If your pet is a patient at our hospital, we can verify vaccinations through our own records. If not, we need to see medical records from your regular veterinarian. If your pet is not current, we can administer the necessary vaccinations upon admittance to the hospital.
7. What happens if my pet becomes ill while it is boarding at the North Laurel Animal Hospital?
   If your pet becomes ill while boarding at the North Laurel Animal Hospital, the doctor on staff will treat your pet for the appropriate problem at hand and will make every attempt to establish contact with you (the owner) to inform you of your pet’s condition.
8. To mitigate the costs involved with such situations, we have developed the North Laurel Animal Hospital Boarding Insurance program. For a $5 flat fee, your pet will be protected for up to $300 in medical care for any conditions which may arise during their stay at our hospital. This does not include any pre-existing conditions which may flare up or worsen during their stay. The most common condition we have encountered is stress related diarhhea which is covered by our Boarding Insurance.
9. If I am a new client, how do I get my pet’s medical records to the staff at the North Laurel Animal Hospital?
   We welcome all new clients at the North Laurel Animal Hospital. To get your records to us, you can either bring them in from your previous veterinarian, or request to have them sent to us from your previous veterinarian. Some hospitals do charge to have records transferred.
10. Can I buy preventative flea, tick and heartworm medication from the North Laurel Animal Hospital?
    Yes you can buy preventative flea, tick and heartworm medication from the North Laurel Animal Hospital with a valid prescription. We simply need to see proof of a current heartworm test. If you have not had a heartworm test for your pet within the last year, we highly recommend it and can conduct the test onsite. We do require a heartworm test to be current in order to fill heartworm medication requests. We can fill prescriptions for heartworm medication from other doctors.
11. Can I have my pet’s prescription filled at the North Laurel Animal Hospital?
    We are happy to fill your pet's prescription for medication. Unfortunately, in accordance with state law, the North Laurel Animal Hospital is unable to fill prescriptions written by other veterinarians or facilities. The only prescriptions that we can fill when prescribed by another veterinarian are for heartworm preventative and specialty diets. This can be done when two conditions are satisfied:

• You present proof that your pet has had a heartworm test within the previous year And
• You provide the prescription from your veterinarian

1. Can I buy special diet pet food from the North Laurel Animal Hospital?
   For special diet pet food such as EN, ZD or other diets, we must see a prescription from another veterinarian stating that your pet needs this food, or we can prescribe it after examination of your pet.
2. Does the North Laurel Animal Hospital perform surgical procedures?
   Yes. We are proud to have Dr. Bob Cohn and Dr. Kristine Covert performing surgical procedures at the North Laurel Animal Hospital. Combined, they have nearly 40 years of surgical experience and are highly adept at soft tissue surgery, ophthalmic surgery, and some orthopedic surgery (mostly limited to smaller animals).
3. How often should my pet have a routine health check?
   We recommend all pets be examined once per year. This is especially important as your pet ages. After your pet’s 7th birthday, bi yearly examinations are a necessity.
4. What is microchipping and is it performed by the North Laurel Animal Hospital?
   Microchipping is the practice of inserting a computer chip underneath the skin of your pet. This microchip contains the owner or animal hospital’s contact information in the event that the pet does become lost. You may not think this is a pertinent issue for you but consider the facts; 33% of pets will become lost during their lifetime. Only 17% of lost dogs and a mere 2% of lost cats ever find their owners again. Shelters will euthanize stray animals in as little as three days if no owner can be located. Besides getting lost, natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornados and floods can displace pets. At the North Laurel Animal Hospital, we use the HomeAgain microchipping system due to their commitment to finding lost pets and their extensive resources and capabilities in locating lost pets. We do recommend HomeAgain but we can identify and read microchips from any other brands on the market. Microchipping should be used on all pets to prevent the worst from happening.
5. What are the most common reasons pets are taken to the veterinarian?
   The Veterinary Practice News researched and published the results of a study on the top 10 reasons pets go to the vet in their August 2008 issue. They conducted this study for both dogs and cats. Here are the results:
   

Dogs: Ear infections Skin Allergies Pyoderma (hot spots) Gastritis (vomiting) Enteritis (diarrhea) Urinary tract infections Benign skin tumors Eye inflammation Osteoarthritis Hypothyroidism

Cats Urinary tract infections Gastritis (vomiting) Chronic renal failure Enteritis (diarrhea) Diabetes milletus Skin allergies Colitis (constipation) Ear infections Respiratory infections Hyperthyroidism

If your pet experiences any of these symptoms, it is best to schedule a check up immediately, as these symptoms will not go away without proper medical care. Additionally, if they are left unchecked, they could develop into more serious conditions.