Frequently Asked Questions

Drop-off times for surgery/drop-off appointments are from 8 am-9 am on weekdays only. We do not offer overnight stays unless your pet is being hospitalized.

We do accept walk-ins until 3PM Monday – Friday. If your pet needs to be seen later than 3PM or on the weekend, we do ask that you have an appointment.

We do not have a groomer on staff at this time, we do however offer basic baths, medicated baths, nail trims, and brush outs.

We mainly see small animals (dogs and cats) the majority of the time for all types of concerns, but Dr. Pitzer will see just about anything including but not limited to (rabbits, guinea pigs, exotics, goats, pigs and horses). She sees dogs, cats and horses more than anything but just call and ask and we will be happy to help as much as we can. If we feel another Doctor can help you more pertaining to your specific concern, we will refer you to the best place possible.

Intestinal or internal parasites are commonly known as worms, although some parasites are of the protozoal family as well. It is very common that pets are born with and pick up these yucky parasites monthly. When a pet has parasites they can be “poor doers” remaining at an unhealthy weight, malnourished and even become dehydrated and very sick. It is very important that all young pets be checked for parasites with a stool sample and adult pets be checked yearly. All pets need to remain on monthly prevention for heartworms and intestinal parasites. There are a few options for monthly prevention against heartworms and intestinal parasites that we will be happy to discuss with you. We can check your pet and de-worm appropriately at your pets visit with us.

External parasites are commonly known as Fleas, Ticks, and Lice. Fleas and ticks are the main concern in pets and living in Louisiana we see a great deal of flea and tick problems with our pets. It is important that your pet is on a preventative, especially if they live outdoors. For dogs, we recommend Nexgard monthly for dogs (which last one month), or Bravecto (which last for three months, and is the Doctor’s favorite) and dogs seem to love it! For cats we recommend topicals (a liquid that goes on the skin that is absorbed into their bloodstream) because it is so difficult for an owner to pill their own cat without getting bitten, topicals are much easier to use on a cat. Revolution or Advantage Multi are monthly topicals for cats that cover a large variety of things, such as; heartworms as well as intestinal (worms) and external parasites (fleas, ticks, and ear mites). Bravecto is a topical for cats that cover fleas and ticks and last for 3 months.

For dogs and cats, we start vaccines at 8 weeks of age. They will receive 3 rounds of vaccines (three weeks to one month apart) before they are fully protected against disease. Then they will need vaccines every 6 months to one year depending on the individual pet. In order to ensure the quality and efficacy of a vaccine, we recommend that a Veterinarian vaccinate your pets because vaccines need to be from a reputable veterinary medical distributer, shipped, stored, and handled properly as well as remain at a cool temperature or they will not work!

ALL DOGS should be on heartworm prevention monthly which are chewable tablets (Iverheart, Heartgard, etc.) or they should be given the Proheart Injection every 6 months (an injection that protects against heartworms and intestinal worms that last for 6 months), they do have to be at their mature weight to receive the Proheart Injection. “Combining the Proheart Injection with Bravecto is the Doctor’s favorite, you get maximum coverage for your pet and this is the most cost-effective choice in the long run, and plus you don’t have to remember to give your dog a pill every month.” Having your dog on heartworm prevention is ONE OF THE BEST THINGS you can do as a responsible pet owner. Too many dogs in Louisiana and in the south, in general, die of this awful disease and it is 100% preventable! Please see the link below to understand Heartworm disease. Visit the American Heartworm Society for more information.

We recommend that if you have a puppy or kitten and you want them spayed and/or neutered that you schedule it at 5-6 months for females (spaying them early prevents cancer) although the Doctor will spay them later as well. If you have a male we recommend that you schedule them at 5-6 months to one year of age, although we can do this later too. Please address your concerns with the Doctor.

For deep-chested breeds of dogs: Great Danes, Dobermans, Cane Corso, Mastiffs, Great Pyrenees, Boxers, Standard Poodles, German Shepherds, and in some instances Labrador Retrievers our Doctor highly recommends that a Gastropexy be performed as well at the time of the Spay/Neuter procedure at 10-12 months of age.

Make sure that if you schedule a surgical procedure you FAST your pet for 12 hours prior to bringing them in the following morning. This means taking away their food for 12 hours, they can have water though. If you do not fast your pet, anesthesia may make your pet vomit and this can cause your pet to aspirate liquid and food contents into their lungs which can be life-threatening.** You will be reminded to fast your pet on the reminder call you will receive the day prior.

Remember, it is YOUR responsibility as a pet owner to FAST your pet. If it makes you feel more comfortable you can leave your pet with us overnight the day before the surgery at no cost and we will make sure your pet is properly fasted and taken care of.

All Owners will be sent home with a Discharge Surgery Form for their pet, the post-surgical discharge instructions will also be printed out on your Invoice. Please follow the instructions on this form! If you do not follow these instructions and complications arise due to failure to follow Doctors Instructions, it will be YOUR responsibility if a recheck exam and repair must be done. You will be responsible for all costs accrued.

All puppies and kittens should have an initial health check by a veterinarian as soon as you get them. We will follow up with exams accordingly pertaining to your pet’s specific needs and the vaccine schedule. Pets 5 years of age and younger should be seen at least once to twice yearly for a health check.

Due to pets aging faster than we do, senior pets (6 years of age and older) it is highly recommended that they are seen every 3 to 6 months for an overall health check.

If you are ever concerned or have an emergency, we recommended that your pet be seen by our Doctor as soon as possible.

Contact our office immediately if during normal business hours or go to an emergency veterinarian.
You can also call Animal Poison control and they can help, (888) 426-4435 OR  Visit the ASPCA Poison Control website for more information

For After Hour Emergencies We Recommend:

Small Animals

Baton Rouge Pet Emergency Hospital
Phone: (225) 925-5566
Address: 1514 Cottondale Dr #2 Baton Rouge, LA 70815

South Sherwood Animal Hospital
Phone: (225) 293-6440
Address: 3803 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd Suites A & B, Baton Rouge, LA 70816

Large Animals

LSU Large Animal Hospital
Phone: (225) 578-9500
Address: Skip Bertman Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70803

No, we do not offer payment plans especially through our clinic nor do we accept checks. Payments must be made in full before your pet leaves the hospital.

However, we understand how unexpected medical expenses can arise so we do offer Smart Care, which you can apply for, and they can give you a certain amount that you are approved for. Smart Care is through Campus Federal Bank in Baton Rouge. Smart Care is very similar to CareCredit. We can help you apply for it in our office as well. This has truly been a lifesaver for some clients!

Click here to learn more about our payment options

www.petplace.com

Click here to view the pet food recall list

Click here to visit ASPCA website and learn more about the toxic substance list.