Updated 1/21/21
Services Provided
We offer medical and emergency visits by appointment and elective procedures and preventative care, such as wellness exams, spays, neuters, dental cleanings, and nail trims. In order to continue to protect our team and community, we are continuing to operate with enhanced biosecurity protocols in place, including curbside care for your pets, telemedicine consultations, and continuing our vigilant cleaning protocols. Please plan accordingly by scheduling your pet’s appointment well in advance whenever possible and by calling or texting us from your vehicle when you arrive for specific instructions for your pet’s appointment.

Our team continues to work around the clock to ensure our policies keep you, your families, and our team members as healthy and safe as possible amidst this COVID-19 pandemic. This is our first priority.

As a small business, we are committed to keeping our community and team members as safe as possible. Our leadership team has provided us with by-the-minute guidance, information, and personal thermometers so we can keep ourselves and our families safe. Sick team members remain at home, and we’re encouraging everyone to avoid travel.

Some of the measures we are taking to increase social distancing may seem to lower our normal level of customer service, and we thank you for your patience with us as our team navigates these new protocols. It is vital that we keep our team healthy in order to keep our doors open. Our team works very closely together to provide the services we do, and it is impossible to maintain the recommended 6 feet between all team members. Therefore, it is important that we reduce our team’s exposure as much as possible through the following methods:

Digital Consultations
In order to continue to serve you and your pets, we are now offering digital consultations for established patients! We also give every pet owner the option to be virtually present at their pet’s exam from their vehicle. Click here for the instructions on how to download the TeleTails app to a smartphone.
While telemedicine without an in-clinic exam for your pet is not ideal for every type of concern, some medical appointments, progress exams, and various consultations in real-time can be performed directly from the comfort of your own home. Click here to learn more.

Appointment Guidelines
After scheduling your pet’s appointment, please fill out the online intake form(s) provided by text or email so that the veterinarian or nurse performing your pet’s appointment knows how best to contact you and any concerns you may have. The information provided on the forms is emailed directly to our office, so there is no need to print the form after submitting it.

When you arrive for your pet’s appointment, please call or text the office from your car. A team member will collect your pet from your car, and our veterinarian will contact you during or after the exam to discuss findings and recommendations. We ask that you remain at the practice for the duration of your pet’s appointment.

Curbside Care Guidelines
Please wear your mask covering your nose and mouth when interacting with our team members.

Please show courtesy to all of our clients and patients by maintaining 6 feet of distance between others and avoiding socializing in groups while waiting for our team to attend to your needs.

Pet in a Carrier – Please step out of the car with your pet, and if your pet is in a carrier, place the carrier on the ground and allow one of our team members to pick up the carrier while maintaining 6 feet of social distance.

Pet on a Leash – If you have a dog on a leash, please step out of the car with your pet and allow a team member to place a slip lead. Remove your leash and keep it with you, and we will exchange your pet back to you, maintaining 6 feet of social distance after the appointment. A Flexi leash can be very helpful in maintaining distance, and we have been keeping hot dogs and other treats to help make the experience pleasant for your pets. If your pet is anxious, please let us know before you arrive, and we will be sure to bring treats out if appropriate.

Dropping off Urine or Fecal Samples – Please call or text our team to let us know you have arrived and simply place the samples on the green bookshelf just outside the clinic door.

Curbside Medication and Food Pickup – Please call or text our team to let us know you have arrived. We will process the transaction over the phone or by texting you a secure link and then place your products on the green bookshelf just outside the clinic door.

Prescription Diets – Many prescription diets are currently backordered due to the high volume of orders and supply difficulties. We recommend keeping 2-4 week’s worth of food on hand for your pets and ordering your pet’s diet via autoship at a frequency higher than you would normally expect to use to avoid frustration from shipping delays and backordered products.

Previous Records – Whenever possible, please take pictures of your documents and text or email them to our team or call your previous veterinarian and ask them to email records directly to [email protected].

Boarding Needs
After a great deal of careful consideration, we have decided that our boarding kennel will remain closed for the foreseeable future. We recommend searching Rover for dog and cat sitting services.

If you or any of your family members have any symptoms of illness
Please inform our team members when you call the office if you have been recently exposed to COVID-19 or if any of your household members are ill. If your pet’s concern is not urgent, we will ask that you reschedule to a later date, and if they do need to be seen, a team member will discuss the best options for you and your pets when you call.

Payment Options
In our continued efforts of caution, we ask that you please check out with a credit or debit card instead of cash or checks. We do not save any payment information, as the information provided over the phone is inputted directly into the payment portal. Credit or debit cards, Care Credit, and Scratch Pay transactions can all be processed over the phone or by sending a secure link directly to your cell phone.

Text-To-Pay Details

• If using a Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express credit, or debit card, please have your card available before the end of your appointment.
• A unique link will be texted to your cell phone after the doctor or nurse has reviewed the treatment plan for your pet.
• Input your card information, confident that your information is secure.
• A receptionist will call to schedule any follow-up appointments needed and then email or bring you a copy of the receipt.

We do not have much cash in the practice, as the vast majority of our clients do pay via card. This means that making change for cash transactions can be a challenge. Additional trips to the bank are an exposure risk for our team, and our bank now requires scheduled appointments for lobby visits. Card transactions are very much appreciated during this time of uncertainty.

Online Ordering of Medications and Food
Our online pharmacy has a wide selection of products available and will ship directly to your door. If you need assistance placing an order, please call us, and we will guide you through the process. We are also looking at the possibility of providing delivery of products to your doorstep directly from our office.

Order Purina or Hill’s prescription diets online to be shipped directly to your door. To learn more, click here.

Disinfection Protocols
Lake Road has always taken pride in providing a clean facility for our team, clients, and patients, but we have increased our diligence in wiping high touch surfaces between every appointment.

Be Prepared
Please ensure that you have included your pets in your preparations and have a couple of weeks’ worth of chronic medications and diets on hand. If you need medication or diet refills, please contact us by texting or calling 607-733-6503.

We are Here for You and Your Pets
We realize that this is a time of concern for all involved, and it is important to us that we continue to provide the highest level of care to your furry loved ones. Please feel free to contact us by phone/text at 607-733-6503 or email us at [email protected] with any questions or concerns.

See our newest blog post for the most recent updates on pets and COVID-19 and helping to acclimate your pets to people wearing masks.

We will get through this. Stay well, Friends.

Additional Information:
FAQs for pet owners regarding COVID-19
This information from the AVMA includes many frequently asked questions regarding COVID-19 and our pets.