Preparing For Your Visit

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Please be prepared to provide Dr. LaCava with copies of your pets previous medical history. We believe that accurate and comprehensive medical records are imperative to providing the best veterinary care to your best friend.

When you make your appointment, Dr. LaCava will email you customized paperwork for you to fill out based on the services you are requesting. You can either email the paperwork back to Dr. LaCava, or print it to give to Dr. LaCava at the appointment. A signed consent form is required for us to perform services. 

Please have your pet ready to be examined. If your pet is difficult to catch, please have your pet isolated before your scheduled appointment. 

You have the doctor's individual attention in your home, so ask lots of questions! If you find it helpful, prepare a list of questions and they will be addressed during your visit.

We understand you are busy, but please do not schedule your appointment when you will not be able to provide your full attention. While working from home allows some freedoms, we ask that you treat our time like you would if you were in a brick and mortar hospital, and please do not actively work while we are there. We will likely need to ask you additional questions. We will also provide you with a great deal of information regarding your pet's health, so you will want to be present.  We will give you our individual attention, we would appreciate yours, as well. 

We are unable to provide a payment schedule at this time, so please be prepared to pay (via cash, check, or credit card) at the time of your visit.

If your home requires special instructions to locate, please disclose this when scheduling or before appointment day. Texting complex instructions to your home AFTER we send the text informing you that we are on our way will not be read, since we will be driving. 

We also have a 48 Hour Cancellation/Rescheduling Policy. Please give us at least 48 hours notice if you need to cancel your appointment, or you will be billed for a house call. The only way to cancel an appointment is to CALL AND LEAVE A MESSAGE at 203.417.1744. Please DO NOT use EMAIL to cancel an appointment.

Our cancellation window is longer than most practices, because we are mobile. A short notice cancellation can impact our day greatly, so please be courteous. 

 Cat Specific Preparations:

• Cats must be sequestered in a carrier or in a small room, such as a bathroom. A small room with minimal furniture is ideal. 
• Please have a large, thick, clean bath towel available to us OUTSIDE of the room in which the cat is sequestered. Many cats respond well to being wrapped in a towel. 
• When we arrive, DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR TO THE ROOM THE CAT IS IN. We will enter the room first. If you INSIST on entering the room first, and the cat escapes, we will not wait for recapture longer than 15 minutes, and if recapture is not achieved you will be charged a house call fee. 
• Cats DO NOT behave the same way when people are in the home, so DO NOT wait until we get there to have them in a room. 
• If there are windows in the room, please CLOSE THE WINDOWS. 
• If cats are NOT ready to be examined when we arrive, we will not proceed with the appointment and you will be responsible for a house call fee. 
• If you have trouble sequestering your cat, let us know while making the appointment, and please let us know via text at least one hour before our appointment time if you were not successful.
• TIPS: Starting several days before the appointment, start putting a high value treat or wet food in the bathroom or room you wish to use for the exam. Let the cat enter the room, eat, and DO NOT lock the cat in the room. After a few times, your cat will enter the room to eat. The day of the appointment, put the food in the room and when the cat enters, close the door. 
• WE WILL GIVE A 5% DISCOUNT ON THE ENTIRE INVOICE TO OWNERS WHO HAVE THEIR CAT IN A CARRIER WHEN WE ARRIVE. (not valid if paying by credit card)