Frequently Asked Questions

If you have any questions or concerns that were not answered on this page, the Doctors and Staff here at East Lansing Veterinary Clinic want you to feel free to reach out directly. We are more than happy to answer these for you. We want your experience with us to be amazing!

For further inquiries please email us at elvcreception@gmail.com

We know you have questions. We have answers! If you feel that any of your questions or concerns are not addressed below, please contact us.

What Does Modified Curbside Care Mean?

We are keeping our lobby closed to all patrons at this time to reduce risk of exposure to our team and other patients in our care. Your appointment will be started from the parking lot, but end within the clinic!

How Does Curbside Care Work?

When you arrive for your appointment, please park in front of the building in an available space. There are spot numbers located on the building in front of each space. Please call or text the clinic upon arrival and let us know what space you are in. We are dog and cat people, not car people, please don’t tell us the color or make! 🙂 Once you are checked in, one of our team members will call you back to get your appointment started by asking you some questions. From there, one healthy adult can come in for with your pet for the exam and to speak with the doctor. A mask must be worn the entire time you are in the clinic. If you chose, you can remain curbside while we provide care for your pet in the clinic.

What Precautions Are You Taking To Protect Against The Spread Of COVID-19?

We sanitize each exam room after every patient. We clean and sanitize the clinic multiple times daily. All clipboards and pens being used with clients are sanitized each time. All leashes are soaked in sanitizer after each pet. Our team is wearing PPE at all times. If you have at risk family members we can wear more PPE as well during your appointment.

I’m Worried My Pet Will Be More Afraid Without Me Inside With Them!

We understand this is a very real concern! We have found that actually your pet is LESS afraid. Many pets showing fear responses during their appointments is actually because they are afraid we will hurt YOU! Pets have been much more relaxed and less fearful while in the clinic without mom and dad with them. We know this is a tough thing to think your baby is brave without you, but they really are! Even pets that we have known for years and still are fearful, have been much calmer without feeling the need to protect their owner. We practice many Fear Free Techniques and have staff certified in Fear Free to help calm your pets. We can put bandannas with Adaptil or Feliway on them. These are calming pheromone sprays that help reduce anxiety. We also have diffusers with these in every exam room all day. We work with each pet’s specific needs and fears to make sure their appointment is as stress free as possible. We take every opportunity to give treats and cuddles to make it fun for the pets too. We have been taking photos and sharing them to our Facebook page to show you some behind the scenes peeks!

Will I Get To Talk To The Doctor?

Of course! This is why we ask that pet owners have reliable and charged cell phones with them. If you choose to remain curbside, the doctors will give you a call to go over the exam findings. We want you to have all the time and opportunity to talk with the Doctors that you need. Our Doctors are also very comfortable and responsive to emails in case you think of things after your appointment. Feel free to email us anytime!

What If I Don’t Have A Car?

We can still accommodate pet owners who may not have a car. We can bring chairs out for you to sit in. If it is very hot we can bring your pet inside to wait in our air conditioning. We also have a picnic table next to the building for use. Please ask prior to heading to the table. We do reserve this space for owners that have special cases and need further care/conversation with our Doctors.

What Do I Do With My Pet?

For the safety of your pet, yourself and the team, we ask that all cats arrive in an enclosed carrier/container. We ask that dogs have a collar, leash and/or harness properly tightened so they don’t slip out. If your pet is protective of you or the car space, we may ask that you get your dog out of the car for us and we will take them inside. Please do not get your pet out of the car until we come for you. If you have a small dog that doesn’t particularly like us, please hand them to a team member read end first! That way we can hold them safely. Please stay in your car until you are asked otherwise. With our increased appointment load, and increased traffic, it is not safe to have your pet or family members standing outside of the car. Numerous pets will be walking by in each direction and we want to avoid any issues.

What If My Pet Is Having An Emergency?

If you think your pet is having a life or death emergency, please go directly to Michigan State University Veterinary Emergency Department or Greater Lansing Veterinary Center. If you are not sure, please call our office to speak with a team member. We will get a brief history and description of your concerns. The team member may be able to offer immediate advice, or we will check with an on staff Doctor for further direction. If we have you come right in, please call us as soon as you arrive .We will have a team member come out immediately to assess if your pet is stable and able to wait. If a team member determines your pet needs to see a Doctor immediately we will take them inside for triage with a doctor and will call you as soon as we can. We know it is stressful, but we do still need you to stay in the car.

How Long Can I Expect My Appointment To Last?

Since we are having to have conversations on the phone multiple times, appointments are running a little longer than normal. We anticipate a half hour for normal well pet visits. We anticipate at least an hour for sick pet visits. We give priority to sick pets and emergencies. If your appointment is running longer, we ask for patience as we may be caring for a pet in serious need. If you need to reschedule please speak with a team member so we can work with you. If you would like to run a brief errand, please let a team member know.

What If I Need To Cancel/Reschedule My Appointment?

We know things come up and you may need to reschedule or cancel. We ask for a 24 hour notice if you need to cancel. We are very busy and booked out weeks in advance currently. Giving us ample notice allows us to open up those appointment spots to other pets in need, that otherwise we wouldn’t be able to get in. Please talk to a team member if you have any questions about this. If you No Call No Show, you will be billed an exam fee for each scheduled pet.

What If It’s Hot Out And My Car Doesn’t Have Air Conditioning?

Please let us know if this is the case when you arrive! We do not want you or your pets at risk at all while you wait. We can bring your pets inside to stay cool and you can run an errand or somewhere where you can stay cool. We can bring a water bowl out for dogs as well.

What If I Forgot My Phone?

If you forgot your phone you can approach the front windows and wave at a receptionist. We will come outside to assist. We will still have you stay in your car as normal for the appointment.

Why Can’t I Get Through On The Phone?

Since we are doing all of our exams via the phone now, we do not have enough phone lines and at times they can all be in use, meaning you cannot get through. Please keep trying. Our Doctors have cellphones to have conversations with owners to help free up our main lines. If you have non emergent questions we ask that you email us to help keep line free.

How Do I Pay For My Bill?

We are taking all payments over the phone. If you are not comfortable giving the information over the phone, we can bring your card in and use it on the machine as normal. We also accept cash and check if needed.

How Do The Appointments Work For Euthanasias?

If this is where you find yourself with your pet, we want to express our deepest condolences. We know this is not ever easy and COVID makes it much worse. We want you to be with your pet the entire time if you wish. We will accommodate you to the absolute best of our ability to allow you these last precious moments with your loved one. With this being a sensitive time we will try to guide you to a quieter time of day. We will also have special parking and appointment accommodations for you to offer you the most privacy during your appointment. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions or express concerns. We want to support you the entire time. We do not have the ability to do In- Home euthanasias at this time. We recommend Harmony Pet Hospice for at home care.