Frequently Asked Questions
Our team is here to help! Learn more about our hospital operations & services; as well as find resources that will assist you with your visit and pet parenting.
COVID-19 Safety
In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, the demand for veterinary care has surged tremendously nationwide. With many folks spending much more time at home, an increased pet adoptions nation-wide, and many referring and primary vets having cut back hours or temporarily shutting down due to safety concerns, veterinary emergency rooms and referral hospitals across the US have seen an explosion of in the number of patients that they are treating on a daily basis. In order for our hospital to remain open and continue to provide an excellent standard of care for every single patient that visits us, the safety of our staff is of utmost importance.
Please understand that our decision to continue curbside care has not been taken lightly. Veterinary offices face many unique challenges that make it difficult to provide in-person visits during this pandemic. Our exam rooms are not large enough or equipped to allow 3+ persons (doctor, technician, and client) to safely socially distance. Enhanced cleaning protocols would greatly reduce the amount of pets we could see and help, and further reduce access to available veterinary care. It is our mission to ensure our community always has access to the best primary, specialty and emergency veterinary care.
We respectfully request that all humans follow the following safety recommendations as recommended by the CDC:
-
Please wear a mask and maintain safe social distance when interacting with our employees. If you do not have a mask, please inform a staff member and we will provide you with one.
-
If you are experiencing cough, fever, or difficulty breathing, please reschedule or have a healthy family member bring your pet for their appointment
-
For safety reasons, our lobbies are closed for visitors, and our staff members will meet you and your pet curbside upon check-in
To ensure that our staff remains healthy and able to serve you and your pets, our hospital has stringent safety protocols in place including a strict mask policy, daily Employee Health Self-Assessment at the start of each shift, daily temperature checks, and mandatory quarantine and self-isolation as recommended by the CDC for those exposed to COVID-19. In addition, hand sanitizing stations have been stationed conveniently around the hospital to be easily accessible for all staff members.
Please know that we are doing everything in our power to ensure a swift return to in-person appointments again. We will be following CDC recommendations closely in the meantime. We cannot wait for the day we can finally greet our patient's families face to face!
If you find yourself needing to bring your pet to the Emergency Room, and it is possible to prepare, we strongly encourage you to bring snacks and drinks, a comfortable blanket for you and your pet, a phone charger and a source of entertainment such as a book, tablet, or games on your mobile device. Our farm animals love visitors (and Cheerios!) as well, and you are welcome to spend time with them during your visit with us.
Checking-In
When you arrive at the hospital, please text the hospital at (856) 234-7626 with the following information to check-in for your appointment or a prescription pick-up:
“Your pet’s name, your last name, parking spot #, vehicle type/color, department key-word”
Example: “Fluffy LastName, spot 5, black toyota, PC appointment”
Adding a department key-word with your check-in can help our customer service representatives quickly and efficiently identify which department you are checking in for. Please see below for a list of department keywords.
Department keywords:
Behavior= BEHAVIOR
Cardiology = CARDIO
Exotics = EXOTICS
Internal Medicine = IMED
Neurology = NEURO
Oncology = ONCO
Ophthalmology = EYES
Primary Care = PC
Specialty Surgery = SPEC SX
Pharmacy Pick-Up = RX
Admit For Surgery = ADMIT
Discharge = DISCHARGE
You will receive an automated text message that states your message has been received. This is not a 2-way texting line, so please do not attempt to converse via text message. A team member will greet you at the start of your appointment time. If a team member is not with you within 10 minutes of your scheduled appointment time (or within 10 minutes of your arrival for prescription pick up), please resend the check-in info to us.
Emergency Visits
In the face of the coronavirus pandemic, the demand for veterinary care has surged tremendously. With many folks spending much more time at home, increased pet adoptions nation-wide, and many referring and primary vets having cut back hours or temporarily shutting down due to safety concerns, veterinary emergency rooms and referral hospitals across the US have seen an explosion of in the number of patients that they are treating on a daily basis, including our hospital. Please understand that we are working diligently behind the scenes to care for all of our patients. We encourage you to read ahead to learn more about what to expect during your pet’s emergency visit with us!
Arrival
You can now check-in for your Emergency Visit inside our lobby. When you arrive for an emergency, please check-in at our ER check-in counter. Once checked-in, a technician will triage your pet where they will ask you questions about what's going on, and then bring your pet to the Emergency Treatment Room to assess them and start any approved treatments, if needed.
We may ask for you to await the ER clinician's call while in your vehicle, as we are continuing to see Emergencies curbside. Once your pet has been examined by the clinician, they will call you to discuss their findings and recommendations. Once the visit is complete, we will bring your pet back to your vehicle along with any discharge instructions and medications to go home and assist in obtaining payment for services rendered. If you prefer to check-out in-person, you are welcome to come back into the lobby to check-out at our check-out counter.
Triage
Our Emergency Room operates much like a human Emergency Room. Patients are seen based on the severity of their illness or injury, rather than the order of arrival. If your pet is in critical condition, our nurses may obtain verbal permission to start treatments recommended by the attending clinician.
Please know that our team is working diligently behind the scenes to provide all of our patients with prompt care; however, wait times may increase for patients who are stable when we are treating patients who are in life-threatening situations.
Treatment Plan
After examination, your pet’s doctor will call you to discuss their initial findings and secure authorization for diagnostics/treatment/or hospitalization. Once the treatment plan options have been discussed with you, our CSRs will provide you with a cost estimate, discuss payment options and once we have your approval, we will start recommended treatments.
Discharge
When your pet is ready to be discharged, our CSRs will help guide the check-out process, and our emergency room nurses will go over your pet’s discharge instructions with you and answer any questions you may have regarding your pets treatments and at-home care and monitoring.
We appreciate your patience and understanding during your pet's Emergency visit. We’re here for you and the pets you love, and we appreciate your patience with us as we navigate this crisis in the best way we know how, with the best interests of our clients and our MLAH team.
Follow Up Care
Similarly to a human emergency room, our Emergency Services does not provide scheduled appointments for rechecks or follow-up appointments. Mount Laurel Animal Hospital’s Emergency & Specialty Care services are designed to function as an extension of your primary veterinarian's facility. We provide local and referring veterinarians with after-hours emergency services, specialized medical procedures and critical care hospitalization for their clients’ pets. We value the partnership we have with your veterinarian, and for that reason, we will always refer your pet back to your primary vet for follow-up services and continued care once our emergency or specialized services are no longer necessary. We will immediately notify your veterinarian that your pet visited our hospital, and provide them with treatment and follow-up information so they can continue your pet’s care once you leave our hospital.
Hospitalized Patients
Scheduling an Appointment
Requesting an appointment at Mount Laurel Animal Hospital is easy! We have multiple options to accommodate our clients’ preferences and busy lifestyles!
-
Request an appointment online HERE! Requests submitted online will be sent automatically to our Appointment Desk Team! The Appointment Desk is our internal scheduling team that is trained in assisting with appointment requests for all of our specialty departments. Our Appointment Desk is currently staffed 7 days per week from 10A-5P and will respond to your request as soon as possible (please allow up to 24 hours). They can also be reached via email at [email protected] if you have scheduling-related questions or inquiries.
-
OR call the hospital at (856) 234-7626! Our hospital is staffed 24/7 and is available to schedule most appointment requests. Due to COVID-19 and extremely high call volumes, you may experience long hold times especially during peak business hours. We apologize for this inconvenience and are working diligently to reduce wait times and improve our clients’ experience. Your patience is appreciated!
Referral Policy
Mount Laurel Animal Hospital’s Emergency & Specialty Care services are designed to function as an extension of your primary veterinarian's facility. We provide local and referring veterinarians with after-hours emergency services, specialized medical procedures and critical care hospitalization for their clients’ pets. We value the partnership we have with your veterinarian, and for that reason, they will provide follow-up services and continued care once our emergency or specialized services are no longer necessary. We will immediately notify your veterinarian that your pet visited our hospital, and provide them with treatment and follow-up information so they can continue your pet’s care once you leave our hospital.
Referring a Patient
To refer a patient to one of our specialty medicine services, please visit https://mlahvet.com/referrals/ and complete the referral request form. You can also submit cases through your online referral portal, rVetLink, and use the convenient auto-fill feature!
What is auto-fill?
-
Auto-Fill pulls patient and client data directly from your practice management software and auto-fills up to 80% of the eReferral submission.
-
Auto-Fill is free of charge and is compatible with Cornerstone Software, ImproMed, and AVImark.
Setting up Auto-Fill is fast and easy. Visit https://mlahvet.com/referrals/ and click the hyperlink for instructions that explain the set-up process step by step, as well as how to use Auto-Fill.
For troubleshooting and additional details, click the FAQ hyperlink.
We respectfully request that referral requests are made only for clients who have expressed serious interest in following up with a specialist. Please note that the following services are booked up to 2-3 months out: Behavior, Cardiology, Internal Medicine. All emergent cases should be referred to our 24/7 Emergency Room.
Requesting Records (for rDVMs)
To request patient records, please visit https://mlahvet.com/record-request/, click the drop-down menu and select “Requesting Records as rDVM”. Complete the patient and client fields and click “Next”. Finally, click “Submit” on the next page.
Sending Us Records
To upload patient records, please visit https://mlahvet.com/record-request/, click the drop-down menu and select “Uploading Medical Records”. Select the files you wish to upload and select “Submit”.
Accessing the rVetLink Portal
To access the rVetLink portal, visit https://mlahvet.com/referrals/ and enter your hospital’s credentials in the Primary Referring Veterinarian Login located beneath the rDVM Referral Request Form.
PLEASE NOTE: Usernames/Passwords are issued PER CLINIC not per INDIVIDUAL. Please see your practice manager for your hospital’s credentials. Additional details are located at https://mlahvet.com/referrals/ by clicking the FAQ hyperlink.
Referring for Advanced Imaging
If your patient requires advanced imaging such as a CT, MRI or endoscopy, chances are they will need to consult with one of our specialty clinicians. Sometimes, it can be a bit tricky to determine which specialist to schedule your pet’s first appointment with, so we strongly recommend contacting our Appointment Desk Team to help answer any of your questions! Our Appointment Desk team is highly trained in scheduling for all our specialists and can help guide you when determining the next step for your patients' care.
To contact our Appointment Desk, please fill out an appointment request form or email them at [email protected].
Referring to Oncology
When referring patients to our Oncology Service, we kindly ask you to send all records pertinent to your patients’ cancer diagnosis or suspicion so our Oncology team can review them. Pertinent records include reports of bloodwork, cytologies, biopsies, advanced imaging reports, and any additional lab work such as urinalysis results. Reports can be sent to [email protected].
Referring to Specialty Surgery
When referring patients to our Specialty Surgery Service, we kindly ask you to send all records pertinent to your patients’ diagnosis or suspicion so our Specialty Surgery Team can review them. Pertinent records include reports of bloodwork, cytologies, biopsies, advanced imaging reports, and any additional lab work such as urinalysis results. Reports can be sent to [email protected].
Referring to Internal Medicine
In an effort to be most efficient, we kindly ask that you call in advance when transferring a patient for same-day ultrasound and scope services. This is to ensure our Internists will have availability on an emergency basis, or so that we can properly inform your clients of the next time the service will be available.
For stable patients, we request that either one of your team members or your client contact us to schedule an appointment with our Internal Medicine department.
Referring to Neurology
For Neurology referrals please call to speak with Dr. Cohen and team prior to your client’s arrival to discuss MRI and surgical availability.
Referring to Behavioral Medicine
Our Appointment Desk Team is highly trained in scheduling for our behavior families. If your client needs some guidance in determining if seeking a behaviorist’s care is right for their pet, please contact our Appointment Desk by filling out an appointment request form or emailing them at [email protected].
In-Hospital Pharmacy
Our pharmacy is available 7 days a week from 8a-8p. We require up to 24 hours to process most prescription requests. Some of our specialty departments may require up to 72 hours for approval and processing since they are not available 7 days a week (Behavior, Cardiology, Ophthalmology, Oncology, Specialty Surgery).
Requesting a Medication Refill
You can easily request a refill of your pet’s prescriptions HERE! You can select if you would prefer to have your pet’s medication shipped to your home or called into a human pharmacy near you (not applicable for veterinary-only medications such as Apoquel, Atopica, Baytril, Carprofen, Vetmedin, etc.). For requests via online pet discount pharmacies, please read our policy below.
Medication refills can only be legally provided for pet’s who have been examined by a doctor within 1 year. If your pet is overdue for a yearly examination, please schedule a wellness exam so that we can legally provide your pet with prescription medications and/or preventatives (ie. Bravecto, Heartworm prevention, etc).
Online Pet Discount Pharmacies Policy
(ie Chewy, 1-800-Pet-Meds, PetCareRX, etc.)
We have increasing concerns about the ethical behavior and authenticity of products supplied by some online pharmacies. Vetsource is the ONLY trusted online pharmacy recommended by our veterinarians, and we consider it an extension of our hospital. We are committed to providing the best and safest medications for your pet, and for this reason, we do not recommend purchasing medications from any online pharmacy except Vetsource.
For clients who choose to obtain their prescriptions through these companies, we will provide you with a written script. This script can be either picked up at the hospital OR mailed to your address and then mailed to the company. Unfortunately, we cannot email written scripts to clients.
Because we want your decisions to be well informed, we have summarized the major concerns below:
-
After discussions with multiple veterinary pharmaceutical companies that manufacture several of these products, we have discovered that many of these companies limit the distribution of their products through licensed veterinarians, and so products obtained from many internet retailers are likely acquired illegally through non-approved channels.
-
The manufacturer cannot guarantee safe handling, appropriate storage, and that the product has not been tampered with when they are not obtained through a licensed veterinarian. For this reason, the companies will not honor their warranties/guarantees if the products are not obtained through a licensed veterinarian. This means that reactions to the medications or failure of the medications (ie: preventatives) are not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.
-
Several clients have reported that they have received medications outside of their original packaging which leads us to question the authenticity of these medications.
-
Pharmaceuticals manufactured for and labeled for use in other countries (namely Australia and Mexico) have been illegally diverted and sold through these discount houses in the United States.
-
We have also noticed several mistakes made on the part of multiple online pharmacies.
We understand that some of our clients have relationships with other online pharmacies and that altering these relationships may present an inconvenience. Because of our commitment to preserving the integrity of these products and the important warranties available through the manufacturers, we have taken steps to make this adjustment easier. To help offset the financial implications, we have also adjusted our prices on many of these preventative products to match those of some online pharmacies. We hope that this will help alleviate any concerns regarding cost.
If you would still like to obtain your refill through one of these online pharmacies, please let one of our pharmacy techs know and we can provide you with a written script that you can then send into the online pharmacy. The script will be available at the hospital to pick up, or we can mail it to you at the mailing address you provide to us. Please allow up to 72 hours for us to process your request.
Payments
We accept all major credit cards, cash, and checks. For families who are interested in financing options, we provide the following options:
1) Wells Fargo Health Advantage Card: (six months no interest if paid in full, then 12.99% APR there after)
Wells Fargo Health Advantage Card
2) Care Credit Card (six months no interest on any purchase over $200.00 if paid in full, then 26.99% APR there after)
3) Scratch Pay (this is a one time loan. APR's will vary)
Scratchpay: Simple & friendly, payment plans for medical financing
Pay Your Bill Online
To pay using Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express go to: https://mlahvet.com/MLAHpay/ .
To pay using your Care Credit Card please go to: https://www.carecredit.com/Pay/BKX976/.
To pay using your Wells Fargo Card you will need to visit for an in-person payment. Unfortunately, Wells Fargo does not have any online payment option.
Refunds
Refunds can only be provided to the original payment method and can take 7-14 business days to process. Time varies based on your card carrier’s processing time. Please call the hospital or email [email protected] if you require a refund.
Pet Insurance
We strongly recommend pet insurance for all pets! We encourage all of our clients to research and sign up for the company and plan that best suits their pet. Factors to consider when choosing a plan include: lifestyle, pre-existing conditions, risk factors, monthly cost for plan, what the plan covers, etc.
If you need any paperwork filled out for your pet’s insurance company, please email the form(s) to our front desk at [email protected].
CLICK HERE for recommended insurance
RECORDS
Requesting Medical Records
Requesting a copy of your pet’s medical records is easy to do online! Simply provide us your information and what specific records (ie. lab results, rabies certificate, vaccine status, etc.) you are looking for, and where to send them. Request records HERE!
Share Medical Records With Us!
We encourage you to share your pet’s previous medical records in preparation for their upcoming appointment with us! Access to your pet’s records prior to their initial appointment with us allows our technicians and doctors gain important insights into your pet’s health and collaborate with your pet’s referring veterinarian even before stepping into the hospital! When it comes to how much info to share with us? The more the merrier!
The more we know about past diagnostic results, previous treatments recommended, your pet’s response to treatment or any adverse effects, the better we can prepare and come up with the best treatment plan with you for your pet to get them feeling better sooner!
RESCUE RESOURCES
Why Partner with MLAH?
We strongly believe in giving back to the community and supporting the efforts of local animal rescues and shelters! We are open to any and all ideas to find these wonderful pets their forever home as well as keeping them safe and healthy. We are honored to contribute to your purpose in any way that we can. To partner with MLAH, simply click this link, https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.233.21/74a.95c.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Partner_Packet2021.pdf , to access our partnership packet. There you find all the wonderful benefits MLAH Rescues have access to.
Affiliated Rescues
Visit https://mlahvet.com/our-partners/ to learn more about our affiliated rescues.
Check out our MLAH Rescue Network page! We feature adoptable pets from partnered rescues as well as events, new and lost pets in our area.
Late / Cancellation Policy
The demand for veterinary care is significantly higher than the availability of veterinary staff. This is a nationwide concern, and our hospital is also feeling the effects of this demand. Because of this, our primary care and specialty departments have very long waitlists with patients who desperately need routine and specialty veterinary care. In order to ensure that our teams are able to provide exceptional care and service to our patients and clients, effective July 5, 2021, we have implemented guidelines for last minute cancellations and late arrivals as well as clients that fail to show up for their scheduled appointment.
Please know that for appointments that are cancelled/rescheduled with less than 24 hours' notice, if you arrive 10+ minutes late to your scheduled appointment, or if you do not show up for your appointment, our team will require a $50 deposit in order to schedule all future appointment.
We understand that there will be circumstances that may require you to cancel or reschedule your appointment. It’s important to provide us with at least 24 hours' notice. This will ensure that our scheduling team has enough time to offer the open appointment to another patient that is in need of veterinary care.
In addition, to ensure that our teams are able to provide exceptional care and service to our patients and clients, it's important that we run as close to schedule as possible. When someone arrives late to their appointment, this means that every appointment after that will run behind schedule. This leads to anxious pets, frustrated/angry clients and a team who cannot fulfill our promise to provide excellent client service. Clients arriving late by 10 or more minutes past their scheduled appointment time may need to be rescheduled to another day/time.
We thank you for your continued support while we make changes to better serve our clients, patients, and community.