Hospital Policies

Appointments
To allow sufficient time with each patient and minimize client wait times we do primarily see patients by appointment only. We understand our clients' time is valuable and make a sincere effort to see each patient on time. However, emergencies or other unforeseen circumstances do occasionally arise that require our staff's immediate attention. In these instances a delay in seeing scheduled patients may occur and we ask for your patience and understanding. 

Please call to schedule an appointment:

Surgery/Dental/Procedure Appointments
If your pet is scheduled for a surgical, dental, or procedure appointment you will be asked to drop off your pet at our office between 8:00-9:00 am the morning of the appointment. Usually your pet should not have any food or water after midnight the night before their appointment. Please call our office in advance if you have any pre-appointment questions. 

When your pet is resting after it's procedure you will be contacted by our office with an update and we will answer any questions you have at that time. Post procedure instructions will be reviewed with you upon your pet's discharge from our hospital.

Patient Arrival
Some pets get overly excited among new people, new surroundings, and other pets; others may be anxious and uncomfortable in these situations or are not feeling well. For these reasons, and to ensure the safety of all our patients and clients, we request that dogs be leashed and under their owners' control and cats be in carriers when arriving at and leaving our office.

Prescription Policy
Middlesex Veterinary Center will only authorize prescriptions to be filled by a pharmacy licensed in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; we will not prescribe through unlicensed pharmacies, including any Internet pharmacies. We have established this policy to safeguard your pet, and to recognize the fact that we are legally responsible for ensuring that you receive only the correct, quality medication that we have prescribed for your pet. We will make a written prescription available for pick-up at the hospital, for use at a pharmacy of your choosing.  By using this prescription you agree to release Middlesex Veterinary Center from liability for any and all consequences associated with the pharmacy and its actions. 

The vast majority of internet pharmacies are not licensed to sell prescription medications in all states, including Massachusetts, nor are they regulated by any federal agency. Some have been prosecuted for selling counterfeit medications that are ineffective or, worse, harmful to the person or animal taking them.  Some sites buy cheap medications in third-world countries where quality control is poor, and repackage and resell them at a huge profit as licensed drugs from the United States, which they most certainly are not. Customers have reported receiving medications with labeling and instructions in foreign languages and potentially dangerous inappropriate dosing due to failure to convert between US and metric measuring systems. 

In establishing this policy, our goal is to make it as convenient, safe, and economical to obtain your pet's medication as we possibly can.  If we prescribe a medication that is not available locally, we will obtain the medication for you.  If you require the convenience of having medications delivered to your home, we can provide that service, as well. If the cost of medication is a problem, please discuss this with us.  Purchasing questionable or substandard medications is not the answer- you are wasting your money and risking your pet's health. We encourage you to use only pharmacies that are licensed to prescribe in the state of Massachusetts.

Payment for Services
We do collect payment at the time that services are provided. For your convenience, we accept MasterCard, Visa, Discover, personal checks, and cash.