What we are and what we are not… (please read!)

We are a small, neighborhood clinic. If you have been to our clinic, you have seen it all ~ one exam room, a lobby, an office, and a back room. We do not have a big staff and we do not have a lot of overhead.

 There are certain things we cannot do at this clinic,

including x-rays, some lab work, surgery, and procedures requiring sedation. We work with our clients to find the best way to accomplish procedures when needed. Some pets and some clients require a full-service clinic, and we will help you find that clinic if our service is not best for you or your pets. We do lots of basic medicine, vaccines, preventative care, supportive care, education, and end of life care.

We do work with all the larger clinics in the area and many of our clients use us as their ‘primary vet’ and have a relationship with another clinic as well.

We have limited clinic hours. We are mobile some of the time with Vet to Pet Mobile Veterinary Service and we do not keep full time clinic hours. We are at the clinic on most Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. We answer our phone messages as soon as possible. When you leave a clear message, we will always return your call and we will leave a message so please check your voicemail if you have called us!

We refer emergencies and most urgent matters to one of the many full-service clinics around Burlington.

We have a small pharmacy on site. We also have our own on-line pharmacy and use a compounding pharmacy when appropriate. We may need up to 7 days for refills since we do not stock all drugs, either due to expense, short expiration dates, or infrequent need. We do not have a large staff so we often cannot do refills on a walk-in basis. Please plan and call ahead for refills. We would rather have it ready for your and/or order it if needed and we would rather not keep you waiting.

We do not like to wrestle pets into submission! This means that there are certain pets and certain procedures we cannot accommodate (if sedation is required) or can only accommodate with careful pre-medication on board. Restraining an animal (even a friendly animal!) in an uncomfortable or scary situation can be dangerous, and it absolutely makes the next appointment even harder. We have learned that some pre-appointment medication can greatly decrease anxiety and make an appointment more productive and less stressful. The safety (and mental health) of your pet and our staff will always be our primary concern.

We offer the best basic medical care possible given the intentionally scaled back nature of our clinic, the demands of our mobile practice, and the limitations inherent in being a small operation. Remember, we are NOT a full-service clinic and are not open during all typical business hours. We want to help whichever pets and owners we can, and not disappoint the others!

If you or your pets are more comfortable at a full-service clinic open during all business hours, we strongly recommend one of these clinics in the area. We offer a great service, but it is not right for everyone!

Petit Brook Animal Hospital ~ 5866 Roosevelt Highway, Colchester ~ 878.3713

Orchard Veterinary Hospital ~ 1333 Shelburne Road, South Burlington ~ 658.2273

Green Mountain Animal Hospital ~ 1693 Williston Road, South Burlington ~ 862.7021

And for emergencies/urgencies, we also recommend these clinics.

Burlington Emergency and Veterinary Services (24 Hours) ~ 1417 Marshall Avenue, Williston ~ 863.2387

Peak Veterinary Referral Center ~ 158 Hurricane Lane, Williston ~ 878-2022

Mission Statement

We believe pet owners should have access to basic veterinary care. We offer this at our clinic and on house calls. We work with the full-service clinics to offer all advanced diagnostic, treatment, and surgery options.

Wellness care
… is more than vaccines! It is nutrition, weight management / obesity prevention, thorough physical exams and history taking, pre-emptive pain management, spay/neuter programs, behavior information, and client education. Our appointments are 30 minutes long, so we can learn about your pets and their needs. We will always encourage you to feed the best pet food you can afford -- and to keep your pets lean. This is the cornerstone of good health and the one part of your pet’s health that you completely control.



Vaccinations
 Our vaccine protocol includes core vaccines for every pet. Core vaccines include those vaccines that protect against diseases which are very serious, very contagious, or fatal. We recommend non-core vaccines based on each pet’s lifestyle. And we will discuss these vaccines with you. Our goal is to protect your pet while not over-stimulating the immune system. We want to see your pet every year for an examination and consult but many pets will not need vaccines at every annual exam.



Zoonotic Disease
 These are diseases that can be transmitted from pets to people (or people to pets). We educate clients about zoonotic diseases and parasites with extra emphasis on the risk to children and immune compromised individuals. We stress regular deworming when appropriate, and flea and tick prevention. Yes, we do prefer that you purchase your heartworm, deworming, flea and tick product from us. Honestly, the sales help us to stay open. (PLEASE BUY LOCAL) And then we know that you are using an effective product and we can stand behind it if there is a problem.



Pet Population Control
 We strongly encourage owners to spay or neuter every pet. There are affordable options for these procedures. We discourage owners from breeding pets and we promote the adoption of animals from our local humane society and reputable rescue groups. (HSCC truly is the best deal in town!) HSCC animals are vaccinated, spayed/neutered, dewormed, heartworm or feline leukemia negative, free of parasites and well vetted. ‘Free’ pets often come with a big price tag down the road. 



End of Life Care and Euthanasia
 We have no reason to think that animals understand the notion of a long life. “Animals do not appear to fear death, but they clearly fear pain, and death can be a merciful tool for escape from pain.” * We offer hospice care with an emphasis on pain relief and relief from distress, anxiety, and suffering. When needed, we will perform compassionate euthanasia. We will take the time needed - before, during, and after the procedure - so that the client feels as comfortable as possible with this difficult decision. We sedate the pet to minimize discomfort and stress. We can decide for cremation.



Payment Policy
 We keep the costs at the Old North End Veterinary Clinic as low as possible and pass savings along to our clients - AND we must be paid for our services. Payment is due at each appointment. It is the only way we can keep our doors open. We cannot absorb the extra cost of credit cards, so we do pass along the 3-4% fee. Cash and checks are always welcome!

Vet to Pet Services (our house calls) are not low cost. For first time clients, we typically ask for a credit card number in advance of your first house call appointment to hold the appointment spot for you. You can pay by check after the appointment.

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*Rollin, BE, 2007. “Ethical issues in geriatric feline medicine”