Veterinary Care Updates – Start of 2026

To Our Clients,

As we begin 2026, we want to thank you for your continued trust in Carolina Animal Hospital. Veterinary medicine continues to experience unprecedented demand nationwide, and we remain committed to providing high-quality, timely, and compassionate care while adapting responsibly to these changes.

Below are a few important updates and reminders to help our hospital continue serving our patients effectively.

Missed Appointment Policy

As our practice has grown, appointment availability has become increasingly limited. We do not double-book or overbook our doctors, so missed appointments leave care teams and exam rooms unused while other pets wait for care.

Over time, we have found that a small percentage of clients account for the vast majority of missed appointments, often with repeated occurrences. These missed visits increase costs for everyone and reduce access for patients who need care.

Effective January 1, 2026, a missed appointment fee will apply to appointments not canceled before the scheduled start time (via phone or PetDesk). Fee amounts vary by appointment type and are outlined in our full policy.

For the vast majority of clients who keep or appropriately reschedule appointments, this policy helps improve availability and limit overall fee increases.

[Click here for full Missed Appointment Policy details.]

Emergency & Urgent Care – What to Expect

Emergency veterinary hospitals across our region continue to experience staffing shortages, long wait times (often 4+ hours), and occasional shift closures.

Typical emergency and urgent-care facilities may charge substantially higher exam fees than general practices. We encourage clients to be aware of these conditions when deciding where to seek care after hours.

Urgent Care Appointments for Our Established Patients

To help bridge the gap between routine care and emergency services, we reserve four same-day urgent care (“flex”) appointments each day for established Carolina Animal Hospital patients only.

• These appointment slots are only released for day-of patient needs.

• They are separate from our routine scheduling of appointments in advance.

• A higher fee applies to offset additional staffing needs and reserve these visits for truly urgent concerns

Flexible Care Options – RVT Appointments

We continue to expand Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) appointments for appropriate services, including routine progress visits, select rechecks, vaccine boosters, and some laboratory testing.

RVT appointments offer greater scheduling availability and are provided at a reduced fee compared to veterinarian appointments.

Outside Pharmacy Prescriptions

We support your right to choose where your pet’s prescriptions are filled and continue to authorize medically appropriate prescriptions to outside pharmacies.

In recent years, repeated prescription authorization requests—often due to pharmacy switching or partial fills—have significantly increased staff and doctor workload.

The North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board and the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy advise that when a valid prescription already exists, it should be transferred directly between pharmacies at the pet owner’s request, without requiring a new authorization from our office.

• The initial prescription authorization to one pharmacy is always provided at no charge

• Repeat authorization requests from additional pharmacies for an existing prescription will incur a service fee

• Clients may avoid these fees by requesting a pharmacy-to-pharmacy transfer when changing pharmacies
  
  [Click here for full policy on Prescriptions]

Our Commitment

These updates help us improve access to care, manage limited veterinary resources responsibly, and continue providing the level of care your pets deserve.

We sincerely appreciate your understanding and partnership.

Welcome to 2026 - Warmest Regards,

Carolina Animal Hospital