Late Arrival/No Show/Cancellation Policy

Effective February 1, 2024

We make every effort to be on time for all our appointments. Unfortunately, when even one patient arrives late, it can throw off the entire schedule for that day. In addition, rushing or “squeezing in” an appointment shortchanges the patient and contributes to decreased quality of care. If you are more than 10 minutes late to your appointment, a late fee of $35 will be applied to your account. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late, your appointment may need to be rescheduled (depending on doctor availability) and a cancellation fee will be applied to your account. Priority is given to patients that arrive on time.  If you choose to wait to be seen, the wait time may be considerable and unpredictable.

Further, due to the increase in late cancellations and no-show appointments, Carmel Valley Veterinary Hospital now requires a 24-hour notice for the cancellation of your appointment.

We understand that sometimes you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment; however, when you do not call in advance to cancel an appointment, you may be preventing another pet from receiving much needing treatment. It is the responsibility of the client to arrive for their appointment on time or cancel with at least a 24-hour notice, or a 2-hour notice if the appointment was scheduled within the previous 24 hours. Clients can leave a voice message, text, or email the hospital directly to cancel or reschedule.

It will be documented in your record as a “no-show” appointment if:

1. You cancel with less than a 24-hour notice OR less than a 2-hour notice if the appointment was scheduled in the past 24 hours.
2. You fail to show up for your scheduled appointment.
3. You arrive more than 15 minutes late for your appointment without prior notice.

For all new patient appointments or clients who have previously no-showed or cancelled an appointment with no notice, we will collect a credit card to hold your appointment time. If you fail to show-up or if you do not cancel within the period listed above in #1, your card will be charged. The no-show / cancellation fee is $90.00, or equal to the cost of an exam. This charge will not be refunded or transferred.

Non-anesthetic dental no show/cancelled appointments will be charged a fee of $75 if not cancelled within 48 hours.

Boarding no show/cancelled appointments will be charged a fee equal to 1 night of boarding.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.