Your first visit, start to finish.
No surprises, no guessing what happens next. Here is the whole arc.
- 1Book a time
- 2Forms arrive by email
- 3The visit itself
- 4A plan you can read
A little something, whether you are new here or not
$25 off your first wellness visit
Our welcome to new clients. Valid for one pet per client.
$25 account credit for every referral
Already a client? Send a friend our way and you get a $25 credit on your account for every successful referral, good towards any type of next visit.
Your first visit, step by step
Four steps, and none of them are a surprise. If anything here does not fit your pet, tell us when you book and we will change it.
Book online
Pick a real time slot in the scheduler. It takes under a minute, and you can choose the type of visit you need rather than a generic appointment.
Not sure you are ready to commit? Book the free fifteen minute meet and greet instead.
We send your forms
New client registration if this is your first visit, or a short pre visit questionnaire if we already know you. Filling them in beforehand means more of the appointment is spent on your pet rather than on paperwork.
Arrive and settle
Tell us if your pet is nervous and we will take you straight into a room instead of the lobby. Cats can stay in the bottom half of their own carrier. None of that is a special request here.
Please arrive on time. More than ten minutes late and a late fee applies; more than fifteen and we have to reschedule.
The exam
A full nose to tail check, explained as we go. Plan on 45 to 60 minutes, which allows us to get to know you and your pet, review their medical history and address all of your questions and concerns. You leave with a written plan and, if anything beyond the exam is recommended, an itemized treatment plan before it happens.
What we ask permission for, and why
Two of the boxes on our intake form deserve a proper explanation rather than a line of small print.
Photos of your pet
We ask if we may photograph your pet for social media. Optional, revocable, and we never publish a patient photo without permission. Declining changes nothing about their care.
AI recording during the exam
Software helps write up the visit while your veterinarian talks with you, so they spend the appointment looking at your pet instead of a keyboard. We ask first, and you can say no.
If your pet hates the vet, say so when you book
Fear Free means we adjust the visit to your pet rather than powering through it. Calming medication given at home beforehand, going straight into a room instead of waiting in the lobby, examining a cat in the bottom half of their own carrier, treats and pheromones, and simply going slower.
It is a normal request here. It also makes for better medicine, because a frightened animal is harder to examine properly.
Two easy ways to get started
A new client offer and a free dental check, and neither of them is a sales appointment.
$25 off your first wellness visit
New to Urban Vet? Take $25 off your pet's first wellness visit with us. Valid for one pet per client.
Free dental exam
Fifteen minutes with a veterinarian to look at your pet's teeth, talk through what they need, and leave with an itemized treatment plan. Also free.
Late arrivals and cancellations
We would rather you read this now than find out about it afterwards. Appointments are in high demand, and an empty slot we could have given to someone else is the real cost of a no show.
- Arriving late
- Over ten minutes late and a late fee is applied to your account. Over fifteen and the appointment is rescheduled with a cancellation fee, because rushing an appointment shortchanges your pet and everyone booked after.
- Cancelling an appointment
- 24 hours notice for a regular appointment. 48 hours for surgery and admittance appointments, and 72 if a board certified surgeon is involved. After hours, a voicemail, email, or text is fine.
- Surgery admissions
- Surgical patients must be admitted by 8:45 AM on the day. Later than that and the procedure may need to be rescheduled, with a fee of $100 per hour of reserved theatre time.
- No shows
- A missed appointment is recorded as a no show and carries a non refundable fee per patient. For anesthetic procedures that fee is $100 per hour reserved.
Something come up? Call us on (630) 541-8088. Early notice means the slot goes to another patient who needs it, which is the whole reason the policy exists.
New client questions
What should I bring to the first visit?
Any previous medical records or vaccine history you have, and the name of the food your pet eats. A photo of the bag works perfectly. If another practice has records we need, tell us and we will request them.What forms do I need to fill in?
After you book, we send a new client registration form, and for established clients a short pre visit questionnaire. Completing them before you arrive means more of the appointment is spent on your pet.Why do you ask for a driver's license number or date of birth?
It is standard account information for a practice that extends payment terms. If you would rather discuss it, just say so at the desk.What is the photo consent about?
We ask whether you are happy for us to take photos of your pet for social media. It is entirely optional, we will never publish a patient photo without permission, and saying no changes nothing about your pet's care.What is the AI recording consent?
We use software that helps write up the visit while the veterinarian talks with you, which means less time typing and more time looking at your pet. We ask your permission first, and you can decline.What is the Vetspire app?
We now use the Vetspire app, listed as Vetspire Pet Portal. It is where you can see your pet's records, reminders, and visit information in one place rather than digging through emails. Download it free for iPhone on the App Store (opens in a new window). There is no Android version yet.How long is a first appointment?
Plan on 45 to 60 minutes. We would rather answer your questions properly than move you along.My pet is frightened of the vet. Can you help before we even arrive?
Yes. Tell us when you book. We can send calming medication to give at home beforehand, plan to bring you straight into a room instead of waiting in the lobby, and take the whole visit at your pet's pace.
Book your first visit.
Real time availability, no deposit, no credit card. We will send your forms straight after.