Frequently Asked Questions

• If you are an existing client, our exam fee is $70.00
• If you are a new client, our initial exam fee is $90 for a general exams and $150 for alternative consults with examinations. After the first time, they go down to the existing client rate.
• Annual visits vary because your pet may not be due for all services but in general, a dog who needs all vaccines, fecal test, heartworm test and exam is $260. We also recommend annual radiographs and laboratory blood panel which are in addition to the base cost.

We do not offer grooming but we have referred many clients to Chattagroomer and we receive great feedback about them!

We do not offer boarding but we often refer to Play Dog Excellent or GoDog for boarding.

This is a very broad question with no simple answer because our vaccine protocol is based on more than just the age of a pet. In general however, we recommend beginning vaccines at around 8 weeks of age and repeating every 4 to 5 weeks through 20 weeks of age. Puppies receive 4 DAP vaccines during that time period, and Bordetella (kennel cough) if needed. We vaccinate for Rabies between 4 to 6 months of age in most cases.

At CHAI, we prefer to titer test before vaccinating an adult dog with the Distemper/Parvo vaccine when possible. A titer test measures the blood antibodies to a disease to show if a pet has adequate antibodies to prevent infection from the disease if they were to encounter it. A titer test is far more reliable than a vaccine because a pet who is vaccinated may or may not build immunity to the disease they are vaccinated against. Vaccines work by stimulating the immune system, which causes the immune system to build antibodies against the disease we’re trying to prevent. If a pet is immune-compromised, they may not build the required antibodies and could still become infected with the disease. Vaccines are not always harmless and in the case of vaccines, repeating them every 1-3 years just because “it’s time” can cause many health issues in your pet. We believe vaccines are an absolutely vital part of your pets care but we only want to vaccinate when biologically necessary to prevent disease.

We recommend keeping Rabies vaccinations current unless your dog or cat has an underlying disease or prior Rabies vaccination reactions that make the vaccine riskier for them. Rabies titers are not recognized by law as confirming protection, since Rabies is transmissible to humans and nearly 100% fatal.

We do not perform vaccine titers for feline infectious diseases.

This is case-dependent. We are governed by the rules of the State of Tennessee and adhere to those rules carefully regarding Rabies laws. We may make a very rare exception in an extreme circumstance, but typically we do not.

We offer many options in alleviating pain and maximizing function in dogs with partial or complete CCL tears, and have had great success, however, not all tears are appropriate for alternative treatment alone. There are many determining factors that must be assessed by one of our veterinarians before we can say what is right for your pet.

Probably! An assessment must be made by our veterinarian to determine the best course of treatment for your pet. This is not a question that can be answered with a definite yes or no. Most chronic musculoskeletal issues can be dramatically improved with alternative treatments such as acupuncture, VOM and/or laser therapy. The right course of treatment depends on the issue and pet.

Almost all pets are willing participants in acupuncture treatments. Some even come through the hospital door and go straight to “their” room where they can receive their treatment. Not every pet is a great candidate, however. The veterinarian will assess your pet’s candidacy for our modalities during their examination.

Unfortunately, in the south, there are few RELIABLE alternatives to conventional heartworm prevention. There are many on the market that claim to prevent the deadly disease, but we see far too many pets who are on alternative treatment protocols who develop heartworm disease.

Heartworm prevention is a prescription medication and therefore requires an annual examination and negative heartworm test in order for CHAI to approve a refill. At the examination, we will ensure your pet is healthy, has not contracted heartworm disease during the last year, and we will get an updated weight to ensure their dosage is correct.

This depends on your pet’s environment. There are many pets who can use the amazing product Wondercide. If however your pet’s flea/tick load exposure is significant or if they are flea-allergic, your pet may require a pharmaceutical product.

• No, we do not. Leaving the ovaries and removing only the uterus at the time of spay presents a few problems. The risk of ovarian and mammary cancers remains heightened. The dog will still go through heat cycles if her ovaries are left intact – they will still attract male dogs during their heat cycle, and if bred soon after an OSS, could develop peritonitis, which can be fatal.
• We do recommend waiting until 12-24 months to spay for large breed dogs to allow for complete skeletal development before surgery.
• While women often keep their ovaries during a hysterectomy, dogs are not women. The biology is different.

It depends on the pet and your ability to prevent them from accidental breeding. If they are in an environment where they are safe from unplanned breeding, we recommend waiting until they are at least 6 months of age for small and medium age dogs and until 12-24 months for large breed dogs.

There is a refill tab on the website main page. You can request refills there even if you don’t know the name of the medication. We will call you if we have questions about your submission.

It depends on the herbal medication and what it is treating. If you are unsure whether the herbal should be refilled, you can ask us via email, on this website or by calling the technician line at 423-531-8899 option 2 and leaving a voicemail.

You can request a surgery date via email on this website or by calling the technician line at 423-531-8899 option 2 and leaving a voicemail.

We practice Fear Free protocols in everything we do. From the time your pet enters our hospital, our goal is helping them feel safe and cared for. Our Fear Free staff members oversee the hospital aesthetic, ambiance and methods that are practiced during the entire visit to CHAI for all our patients to ensure that the next time they come into CHAI, they have a fond memory from their prior visit. This creates trust which creates improved vet visits and less stress for all involved.

 We no longer offer awake dental cleanings. If your veterinarian is recommending a dental cleaning, it is likely due to calculus buildup on the teeth and below the gum line that will need to be removed with an ultrasonic scaler. Pets do not permit this type of instrument in their mouths due to the noise, and possible discomfort of cleaning below the gum line. Also, if the tartar is excessive, it may be concealing a painful area that would be uncovered during the process causing pain to the pet, or could even conceal a tooth issue that indicates need for removal, which certainly could not be done if the pet was awake.

We can offer daily dental care tips you can use at home to keep your pet’s teeth and gums as healthy as possible. This does not mean that the pet will never need an anesthetized dental procedure, but it can certainly postpone having those performed, just as routing dental cleanings at your dentist’s office can help you prevent major issues.

CHAI does not make the rules pertaining to Rabies vaccination. The State of Tennessee mandates Rabies vaccination and the Hamilton County Health Department enforces the local rules on the matter. Abiding by the county and state rules pertaining to Rabies vaccination is required to hold a veterinary license and CHAI cannot violate those rules and continue to practice veterinary medicine. Please do not ask us to risk our ability to provide services to our patients by asking us to risk our veterinarian licenses and livelihoods.

Currently, the best defense against Rabies is vaccination. The vaccine works by stimulating the immune system causing it to produce antibodies that neutralize the virus before it reaches the brain. In the US and many other countries Rabies vaccination is a legal requirement. The State of Tennessee’s law states: It is unlawful for any person to own, keep or harbor any dog or cat six (6) months of age or older that has not been vaccinated
against Rabies. It, however, does not specify whether the Rabies vaccine must be given annually or every 3 years as it varies between local jurisdictions. Since Rabies legislation has been in place in the United States, confirmed cases of Rabies infections have decreased significantly in humans from over 100 reported cases a year to less than 10 cases annually. Vaccination in conjunction with bite prevention measures can help prevent future infections.

Historically, Rabies vaccines contained mercury and other harmful additives. CHAI only carries Thimerosal (mercury) free Rabies vaccines. Our doctors are passionate about protecting your pets without adding harmful preservatives and other unnecessary ingredients into their bodies. In addition, CHAI recommends when your pet is due for vaccines, your pets only get a single injectable vaccine per visit and spacing out additional vaccines by 3-4 weeks. This ensures your pet’s immune system has time to fully utilize the antibodies created while also giving it time to recover. In the same vein of immune systems, if the pet’s immune system is
compromised in any way our vets will not vaccinate until your pet is healthy again. Bringing awareness to this devastating but 100% preventable disease will help protect your family and keep your community safe. If your pet is due for a Rabies vaccine contact our veterinarians to discuss the best vaccination plan to keep them happy, healthy, and safe.

To open an account with us, you must be at least 18 years of age.

CHAI does not accept payment plans. Payment is due at the time of service with no exception. We gladly accept cash, major credit cards, and Care Credit as payment.

If for any reason you cannot make it to any appointment that you schedule with us, please let us know so we can fill the appointment slot with another pet in need of our services. We are happy to reschedule for you as needed! If you do not call and fail to show up for your appointment on your initial visit to CHAI, you will not be allowed to book with us again in the future.

We work really hard to be respectful of your time. We will strive to start your appointment quickly and work efficiently but thoroughly for you and your pet. Please be on time for all appointments to keep our schedule moving as smoothly as possible. Late arrivals will incur a non-refundable fee of $15 at each occurrence. Repeated late arrivals will result in removal from our client list. These restrictions are in an effort to allow your pet the time they deserve while also ensuring every pet receives the same time and attention.

We appreciate and value our clients and understand that caring for a sick pet can be extremely stressful for a pet parent. We will strive to be respectful and professional with you and your pet at all times. We also ask that you are respectful and professional with our doctors and staff. We highly value our doctors and staff as well, and cannot allow them to be demeaned, embarrassed, belittled, or made to feel threatened by our clients. We are here to help you and employ people who want to care for you and your pet to the very best of their ability. Our valued staff includes our retail staff, reception staff, medical department staff, and doctors. Conduct that is rude or offensive will not be permitted at CHAI and we ask that you fully understand that while our clients are extremely important to us and we have every intention of exceeding all expectations in our quality of care and professionalism toward you and your pets, our staff is equally as important to us and it is our duty to ensure they feel cared for as well.

Going to the vet is scary for some pets and we get that! A scared pet is very different from an aggressive pet. Most scared pets can be worked with using many of the Fear Free techniques that we provide and most of the time can learn to trust us over the course of a few visits as they learn that we will do everything we can to make them feel safe. We welcome scared pets who need a little extra time and effort to feel safe! When a pet is so afraid that they cannot learn to trust us and instead will bite as a first response to fear, the pet is unfortunately not a candidate for care at CHAI. We commonly offer training recommendations for those pet parents and have seen amazing outcomes as pets go through a training program to overcome some of those fears. We have seen many pets back at CHAI after training with incredible results. We want to be able to help every pet who comes to us but there are some who need to be worked with at a level that we simply cannot. If you would like recommendations for trainers in our area, please let us know. Aggressive pets who lunge at our doctors and staff, attempt to actively bite, and who create an unsafe working environment for our doctors and staff, are not accepted at CHAI. If our staff cannot safely work with a pet, or if the medical staff cannot safely place a muzzle onto the pet in order to protect themselves, that pet is not a candidate for our services. CHAI is a referral, integrative medical facility that offers alternative care for pets with chronic disease processes. These services require close contact for long periods of time. Pets who are aggressive cannot be worked with on the same level as non-aggressive pets and it is a disservice to both our client and the pet, as well as a danger to our staff and doctors, to allow them as patients.