Your cat or dog has been required to be quarantined for 10 days by Pima Animal Care Center. We understand that this is an unexpected and stressful situation for both you and your pet. The purpose of this page is to outline the policy for Rabies Quarantine dictated by the county and the owner of Orange Grove Animal Hospital. These guidelines are in place to protect the safety of the public and staff of the hospital.

Every quarantine patient is examined upon arrival and before dismissal. These exams are required by the county and there is a charge for them. At the time of the first exam your pet will be updated on any necessary vaccinations, except rabies. The second exam is done the morning of dismissal and may involve updating the rabies vaccine. The receptionist will provide you with a written estimate for the charges for vaccinations and exams upon check in. We do require a deposit for all rabies quarantines.

We cannot provide any requested services such as baths, nail trims, ear cleanings, anal sac expressions, etc., until after the final quarantine exam. Grooming services are not considered medically necessary and involve an unauthorized handling of a potentially contagious patient. If your pet is deemed healthy at the end of the quarantine, we can perform additional services. There are additional charges for these.

We cannot allow any visits by owners, friends, or family of a rabies quarantine patient. Due to the public health significance of rabies and the potentially fatal nature of this disease, we must limit contact to only what is necessary to maintain proper care of the patient.

After the second exam has been completed, we have to obtain release authorization from Pima Animal Care and Control. Once we have release authorization, you will receive a phone call with an approximate pick up time. Please do not arrive at the clinic prior to receiving authorization for pick up. We cannot guarantee release times or dates as these are dictated by the county.

Any medical treatment such as wound or injury care, medication or illness treatment will be performed at additional cost to the quarantine fees. There is a daily charge for medication.

Rabies quarantine patients are required to be free of external parasites such as fleas and ticks. If external parasites are noted on intact exam, your pet will be treated with a topical treatment. There is an additional fee for this.

What to bring:

• The paperwork given to you by the attending Animal Control officer (notice of bite or notice of quarantine). Please make sure the case number for the quarantine is on this paperwork as Pima Animal Care and Control will need us to provide that in order to obtain a release.
• Any previous vaccine records. If your pet was vaccinated for rabies by another veterinarian we will need a copy of the original rabies certificate or a copy of the medical records showing vaccination.
• Any medication, including over-the-counter medications and supplements, your pet is on in the original prescription bottle.
• Any wet or canned food your pet is on as we do not provide this. If your pet is on a prescription food you will need to provide enough for the entire quarantine period.

What not to bring:

• Bedding, blankets, towels, etc. Rabies quarantines are kept in our isolation ward under isolation procedures. We will provide appropriate bedding to these patients.
• Beef, pork, chicken bones (raw or cooked)
• Food or water dishes
• Sticks, shoes, easily torn toys, non-pet appropriate balls (tennis balls, children’s balls, etc), non-pet toys or toys with small parts.

For a tour of our facility or current pricing, please call the office during business hours.

Again, we understand that this is a stressful situation for both you and your pet and while we will do our best to limit the stress to your pet, we have to take reasonable precautions to protect the staff of Orange Grove Animal Hospital and the public.