wide view of the lobby of the Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital showing reception desk and waiting area

HIGH-QUALITY, AFFORDABLE CARE

for your four-legged friends

Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital

The Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital is a full-service veterinary hospital providing quality care at a reduced cost to pets in the Greater Richmond region.

It is our mission to ensure that all families have access to affordable treatment options for their dogs and cats, regardless of financial hardship.

The Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital is not an emergency facility. If your dog or cat has a medical emergency, please contact your local 24-hour emergency clinic.

Services We Offer

The Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital provides primarily outpatient services to dogs and cats. Hospitalization and other non-routine services may be provided on a case-by-case basis as resources allow.

Services offered include, but are not limited to:

  • Wellness care
  • Dentistry and dental x-rays (temporarily not being scheduled)
  • Spay and neuter surgery
  • Geriatric Care
  • Diabetic and other chronic illness management
  • In-house laboratory and radiology services
  • Wound repair and management
  • Puppy and kitten care
  • Acupuncture and Laser therapy
  • Online pharmacy

We also offer non-routine surgeries on a case-by-case basis as resources allow including, but not limited to:

  • Cranial cruciate ligament repair
  • Femoral head osteotomy
  • Foreign body removal
  • Amputation
  • Fracture repair
  • Hernia repair
  • Mass removal

Free sterilizations and rabies vaccinations for community cats through Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return are offered at the Richmond SPCA Smoky’s Spay & Neuter Clinic in Mechanicsville. For community cat inquiries, email communitycats@richmondspca.org or call us at 804-368-6232.

Online Pharmacy
Existing clients can use My VetStore Online to conveniently order medications, prevention for fleas, ticks and heartworms, and other supplies for the health and wellness of their pets. Please note that while online pharmacy pricing is competitive, product cost and availability will differ from prescriptions filled in-person at our veterinary hospital. Online prescriptions will be verified by the veterinarians at our hospital and mailed directly to your home.

To get started, visit MyVetStore Online and click REGISTER.

Client Qualifications

New Patients
At this time, our hospital is seeing new patients for sick concerns. Clients must meet all hospital qualifications (including service area) to register new patients for sick concerns. 

Existing Patients
If your pet has previously received an exam at our hospital within the last 3 years or was adopted from the Richmond SPCA within the last 12 months, they are considered existing patients.

Income-based Qualifications

Pet guardians who live in our service area and whose total household income is less than four times the U.S. Federal Poverty Guidelines qualify.

Household size
(number of people)
Total household income
1Less than $55,000 
2Less than $74,000
3Less than $93,000 
4Less than $112,000 
5Less than $131,000 
6Less than $150,000 
7Less than $169,000 
8Less than $188,000
For each additional person in the household above 8, add $20,560. 

Richmond SPCA Alumni
Guardians who’ve adopted a pet from the Richmond SPCA in the last year and who reside within our service area may register the adopted pet as a patient in our hospital regardless of household income. Other pets in the home are only eligible to use our services if the guardian meets our income qualifications.

Service Areas
The Susan M. Markel Veterinary Hospital services clients in the City of Richmond and in the Counties of Hanover, Henrico, Chesterfield, Goochland and Prince George.

Veterinary Referrals for veterinarians only
If your veterinary practice has a client to refer for low-cost services, please fill out our online form (please call if you don’t have the password for our online portal) or call 804-521-1330, extension 5.

Government Shelters
Pets in need of veterinary care while in the custody of area government shelters remain an at-risk population, which is why we extend access to our hospital to all municipal agencies within our service area.

Sterilization Status
Pets must be spayed or neutered. Documentation of your pet’s surgery (receipt or medical record) is required. If your pet is not spayed or neutered, an appointment for low-cost surgery through our hospital will be made following the pet’s initial examination.

Cancellation and No-Show Policy

To maximize the number of pet patients our professional veterinary team can help and to provide all clients and patients with access to timely wellness, sick and surgical appointments, we kindly ask that you review our cancellation and no-show policies.

Wellness and Sick Appointments 
Please provide two full business days’ notice (48 business hours) when cancelling or rescheduling your pet’s appointment. Clients who fail to cancel or reschedule an appointment at least 48 business hours in advance two or more times will be charged a deposit to schedule future appointments. The appointment deposit will be forfeited if you fail to cancel or reschedule within our policy guidelines.

Effective January 16, 2024, when a deposit is required, the following fees apply:

  • $33 for wellness or sick exams with a veterinarian
  • $18 for technician appointments

Surgical Appointments
Please provide three full business days’ notice (72 business hours) when cancelling or rescheduling your pet’s surgery. Failure to cancel or reschedule a surgery at least 72 business hours in advance will result in the loss of your surgical deposit. A new deposit will need to be paid when rescheduling. 

The demand for our low-cost services is very high, and these policies exist to help ensure we meet that demand for precious pets—like yours—who need us.

Local Spay/Neuter Resources

If you are seeking only spay/neuter services and do not wish to become a full-service client, please contact one of the local low-cost sterilization clinics listed below:

Get the latest Richmond SPCA news:

Our Partners

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