Frequently Asked Questions

Will I see the vet who will be dealing with my pet?

Yes, you will have a consultation with the vet who will be responsible for the investigation of your pet's problem.

What will happen when I bring my pet to Vale Referrals?

When you arrive our receptionists will inform the referral vet of your arrival. The vet will have reviewed the letter and case details sent by your vet, and will sit down with you for a consultation so we can discuss your pet's problems in depth. This often takes 30 minutes or longer. It is very helpful for us to see the person who is primarily responsible for the care of the pet.

Your pet will be examined by the vet and the options for investigation and treatment, and the cost of the procedures will be discussed with you. Your pet will then be admitted for investigations. Animals that are admitted stay in separate wards for dogs and cats, with one of our nurses appointed to look after your pet. If your pet stays overnight, care will be ongoing as we have nurses in residence at all times and vets on 24 hour call. If your pet does stay overnight, we will organise all bedding and food, unless they are on a special diet, in which case, please bring enough for their stay.

Do I need to starve my pet before the appointment?

Please ensure that your pet has not eaten since 8.00pm the night before the appointment, but you should ensure they still have access to water. This is required before an anaesthetic or sedative, but is also needed to ensure reliable blood tests can be taken and helps with other diagnostic tools such as ultrasound scans, X-rays and endoscopy.

Will my pet have hair clipped?

It is likely that we will need to clip your pet. We try to keep this to a minimum, but it is required in order to take blood samples, do ultrasound scans and, if necessary carry out surgery. The hair will grow back quite quickly.

How long will my appointment take?

Appointments are usually made in the mornings. The vets try to keep as close as possible to appointment times, but occasionally other clients are delayed or emergencies occur and slight delays are therefore possible.

• For cardiology cases, most animals are seen as day cases and we will need your pet with us for 3-6 hours. Occasionally cases may be kept in overnight. Breed scheme checks will normally be done while you wait.
• For surgery, most animals stay overnight following their operation.
• For Internal Medicine most cases are hospitalised until they start to improve.
• For Dermatology nearly all cases are with us for just an hour or two.
• For Neurology, cases may stay overnight and have an MRI scan the following day; they will then be discharged by the Neurologist late afternoon.

What can I do while I wait?

Health and Safety regulations prevent owners staying with their animals during investigations and surgery. We can give you a list of local attractions to visit while you wait and we can suggest places to stay overnight if required. The list above gives some indication of how long you might expect your pet to be with us, depending on which of our referral vets you are seeing, but this can be no more than a guide and you should plan to dedicate the whole day to your visit.

When will I know any results?

When your pet is discharged, the referral vet will talk you through what has been done and discuss the ongoing treatment with you. You will be given a written summary of the findings and details of treatments. These details will also be faxed or posted to your vet so that they are up to date with the developments. In many cases, blood test results may not be available that same day, and in limited cases the results can take much longer; days or even weeks for biopsy results and holter monitor recordings.

How much will the investigations and treatment cost?

The cost of your pet's treatment will be discussed with you at the time of the initial appointment. In some cases an estimate may have been given ahead of your visit. However it is difficult to be precise because we may not know until we do some tests what treatment would be most suitable. When we have examined your pet we can discuss the costs of the possible investigations and treatments so that you can make an informed decision about what you would like us to do.

Can I do a direct insurance claim?

Fees are payable when you collect your pet. We accept credit/debit card, cheque and cash. If your pet is insured, the insurance company will reimburse the cost to you. In exceptional circumstances and by prior arrangement only, payment can be made direct from the insurance company to Vale Referrals, provided that this has been agreed with us and the Insurance Company and that you leave us a claim form with your signed agreement to this payment method. You may need to pay any excess on the policy. We regret the total payment must be made and we cannot agree to payment in instalments for our referral clients.