How Our Practice Works
Registration
Please phone the practice, during office hours to register with us. You are advised to register with the practice, before your pet becomes sick, this registration allows you to use our services for say worming and other routine health benefits and to benefit from free over the phone advice. Should you need us in an emergency, we would already know you. Your pet’s name and health details, vaccinations and previous medical history, will be on our computer, as well as contact details for you.
Free guided tour
If you have not yet decided on a Veterinary practice, or have recently joined us, then why not ask about a free guided tour. These are available by appointment with one of our nurses, who will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Free post purchase check up
If you have just purchased or chosen your pet, we offer a free check up to all new pets. It is an opportunity to ask about flea and worm control, vaccinations, feeding and neutering.
Appointments
These run all day at the main practice. Some appointments are kept for emergency admissions every day, so we can cope with the usual unforeseen disasters that befall people, much like in a hospital casualty admissions department. Waiting times are generally 0-5 minutes, but sometimes a road accident or similar may take priority.
Home visits
We will visit you at home, but you should be aware that we do not carry all the equipment that is available to us at the surgery, and that the length of time that a vet will be tied up travelling does mean we have to charge a significantly higher rate for work carried out at a home visit. Please phone to discus your needs. Some people prefer a visit for euthanasia, and we will accommodate this for you.
On arrival
The receptionist will greet you and notify the vet of your arrival. When the consulting room is free, the vet will come through to invite you in.
In the consult room
There is often a lot going on and it can be difficult to remember all that has been said, especially when it contains scientific jargon and you are holding your pet, and often children as well, all the while worrying about what is going to happen. To help, we provide a print out of what the vet has found, what they think should be done and how the problem will be managed.
Further investigations
Often the vet will ask to do special tests, such as take blood, scans or x-rays. Much of what we do can be done “in-house”, but unless it is urgent, it is much cheaper if we send it to a local laboratory. These results will be back in as little as 24hrs, but do sometimes take much longer, depending on which tests are involved. Some tests will require you to bring back your pet the next day, some are done there and then. The Vet handling the case will ring you with the results when they return.
The invoice
You will be presented with the invoice and a copy of all the clinical text pertaining to the case, at the reception desk. We ask for payment at the time. Please feel free to read through the information, we will answer any questions as efficiently as we can. We accept all major credit/debit cards, cheques and cash.