Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need to Make an Appointment?
Yes please! Call us on 6396 7485 and one of our friendly staff will schedule a time for us to see your pet. Running by appointments means there is less waiting time and makes it a more peaceful visit for your pet. When you call our staff will advice you if they think you need to be seen more urgently or if a long consultation is required.
If you have an emergency, you’ll be advised to be seen straight away.
What Happens If My Pet Has an Emergency After Hours?
If we are closed please call the local Emergency Centres. The closest emergency centre is WAVES – call them on 9412 5700. Alternatively call Murdoch University Vet Hospital on 1300 652 494. The emergency centres are open every night, all day on weekend and public holidays. If you call us after-hours our answer machine will supply these numbers.
When Do You Have Appointments?
We are open Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 6:00pm and we have consultations available from 8:00am to 5:30pm unless we have surgeries being performed. On Saturdays we’re open from 8:30am to Noon with appointments available 9 am and 11:45am. On Sundays and Public Holidays we are closed.
Is There Anything I Need to Do Before My Pet Has Surgery?
The process is pretty straight forward to make it easy for you and your pet.
Call us on 6396 7485 and our staff will walk you through the preparation. They will talk about how long not to feed your pet, when to remove water and what time to arrive at the hospital. They will check that the preparation has been done correctly when you come in – there is a permission form to fill out and during this time they will give you more information about IV fluids and Blood Tests to check your pet out.
If we have not see you or your pet before or, if your pet has a new problem, we will get the staff to make an appointment for a vet to check them first so we can discuss the surgery and costs involved. We want you to be fully informed of what is is going to be done before we start!
How Do I Prepare My Pet for Surgery?
- Call to book your pet in for surgery.
- If you have time, giving your dog a good shampoo a day or so before surgery is very helpful.
- At 8.00pm the night before please remove any uneaten food and don’t give them any more. If you have a bird or rabbit etc. please call us as they have specific requirement before surgery. Cats should be kept confined to ensure they do not access food.
- When you get up on the morning of surgery take away water and do not feed.
- Arrive at the hospital about 8.00am on the day of surgery.
- The nurses will go through a permission form, and once complete, they will get you to sign this. During this process they may advise the vet checks your pet first and this is vital if there are any problems you have noted since we last saw your pet.
What Happens When My Pet Comes in for Surgery?
When you come in, your pet will be reweighed and the nurses will go through a permission form. We check that vaccines and heart worm medication is up-to-date and check what drugs your pet may be on. Obviously we check that they have had food and water withdrawn at the correct time. They go through the procedure your pet will be having and determine if there is anything that needs to be done.
Part of the admission process is to determine whether we are doing blood tests (these give a picture of what is happening inside you pet and gives a great base line for future reference) or giving IV fluids – we do recommend these be done on all dogs and cats before an anaesthetic is given.
The permission form is a practice formality, which will outline what the surgery entails in detail, so that you know exactly what will be happening to your pet. You will need to sign this on the day. Once they have been admitted to the hospital, your pet is examined and any samples needed are collected for blood tests. If bloods are run then these are looked at before any sedation or other medications are given. Once this has been completed they are given their pre-med – it calms them and starts their preemptive pain medication.
When we complete a surgery, your pet is given further pain relief medications before they wake up. We will call you once they are awake to arrange a discharge appointment. When your pet has woken up we will give them food and water, as we prefer that they eat before returning home.
When you come to pick your pet up, either a Vet Nurse or Vet will discharge your pet giving you time to ask further questions. The nurses will go through medications and organise a time for a post surgery check up.
Why Do You Recommend Blood Tests/Other Tests?
We recommend doing blood tests for many reasons. We have modern complex in house biochemistry and haematology machines along with other lab equipment that allows us to rapidly have accurate results.
If a pet is unwell then a full set of blood tests and a urine check are always recommended as this gives a detailed set of information about your pet that helps in making diagnosis and aids us in making decisions about further tests or treatments.
Before surgery we recommend a blood tests to ensure the organs are working and that things like haematology and protein levels are normal before any anaesthetic drugs are given.
If your pet is on long term medications the test are generally required to assess for any adverse effects or to check drugs levels depending on the medication being used. We can discuss this with you.
At times there are tests that only pathology specialists can perform then samples will be sent to these. These tests include cultures, histopathology and endocrine tests. If we want we can get them to check our results as this helps us obtain the most of information about your pet in complex cases. We aim to give the best care possible.
Do You Use Referral Hospitals or Specialists?
We have ready access to (and a great relationship with) a full range of specialists, who we work with to give your pet the best care possible. We use them when we believe your pet needs specialist intervention eg advanced imaging, specialist surgery and so on. We decide this on an individual basis in partnership with you. Due to our extensive experience we are able to handle most complex cases but it is comforting to know there is always a specialist to help when needed.
Do Need to Have My Dog on a Lead in the Hospital and My Cat in a Carrier?
The simple answer is YES! All for their safety, and the peace of mind of everyone.
Cost of Services?
Due to the variation in conditions we can not give estimates over the phone apart from vaccinations, parasite control, foods and de-sexings. For anything else, we need to see your pet or have recently seen them for their condition. Estimates are given on the best knowledge at the time but periodically there may be some variation eg. teeth needing to be removed or extra drugs needed – we will try to contact you to get permission in those situations.
What about Insurance for Pets?
We do recommend that all pets be covered by insurance, mainly to cover for unexpected illness or accidents – as this is where treatments can become costly. Insurance can help you make decisions about your pets’ health knowing that some of the costs is covered.
There are many pet insurance companies, and it is important that you read the policy documents as they all cover different things and to different levels. They mostly do not cover things like dental work and you need to be aware that there may be exclusions; Either based on breeds, or previous diseases your pet may have had. Do your homework and take out insurance before you have a problem!
Do You Have a Dog Groomer?
We do not have grooming.
Is Flea Control and Worming Really Needed?
Due to animal health issues due to fleas and other parasites, we always recommend that all pets be on a comprehensive parasite control program. By doing this we see less disease in our pet population. In addition, some of the parasites cause human illness so by treating your pet you reduce the risk of you and those loved ones around you becoming infected.
We have many safe and effective products available and the best are available on our health plans. Talk to a staff member today!