FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: MY PET IS SICK, MUST I HAVE A CONSULTATION WITH A VETERINARIAN?
A: This will depend on the nature of the problem. You are welcome to call us first and we can discuss the specific problem your pet has. In some cases we may be able to give you advice over the phone. However if your pet is actually sick, we would always recommend a full veterinary examination, because it may be dangerous to make assessments based purely on a phone description. In addition the animal may need to be physically present in order for us to perform any diagnostic tests or to administer medication. If you are in doubt a free nurse clinic is available, and our registered veterinary nurses can advise you on whether a veterinary consultation is needed.

Q: DO I NEED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT OR CAN I JUST POP IN?
A: At Veterinary Associates it is important to us that clients are not kept waiting to be seen. For this reason we prefer clients to make an appointment with us so that we can be certain a veterinarian will be available at the time of your visit.

Q: CAN I CHARGE MY ACCOUNT?
A: Payment at time of consultation is expected unless you have specifically been offered an account with us by being a long standing client. If this is a problem, please discuss this with our reception staff before your appointment. If you are having diagnostic tests, intensive care or surgery, please ask your attending veterinarian for an estimate of costs before agreeing to the work if payment may be an issue.

Q: WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I NEED A VETERINARIAN AFTER HOURS?
A: The clinic is open for normal consultations from 8.00 am to 5.30 pm weekdays and mornings on weekends. For non-emergencies, we request that you make appointments within these hours. A veterinarian is on duty for genuine after hours emergencies outside of these hours. If your animal does need attention after hours please do not just drive to the clinic as it will not be attended. Instead, ring the usual clinic number and you shall be given instructions on how to contact the duty veterinarian. You can then explain the problem and the duty vet will help decide the best course of action. The clinic veterinarians rotate duties on a roster, so the veterinarian you usually see may not be the one on call at that time, but they will be always be an experienced veterinarian.

Q: WHY CAN’T I JUST PICK UP MEDICATION WITHOUT A CONSULTATION WITH A VET?
A: Under the law, veterinarians have a legal requirement to ensure the proper use of prescription medicines. Proper use means that we need to ensure that; the medicine is the best one for your pets’ problem, it is not going to put your pet at an unacceptable risk, and that you fully understand how the medication needs to be used. In most cases, this means that an examination will be needed along with time to discuss the problem and the medication, including any possible side effects. As an example, people commonly ask for eye medication for a “simple sore eye” but when the eye is examined it is found that a Barley grass seed is hiding under an eyelid and causing the irritation. By having a consultation we can identify the problem, and ensure the right course of action is taken.

Q: HOW MUCH WILL MY APPOINTMENT COST?
A: This will depend very much on what work we do for your pet or farm. A routine examination for small animals is $37.50 or a farm call out is $65.00. Once an initial consultation has been performed, the veterinarian can better advise you on the likely final costs depending on any additional work, diagnostic tests or medication. Although we are happy to give approximate estimates over the phone without seeing your animal, in many cases it is not possible to accurately know what work is needed until we have examine your pet. FREE nurse clinics are available for general advice and basic care such as worming and flea treatments, but they cannot perform veterinary treatments or prescriptions.

Q: CAN I BORROW A CAGE FOR MY PET?
A: We are happy to provide loan cages to make it safer to bring your cat to the clinic. This can be arranged by asking for one to be set aside as you make your appointment. The use of these is a free service to our clients. A temporary bond charge will be applied to your account and removed once it has been returned.

Q: WHAT ANIMALS WILL YOU TREAT?
A: We happily treat all domestic pets including cats and dogs, birds and pocket pets, such as guinea pigs, rabbits, mice and rats. We are also experienced in a wide range of production animals including deer, sheep, cattle, goats and pigs, along with sport and pleasure horses.

Q: I HAVE SEEN THE VET BUT MY PET IS NO BETTER, WHAT SHOULD I DO?
A: You should always ring and discuss this with your veterinarian and they can offer the best advice.

Apparent failure to resolve may be for several reasons, but in all cases, it is important that you contact your original veterinarian. Not improving does not mean we have failed, or that your pet cannot get better. Pets cannot tell us what is wrong with them and we rely on your information, along with our clinical examination to try to make a diagnosis. We base our treatment plan on the most likely causes of the problem, but there are many less common potential options that we consider at the same time. We will often have a “plan b” for diagnostic tests or treatments should your pet not respond to the initial treatment as hoped. It may be that a simple extension of treatment may be needed, that a different treatment needs to be considered or that we need to perform more diagnostic tests to try to get a better picture of what is happening.

In all cases, it is better that you inform us as you finish the medication, rather than much further down the track. It is important that you contact us if your pet has not improved after treatment. We are more than happy to discuss what options may be best for your pet from now on.