What to expect from different types of appointment
Different types of veterinary consultation or appointment will attract different charges dependent on whether you see a vet or a nurse, the reason for your appointment and any treatments carried out. You may either choose to pay for all veterinary fees yourself or, as we usually recommend, take out pet insurance which can help you claim some or most veterinary care costs, depending on the type of cover you choose.
Payment must be made before taking your pet home from your practice, or at the time of treatment and your practice team will be able to advise you on current charges.
You’ll find basic fee guides on your individual practice’s webpage.
If your pet needs to stay in one of our hospitals, we reserve the right to require payments during the period of hospitalisation, and/or a deposit to be paid prior to your pet’s admission.
Click here for further advice on choosing pet insurance. (Please note, insurance does not usually cover the cost of preventative healthcare such as vaccinations or flea and worm treatment.)
Vet Consultations
Standard vet consultation
Standard vet consultations in general practice are typically up to 15 minutes long and are chargeable. These normally allow your vet suitable time to take a clinical history from you, perform a full clinical examination of your pet and ask you any necessary questions about their wellbeing. In partnership with you, your vet will then formulate an agreed plan for treatment, ongoing monitoring, or further investigations or procedures.
For pets with multiple or complex issues, or where a procedure is required during the consultation, an extended or additional consultation may be required to ensure enough time is given to properly assess the issues you ask about or that your vet identifies. Extended and additional consultations will be charged for and booked accordingly.
(There is a 10% discount on the standard vet consultation fee for ProActive Pets members.)
Should you, at any point, wish to have a second opinion or a referral to a specialist, please speak to us and we will be happy to help arrange this for you.
Follow up consultation
Some vet consultations are called a ‘follow-up’. These are typically when your vet needs to check the progress or recovery of your pet, perhaps after treatment, surgery or after an illness or condition that may have been diagnosed at a previous visit.
Depending on your pet’s progress, condition and your vet’s clinical assessment, a follow-up consultation may vary in length but will be charged at the same rate.
Follow-ups play an important role in gathering information on your pet’s condition or recovery which may help form future opinions.
(There is a 10% discount on the follow-up consultation fee for ProActive Pets members.)
Should you, at any point, wish to have a second opinion or a referral to a specialist, please speak to us and we will be happy to help arrange this for you.
Vaccination and annual health assessment
Vaccinations will be administered by your vet at what will typically be a 15 minute appointment, and your pet will also undergo a full annual health assessment at the same time. The recommended annual vaccinations for your pet’s age and lifestyle will be administered in discussion with you. As a prescription medication, vaccinations can only be administered with a health assessment.
It is important to have your pet’s health assessed once a year as this helps to pick up early signs of disease and allows you and your vet to discuss your pet’s preventative healthcare needs including parasite control, dental care, weight management and any changing nutritional or health care needs as they mature.
You will be charged for your pet’s annual health assessment and any vaccinations given*.
*(Unless your pet is a member of ProActive Pets where the costs of the annual health assessment and vaccination are covered by your plan. A 30% discount is applied to the first vaccination given to your pet as a ProActive Pets member and annual boosters are subsequently included in the membership).
In some circumstances, your pet may require a follow-up vaccination in the following 3 to 4 weeks. The cost of this will be included in the first visit and a vet may authorise this vaccine to be given by one of our Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVNs).
Your vet or nurse will advise you if and when your pet will need to revisit and we’ll usually email or text you in advance of when your pet needs to come in for their booster and annual health assessment.
Telephone advice
If you are unsure about any advice your vet or nurse has given you, one of our vets or nurses will be glad to clarify this over the phone.
If, however, your pet is not currently under treatment for a condition or complaint you seek a vet’s advice over the phone or video call, a consultation fee may be charged if consultative medical advice is sought and given.
Nurse Appointments
Registered Veterinary Nurses play a very valuable role as part of your veterinary healthcare team. Nurse appointments may be made to cover common aspects of preventative health and care advice such as nutrition, weight/parasite checks, nail and claw clips, new pet advice and microchipping. Your vet may also advise an appointment with your nurse as part of the post-operative checking process.
In-practice
Nurse consultations in practice are usually chargeable.
(Two nurse consultations are included at no cost, each membership year for ProActive Pets members).
Telephone advice
If you are unsure about any advice your vet or nurse has given you, one of our vets or nurses will be glad to clarify this over the phone.
If, however, your pet is not currently under treatment for the condition or complaint you seek advice over the phone, a nurse consultation fee may be charged if consultative medical advice is sought and given.
(Two nurse consultations, either by telephone or in-person, are included at no cost each membership year for ProActive Pets members).
ProActive Pets 6-month health check
A nurse consultation 6 months into every ProActive Pets member’s annual plan is included to check your pet’s general health and well-being and also to arrange the dispensing of the next several months’ worth of your pet’s flea and worm treatment.
In some circumstances your pet’s 6-month health check can also be conducted by video consultation.
(This check is included for ProActive Pets members and is in addition to the two free nurse consultations ProActive Pets members are entitled to in each year of their plan)
ProActive Pets free nurse consultations
Each year of membership of ProActive Pets means that two free consultations, whether by telephone, PetsApp or in person, with a practice nurse are included without charge.
Out-of-hours, specialist vet or emergency consultations
Out-of-hours, specialist vet or emergency consultations at one of our hospitals will all be charged at the prevailing rate.
Medicines, tests, treatments and diagnostics
Should your pet need any treatment, investigation, vaccination, medicine or tests such as blood tests or X-rays, whether during your visit or at a later date, these will be charged separately to any consultation fee.