Pet Owners
Perth Veterinary Specialists (PVS) offers specialist referral services (including urgent cases) in surgery (orthopaedic and soft tissue), internal medicine, oncology, and dermatology. The Veterinary Imaging Centre at PVS provides outpatient imaging services for patients, including ultrasound (abdominal, echocardiography), digital x-ray, CT and MRI. The multi-disciplinary team of registered veterinary specialists utilise state of the art equipment and are complemented by a dedicated team of veterinary clinicians and nursing staff that provide a high standard of professional care for your pet.
Important Information
To utilise the services of our specialist veterinarians you will need to consult with your local veterinarian. They are in the best position to determine if your pet needs referral and to which specialty. If the services of our centre are required you will be provided with a referral letter. Appointments or enquiries for all services can then be made by calling reception on 9204 0400.
Things to remember for your appointment
- It is wise not to feed your pet on the day of referral as fasting is required before some procedures, such as blood samples and ultrasound. You should however provide free access to water at all times. In certain circumstances it may not be appropriate to starve your pet for such a long period, for example if your pet is young or has a particular condition such as diabetes mellitus. If you are at all concerned about fasting your pet overnight, please get in touch with us and we will be happy to advise you.
- Please bring with you any medication your pet is currently receiving.
- Your vet may ask you to bring with you referral information for us containing your pet’s history and any blood test results or x-rays.
What to expect
Pet’s requiring specialist care often have long histories or a complicated mix of signs, so it is vital that we obtain as much information about your pet from you as possible. After initial investigation or after tests have been performed we will discuss with you the possible causes of your pet’s symptoms, any further investigations that may be required to diagnose the problem(s) and where appropriate discuss treatment options. We may need to admit your pet into the hospital for more tests. The duration for which your pet is hospitalised will depend on your pet’s problem. After tests have been performed, your pet may need to go back home to await results, but some pets may need to stay in for additional treatment, according to how unwell they are. You should be aware that at Perth Veterinary Specialists, we have 24 hour continuous care. The hospital never closes.
Whilst your pet is hospitalised we will keep in touch with you on a daily basis to let you know how your pet is getting on. Upon discharge, you will receive a written report which will provide a summary of your pet’s problems, investigations performed and details of any medications required. We will then also contact your own vet to update them your pets visit to us.
You can expect that you will be given cost estimates for procedures and time in hospital. Animals are not machines and therefore it is impossible to predict exactly what will be required for many patients and hence costs will vary from the estimate. If this variation is substantial we will update you with a revised estimate as soon as possible.
As our hospital has different departments it makes us different to a general veterinary practice. We believe each department knows its own area the best and therefore the hospital affords each department the ability to determine its’ own staffing and equipment needs and to set their own fees. For you this means that you may have to pay bills from more than one department. In some instances, the fees may be passed internally so that you are handed one account to pay, however in others, each department may present you with its own. We realise that this can lead to confusion if one department is unaware of how much another has charged, or is yet to charge. We will endeavour to keep you up to date on all costs incurred and expected regardless of the number of specialists involved in your pets’ care.