General Information
Animates is a companion animal practice. We have a friendly team that are always ready to help. The practice is fully equipped with on site facilities including ‘in-house’ blood analysis, X-ray, dental equipment, ultrasound, blood pressure monitoring and excellent theatre facilities. Dog and cat wards are separate, with under floor heating and for larger dogs we have walk-in kennels.
Our Opening Hours
Monday to Friday: 8.00 am – 7.00 pm
Saturday: 8.30 am – 12.00 noon
Consultations are by appointment only. We operate on this basis to try to avoid unnecessary waiting for you and stress for your animals. We will always accommodate emergency cases, but please phone first so that we can prepare for your arrival.
Out of Hours Service
We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to provide emergency cover. In the event of an emergency phone the clinic and you will be provided with the required contact details for the vet on duty. Under normal circumstances Animates use our own vets for emergency cover.
Home Visits
We do offer home visits. Due to appointment commitments these need to be arranged with suitable advance notice. We can not guarantee to be able to visit at short notice. There will be an increased cost for any consultations performed away from the clinic, as they involve two members of staff leaving their normal clinic duties.
N.b. Please be aware that it is often better for animals to be seen at the clinic for treatment as we have the required equipment, facilities and staff. However, we do understand that this is not always possible.
Reception
Please report to reception upon arrival so that the receptionist can inform the relevant staff that you have arrived.
Whilst in reception please keep dogs on leads and cats / rabbits in baskets or suitable carriers. This is for the safety of your animal whilst visiting the clinic.
In the interests of public health please keep dogs and baskets / carriers off the seats. Roundworms are considered a human health risk. They can be passed to people, particularly children and can cause blindness. Roundworm eggs are tiny; you wouldn’t be able to see them. The eggs are very sticky and can be passed from your pet on to our seating and infect future clients.
Unvaccinated puppies should be kept on the owners lap or in a carrier. Although the clinic is regularly disinfected against various pathogens, we do occasionally have to see unvaccinated or contagious animals. Therefore, this direction is given in the interests of your own animals well being.
Continuity of Treatment
For any ongoing illnesses we prefer the same vet to complete any follow up consultations and will endeavour to ensure this happens. However, this is not always possible due to our working hours, unforeseen circumstances or your own availability.
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Flea and Worm Treatments
In order to provide you with any treatments for your animal we legally have to have them registered with our clinic. This means we need your details and your animals’ details on our computer system. In most instances we are also required to check and weigh the animal. We provide free flea check examinations for healthy animals to allow us to dispense these treatments. During these consultations we will go through the options available to you and discuss your animals’ lifestyle to ensure you use the most appropriate treatment.
Please be aware that it is possible we could find other health issues during this consultation. Should this be the case then we may need to charge a consultation fee. There would also be an additional charge for any medication prescribed.
Ordering Repeat Prescriptions and Food
To order a repeat prescription or food for your animal you simply need to call the clinic within normal opening hours. The receptionist will ask you for details of your order and what dose of medication you are currently giving. This is to ensure you are giving the correct dose or that we are aware of any changes. We require 48 hours notice for any orders or repeat prescriptions, as we do not always have your items in stock.
When providing repeat prescriptions we must have seen your animal within the previous 6 months to see how they are progressing on the medication. If your animal has not been seen by a vet within 6 months you will be asked to make a repeat prescription check up appointment before a further prescription can be provided. For some conditions the vet may need to examine your animal more regularly.
Insurance Claims
We are happy to assist you with making an insurance claim for any treatment your animal has had at our clinic. We provide this service at no extra charge to our clients. Once you have completed your section of the claim form please hand it in at reception (any prepaid envelopes would be appreciated). We will complete the rest of the form and send it off on your behalf. We aim to send off insurance claims as soon as possible, but due to work load this may take a couple of weeks. Any payment made by your insurance company would then be paid directly to you.
We may accept direct claims at our discretion. Any direct claim requests must be discussed with and agreed by your consulting vet in advance of any ‘planned’ treatment. If we have agreed to accept a direct claim we require you to bring in the claim form on or before the day of treatment and pay any excess detailed in your insurance policy. For non-urgent procedures, where a direct claim has been agreed, the procedure will not be performed until your claim form and excess have been received.
Hopefully this information has been useful. If you ever have any questions feel free to contact the clinic at any time.
We look forward to seeing you and your animals in the future.
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