Dedicated Veterinary Care for Zoo, Avian, Aquatic & Unusual Pets
Call Us Now on 0333 800 1602
Consultations
To book an appointment with Origin Vets, check out where our surgeries are on our Where to Find Us page and phone our appointment service on 0333 800 1602 between 9.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. weekdays and 9.00 a.m. and 12.00 p.m. Saturdays.
At Origin Vets we take our responsibilities seriously. Diagnosis and the development of a treatment plan tailored to your animal is a multi-faceted procedure. We need your input to tell us what has happened and what you are concerned about; we need to actually examine your animal and then we see how what you have told us and what we have found fits with our previous experience and knowledge of the problems encountered with that species. If we feel that further tests are needed to help us reach a diagnosis or to further clarify or resolve what is going on, we will suggest these and will be happy to discuss them with you, including prices.
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We are now offering a limited number of prepaid Zoom telemedicine appointments which can be booked online via this website. These are for cases that we have already seen. See here for more details.
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Telephone and email advice may seem convenient but without direct access to your animal you will realise that we are severely hampered in our ability to help and so in virtually all cases it will be recommended that you arrange an appointment at one of our clinics.
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We do not feel that social media is an appropriate way to conduct our services and will never enter into correspondence this way.
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Please note that our consultations are charged per animal and not per consultation slot.
If you wish to bring in more than one animal please discuss this with our PA’s when booking the appointment. Unexpected animal consultations do affect our clinic timing and are frequently why we end up running behind schedule; however we will always examine animals presented to us for treatment (but see Pricing below).
Referrals and Second Opinions
Origin Vets have specialist knowledge about unusual animals and are happy to accept second opinions or referrals for animals seen by other vets. Please let us know at the time you make the appointment:
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That this is a second opinion or referral.
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Let us know which practice has been attending to your animal, as we will need to contact your existing veterinarians for the case history. Note that doing this at the time of the consultation will lengthen the consultation and increase the price.
Our price for referrals and second opinions is £110.00. This does not include further tests and medications.
We will not discuss or comment on any animal cases under the care of other veterinarians unless it is in a second opinion or referral consultation. We consider that to do so is unprofessional.
Missed Appointments
We understand that sometimes ‘life’ happens and that there are many reasons why you may miss an appointment. However our surgeries are often full plus there may be other clients hopeful for an appointment that day, so if you cannot make it please give us a courtesy call – even on the same day – to let us know; we may be able to offer that appointment for another animal. Otherwise missed appointments will be invoiced at £20.00.
Pricing
At the present, April 2203, our pricing guide is:
All routine consultations : £65.00
There is an additional nursing assistance fee, due to necessary changes in how we are required to operate
with our partner practices post-Covid,
of : £24.99
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Therefore a consultation with Origin vets costs a total of £89.99.
All prices quoted include 20% VAT. Please note that these prices are for consultations only – any treatment and tests will be extra and not included in these prices. This can be discussed with the Origin Vet at the time of your consultation.
Our consultations are charged on a per animal basis.
We reserve the right for each animal brought into our clinics to attract a consultation fee. This covers the time and procedures involved to assess and examine the problem with the animal. If three animals are presented to us, then three consultation fees will be levied – one for each animal. Three animals with three different problems will be charged out as three ‘first consultations’, as each will take the same amount of input from your vet. Your vet may make a fee reduction, for example if all animals presented have the same problem, but this is entirely at the vet’s discretion.
Repeat Prescriptions
For on-going cases or when our vets feel it is appropriate and current guidance allows, we can offer prescriptions. These are issued in good faith and typically they are scanned and emailed to you for presentation either to a local veterinary practice or an online pharmacy.
They are valid for 28 days from the date of issue. The cost of a prescription is £17.50; note that this does not include the cost of the medication which will be levied by the supplier.
Depending upon the individual case you will be asked by us to re-examine your animal at an interval of no more than 6 months. Not only does this make sure that we are compliant with legislation but it also gives us a chance to 'catch-up' with you and your pet and re-assess it's needs and health status.
Out of Hours and Bank Holidays
Origin Vets cover a wide geographic area which can make emergency cover challenging. A message can be left on our appointments and messaging number 0333 800 1602 and we will get back to you as soon as we are able. We also have agreements with our partner practices for cover outside of normal working hours so it may be that the practice’s out of hours service will tend to your animal, working under the advice of an Origin Vet if needed. In some cases one of us may be able to attend; our fees for out of hours cover start at £300.00 but may be higher depending upon circumstances.
Laboratory Tests
Appropriate samples such a blood taken from your animal to aid diagnosis, are submitted to an external specialist veterinary laboratory selected by us based upon their expertise with exotic and non- domestic animals. You will be charged the cost of the actual test and a separate fee will be made to cover our costs of handling and interpretation of the results.
Visits
We always encourage our animal patients to be brought into our clinics where we have access to all the necessary equipment and nursing assistance for us to be able to help your animal to the best of our ability. On occasion we may be able to offer a visit. Our base price for this is £180.00 and may be much higher depending upon time and travel needed. This will be discussed with your vet. The attending vet will be happy to accept cash, card or cheques at the time by way of payment, or alternatively an invoice can be raised. Where requested a receipt will be sent out to you.
Surgery
Surgery is expensive and drugs, nursing support and equipment does not come cheap. A typical exotic’s anaesthetic alone will cost around £120.00 as a minimum. Procedures and medications will be extra but we are always happy to discuss prices and provide estimates.
Invoice Payment Terms
An invoice will be sent out within one month of the work been undertaken. Payment is due on receipt of this invoice. After 28 days a surcharge of 1.5% will be added every month to the running total to cover administration costs.
Credit
Origin Vets Ltd is not licensed to offer credit facilities so we cannot give credit terms.