Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I need to have an appointment?

  An appointment Is required for consultations for small and large animals. Consultations for small animals are available usually between 9am and 11am, and from 3pm to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and from 9 am to 12 pm on Saturdays. Some appointments are available for nurse consultations (for example, arthritis Injections, post surgery check-ups and dental health checks) throughout the day, but we recommend you ring to check for availability prior to coming into the clinic.

  Farm visits and home visits also require an appointment. Some small ruminants may be brought into the hospital if they can be carried or a controlled with collars or halters.

  In the event of a farm animal or equine emergency we will do our best to get to your animal as soon as possible, but if we are unable to get to your animal in an appropriate timeframe then we may advise you to seek alternative veterinary attention.

• What forms of payment do you accept?

  Payment for consultations at the veterinary hospital are required at completion of the visit or the discharge of the animal. Payment can be made by cash, EFTPOS, Credit Card or cheque. Payment can also be made by direct deposit when alternate payment options are not possible.

  Payment of invoices for home visits and farm visits are payable on receipt of the invoice, which may be sent to you by post or by email.

  We also offer payment plans utilising the services of VetPay. This payment option allows fortnightly payments to be directly deducted from your credit or debit card, and can be managed through an online app.

• At what age can I have my pet desexed?

  We advise that you discuss the age of desexing of your pets with our veterinarians.

  In general male and female cats can be desexed around 6 months of age, as both can be sexually active by this age.

  The time of desexing for your dog may depend on a number of considerations. We recommend that you discuss this procedure with us at around 6 months of age. Various factors that may influence the timing of the neutering procedure include the breed and physical development of the dog, and the lifestyle and home environment of the dog.

• How do I get a repeat prescription for medication that my pet is taking?

  The dispensing of prescription medication carries significant regulatory control and responsibility for veterinarians, who may be at risk of deregistration or prosecution if they do not comply with these prescribing regulations.

  Prescription medication can not be dispensed by nursing and support staff. A veterinarian must review the case and authorise the script and prepare appropriate labelling prepared for the medication. For many medications we require regular health checks and possibly blood or urine testing in order to be satisfied of the safety and suitability of any prescription medication.

  For this reason, please ring ahead when your pet’s medication is running low, in order to give our staff time to prepare the required medicines.  We will send you a message when your script is ready to collect. Occasionally, the veterinarian will discuss the progress of the pet’s condition prior to the determination of  suitable ongoing medications and their dose rates and treatment times.

• Is it a good idea to let my pet dog have at least one litter?

  We do not recommend breeding your female pet just for her to have the mothering experience. It is not demonstrated to have a significant impact on the behaviour of your dog in later life. Breeding a female dog carries many responsibilities in pet care and finding suitable caring homes for the offspring. Leaving your female dog undesexed leads to an increased risk of mammary cancer and uterine and ovarian disorders in later life.

• Do you board pets?

  We do not have facilities to board pets at Indigo Veterinary Services. However, there are several excellent boarding and pet minding services in the area and we advise you to visit the facilities to assess their suitability for your pet.

• Do I need to call before bringing an emergency patient into the centre?

  We realise that in an emergency such as a motor vehicle accident or a snakebite, you are in a hurry to get emergency veterinary attention as soon as possible. However, a call to the vet hospital prior to commencing your journey can be very helpful for us to prepare for your arrival, which may include us retaining staff at hand, preparing equipment or medications, or rescheduling other patients that may have had non urgent appointments.

• Can I see the same veterinarian?

  We understand that you may have a preference to see a particular veterinarian who has been treating your pet on previous visits or who has particular experience or skills in certain procedures. We will endeavour to make appointments with your preferred vet, but this may not always be possible. However, all our veterinary staff are in communication with each other regularly and are happy to collaborate in the treatment of complex cases.

• Will students be involved?

  From time to time Indigo Veterinary Services has the pleasure of hosting students who have an interest in a career in Veterinary nursing or as a Veterinary Surgeon. The completion of work placements in a veterinary hospital is an important part of the training of new vets and nurses, who need to observe the variety and complexity of cases and procedures.

  Students assist our staff with the daily tasks of running a veterinary hospital and they may have the opportunity to observe consultations or surgery.

• How often should I get my pet wellness checked?

  We recommend that all pets have a health check at least once or twice a year, which consists of a comprehensive physical examination. The veterinarian may make recommendations about the need for blood or urine testing, or other monitoring tests for general organ function.

  Your pet’s body is aging at a much higher rate than your own. The passage of one year in a pet’s life may equate to 5 or more years of your own aging.

• Can I visit my pet in hospital?

  We understand that a stay in hospital can be a stressful time for a pet and the pet owner. The mental and physical health of a pet can improve with regular visits from their owner. We encourage owners to visit their pets and discuss their progress with the hospital staff. Please be understanding though, that the hospital can be busy at times and patient visits may need to be scheduled at certain times of the day.

• Should I get pet insurance?

  Pet insurance is increasing in popularity, as the cost of quality veterinary care is also increasing. As for any insurance, such as your house or car insurance, you hope you never will need the insurance. However, accidents and illnesses happen and treatments can rise to be in the thousands of dollars.

  We are unable to advise you on a specific brand of pet insurance, as this is considered to be financial advice. However, we do advise you to shop around and read any fine print on insurance contracts closely. There can be many exclusions in some insurance contracts. We can advise you on some features to check for when selecting an insurance policy.

• Do you have overnight facilities?

  Our Veterinary Hospital in Beechworth has cages for pets of different sizes, including cats through to large dogs. Pets that need to be admitted for further treatment or diagnostic procedures, may need to stay overnight. Although we do not have a member of staff staying all night with hospitalised patients, we do ensure that they are checked regularly to ensure they are receiving appropriate monitoring and treatment.

• Will a vet come out and see my sick or injured farm animal during the night?

  Indigo Veterinary Services offers emergency afterhours attendance for horses and farm animals. The afterhours service is shared with the veterinarians at Ovens and Kiewa Veterinary Services, based in Myrtleford, who are also able to come out and attend to sick farm animals and horses.

  Please ring our main hospital phone number (03 57282410) and the telephone will be diverted to the veterinarian on call. Where directed, please leave a message to explain the nature of your enquiry, as the vet on call may be attending to another animal.

  Please note that all afterhours callouts will incur a surcharge of at least $110.00, over and above the regular attendance fee.

• Does heartworm prevention and flea prevention need to be given year round?

  Optimal flea control will be achieved when flea control is maintained all year round. There are many forms of flea control, and sometimes several types of flea control are used concurrently to control the fleas on the animals and prevent development of fleas in the environment. Please discuss your pet’s needs with our trained staff at Indigo Veterinary Services.

  Heartworm is transmitted between an infected dog and another dog by mosquitoes. Therefore, the risk of contracting heartworm in Beechworth and the surrounding areas, is lower than in more high risk areas such as northern Australia. However, there have been occasions where heartworm is brought into the area in dogs travelling from infected areas. The disease caused by heartworm is dangerous and complex to treat. We advise that heartworm prevention throughout the year is the better alternative, using monthly preventatives (oral or topical), or an injection given once a year.

• Where do I take my pet in case of emergency?

  If your pet is seriously unwell or suffered a major accident and needs emergency attention and care, please ring our main hospital phone number and talk to our staff to ensure the best course of action. We will usually advise you to come to the hospital immediately for emergency attention, unless extraordinary circumstances require an alternate course of action.

• Should I declaw my cat?

  Surgical declawing of cats is illegal in Australia.

  If your cat has long nails then we are able to assist you with trimming the nails. Please call the clinic to book a consultation with a nurse.

• We just found a stray pet. What should we do?

  If you have found a stray animal then we recommend you contact the ranger for Indigo Shire Council. The ranger may know of reports of missing pets and may make recommendations about what to do with a stray animal.

  During business hours, a dog or cat can be brought to Indigo Veterinary Services where we can scan for a microchip. We may be able to contact the animal’s owner, without the animal needing to be collected by the Shire’s Animal Control Officer.

• How do I transfer my pet’s records from a previous clinic?

  If you have recently moved to this beautiful part of Northeast Victoria, then we welcome you to Indigo Veterinary Services. In order to provide you with the appropriate care and service for your animals, we encourage new clients to contact their previous veterinarian and arrange to have the patient history emailed to us for the perusal by our vets prior to attending to your pets. Please ask your previous vet to email the history, including blood test results and pathology reports or imaging records to admin@indigovets.com.au.

• What types of animals do you see?

  At Indigo Veterinary Services we pride ourselves in being a traditional country mixed practice. This means that we will attend small and large animals, including pets of all sizes, and farm animals and horses. We also attend to sick or injured wildlife that is brought in by the public or by local wildlife carers.

  Occasionally we will refer you to other practices or veterinary specialists that may have more specific or specialised skills or equipment.

• What should I do if I find injured wildlife?

  If you find injured wildlife, such as a bird, reptile or mammal, please consider your own safety first when approaching or handling a wild animal, as serious injuries could be inflicted by a fearful or injured and struggling animal.

  During business hours, injured animals can be dropped at the Veterinary hospital in Beechworth, where it will be examined and treated (where appropriate). Animals that have a reasonable chance of rehabilitation will be relocated into the care of a registered wildlife carer. Native animals that have a poor or hopeless chance of rehabilitation to be returned to the wild may be humanely euthanased.

  You can also contact Beechworth Wildlife Shelter regarding injured wildlife or animals that may need rescuing from after accidents or entrapment.