Frequently Asked Questions

• Monday to Friday 8:00am – 6:30pm
• Saturday 9:00am – 1:00pm

 

We are open Monday to Saturday and we provide 15-minute consultations and an appointment system. This ensures that waiting times are kept to a minimum and allows for a thorough examination of your pet as well as a discussion with you. We also offer nurse appointments depending on the needs of your pet.

If your pet has not been seen by a vet before, all you need to do is visit the online registration part of our website and fill in the form, alternatively you can contact us on 0118 957 4488 and we will take your details over the phone.

 

Transferring To Castle Vets

 

If your pet is currently registered at another veterinary practice and has no ongoing problems you can transfer your pet to us by registering as above, but we will also need to contact your current veterinary practice and request that they send us your pet’s clinical history; we will then see your pet at the first routine appointment you make.

 

Second Opinion 

 

If your pet is already under treatment for an ongoing problem by a vet at another practice and you wish us to take over your pet’s treatment, or to give a second opinion on your pet’s condition, you will need to contact us on 0118 957 4488 to make an appointment.

 

You will then need to contact your current vet and request that they provide us with your pet’s clinical history, including details of any investigations and treatment your pet is receiving. Your appointment time will be extended to 30 minutes in order for us to have the time to fully assess your pet’s condition and the fee for the consultation will be proportionately higher as a result.

Please visit the Travelling and Accessibility page on our website.

Castle Vets has a large, private car park on site.

Yes, all of our client areas offer wheelchair access but please do ask if you need any assistance at all.

We take pride in what we do at Castle Vets and providing top level care for our patients can only be done by having properly trained staff. Our veterinary surgeons have all qualified and are registered with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). We have qualified and registered veterinary nurses and we are a registered training centre for student veterinary nurses and Animal Nursing Assistants. In addition to this, all members of staff attend regular continuing education meetings, conferences, seminars etc. and we provide our own meetings for staff, using speakers from both inside and outside the practice; This ensures that all members of staff  are up to date with the latest skills, techniques and information required to treat your pets when they are unwell.

 

View our meet the team page to see our team and their qualifications. 

 

 

You can check that members of staff are appropriately registered and licensed by visiting the RCVS website.

We are proud to be the only local practice offering completely separate cat friendly facilities. Our integrated Cat Clinic was awarded the Gold Award from International Cat Care in 2007 and is part of our outstanding air-conditioned modern layout, including spacious segregated in-patient wards, operating theatres and waiting areas. This means less stress and upset for our feline patients.

Our intention is to provide a competitively and fairly priced service for you and your pet.

 

A consultation fee will be charged every time you see the vet and all fees, drugs, food and counter sale charges are subject to VAT at the current rate. You will receive a detailed statement/receipt for every consultation, investigation, surgical procedure, treatment or other transaction with us. No drugs or food will be dispensed without payment. If you have any concerns about treatment costs or your ability to pay your bill, please talk to us as soon as possible

 

If you would like details of consultation fees and routine procedures such as neutering, please look out our Routine Price List. If your pet requires non-routine treatment and/or surgery, then your vet will be pleased to give you an estimate of further treatment costs at the time of the consultation, before you decide whether or not to go ahead.

 

Should you wish to know the cost of other specific treatments/medications please ask the veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse during your consultation or you can contact the practice.

 

Estimate of Treatment Costs

 

We will be happy to give you a printed estimate regarding the expected costs of a course of treatment, investigations, or surgical procedure. Please be aware that any estimate given can only be an approximation of the final cost. We will always keep you informed and updated if costs are likely to exceed the original estimate.

 

Written Prescriptions

 

A written prescription can be requested from your vet to enable you to order your pet’s medication from a regular or online pharmacy if you prefer to buy it elsewhere. Please note that a written prescription may not be appropriate in all cases and in particular for pets that are in-patients or in cases where immediate treatment is necessary.

 

Payment Types

 

We accept cash, BACS payments and most types of credit and debit card. Unfortunately, we do not accept American Express cards at this time.

 

Payment Terms

 

Payment in full is expected at the time of each consultation, on the discharge of your pet following treatment or a procedure and on collection of drugs/diets. We do not routinely offer settlement terms and if an account has not been paid within 7 days, a reminder will be sent providing due notice of further action. After due notice to you, your outstanding balance will be referred to our debt collection agency.

 

Inability to Pay

 

We understand that affording veterinary care can be a worry for some owners and we work closely with the local and national animal charities, so we may be able to help you get in touch with someone that could help with the vet fees. Please let us know if you think you will have trouble paying for your pet’s treatment before you see the vet.

 

If, for any reason you are unable to settle your bill with us as specified, we ask that you discuss this matter with a member of staff as soon as possible and before you see the vet. Please note that instalments and part payments may only be sanctioned with the express permission of the Practice Manager or the Directors.

It is your responsibility as the pet owner and policy holder to check with your insurance company about your level of cover, any exclusions you may have and what your excess will be. If necessary, you can ask for a pre authorisation claim to be completed in order to check that the treatment will be covered (we do not charge for this). Please check our insurance claims section for further information.

Castle Vets strongly supports insuring your pet against illness or accidents and we always endeavour to submit insurance claims promptly to ensure that you are reimbursed by your insurance company as quickly as possible. 

 

Please be aware that

 

1. It is your responsibility as the pet owner and/or policy holder to ensure that your pet insurance policy will cover the condition, illness or problem that you wish to claim for and NOT that of Castle Vets. If you are at all unsure about your level of insurance cover, Castle Vets will be happy to complete a pre-authorisation claim form on request, so that you can check your claim will be covered by your insurance company, prior to any further treatment, investigations or surgery being carried out
2. Because of the updated GDPR rules, you will need to contact your insurance company to give them permission to talk to Castle Vets and discuss your pets cover with them, before your claim is sent off by Castle Vets; this will prevent any delays if Castle Vets needs to talk to your insurance company or if your insurance company needs to talk to Castle Vets
3. It is a requirement for us to share your pet’s full clinical history from Castle Vets with your insurance company (this is usually submitted with each claim). Your insurance company may also ask you to provide your pet’s clinical history from any other veterinary practice that he or she has been taken too; you will need to arrange this with your previous veterinary practice as Castle Vets cannot do this for you
4. Castle Vets can only claim for treatments, procedures, services and medications that they have provided at the practice. If your pet has been seen by another veterinary practice, referral vet or emergency vet (including Vets Now Emergencies), then they must complete a separate claim form for the services/treatments that they gave to your pet

 

If your pet is insured, a direct claim (where the insurers pay Castle Vets) may be considered if treatment costs are likely to exceed £250, but this must be discussed with the veterinary surgeon before any surgical procedures or treatments take place and will be at the discretion of the practice and you will need to adhere to the terms and conditions of our insurance claims policy.

 

If you are doing a direct claim with Castle Vets, you must bring in your signed claim form and policy documents on the day of your pet’s procedure (or before). We will not authorise direct claims without these documents.  For continuing treatments where a direct claim is required, you must bring in your signed claim form each time your pet visits the practice or you collect medication from us for your pet.

 

You are responsible for any costs that are not covered by your insurance company and it remains your responsibility to settle your account within 60 days, if we have not received payment from your insurance company.

 

If you are considering a direct insurance claim, we strongly advise that you read our Insurance Claim Policy which can be downloaded, printed or obtained from reception. If you would like to know more about pet insurance have a look at our Pet Insurance information page.

We make a charge for every consultation your pet has with a veterinary surgeon and for all treatments we prescribe. Exceptions are made for post-operative checks and for consultations with veterinary nurses, which are free of charge.

If you have any questions about your pet’s health please do not hesitate to ask for more information.

 

We understand that it can be a lot to take in when a pet is diagnosed with a problem and it is easy to mishear, forget or misunderstand what has been said because you are worried.

 

You can ask at reception or contact us by phone, once you are home, and we will happily give you the information you need and/or point you in the right direction for more if necessary. 

European Veterinary Specialist Hannes Bergmann, works as a veterinary specialist consultant at Castle Vets. Your pet will need to be referred by a veterinary surgeon in order to see our Specialist. If your pet is a patient at Castle Vets, one of our vets may refer you to Hannes after seeing your pet or, if you are registered elsewhere, your usual vet will refer your pet.

When you arrive at Castle Vets, please let one of our receptionists know that you have arrived. Our specialist vet will give your pet a thorough clinical examination and any findings and provisional diagnoses will be discussed with you at this time.

 

Your pet may then be able to go home after the consultation with suggested management and/or treatment of the problem, or he/she may need to stay with us for further tests, investigations and/or surgery.

 

Our veterinary specialist will make every effort to perform investigations and necessary surgery on the same day as the consultation, if it is in the best interest of your pet and in line with your wishes and to get your pet back to you as quickly as possible. However, there is no guarantee that it will be possible to do all of the necessary work on the day of the initial appointment; some pets may require a course of treatment before a procedure, some may require further diagnostic tests and others may need to be hospitalised for a few days, in order to monitor their progress before or after surgery.

 

We also ask that if you will be claiming on your pet’s insurance, you hand in your completed insurance claim form and a copy of your insurance policy to one of our receptionists either before you have seen the specialist with your pet (you are also welcome to email us this information prior to your appointment). Please read our Insurance Claims Policy – Referred Clients Handout for more information.

At Castle Vets there are experienced, qualified vets and nurses on the premises 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can rest assured that throughout their stay, in addition to receiving their required treatment, medication and exercise, your pet will also receive plenty of fuss, love and attention from the nursing team who will be caring for their individual needs and ensuring that they are as comfortable and happy as possible while they are with us.

 

You can find out more by visiting our overnight care page.

You can view these on our Terms and Conditions page.

We do hope that you will be completely satisfied with our service but, should you have a concern, we would like you to tell us promptly so that we can work with you to address the issue.

 

Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily and we would suggest that you bring things to the attention of the person who is looking after your pet in the first instance, or that you contact the practice manager to outline your concerns.

 

Please visit our concerns and complaints page for more information.