Veterinary Referrals & Second Opinions
Most of your pet’s everyday veterinary care can be provided by our team at Folly Veterinary Centre.
There may, however, be times when your pet would benefit from specialist expertise, advanced investigations or treatment at a veterinary referral centre.
If we recommend referring your pet, we’ll explain why, talk through the options available and help you understand what happens next.
Our priority is making sure you can make an informed decision about your pet’s care.
Why Might My Pet Need a Referral?
A veterinary referral may be recommended when your pet needs expertise, investigations or treatment beyond that normally provided within a first-opinion veterinary practice.
This might include:
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Specialist assessment
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Advanced diagnostic investigations
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Specialist surgery
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Complex medical conditions
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Specialist treatment or ongoing care
If we believe referral would benefit your pet, we’ll explain why before making arrangements.
Choosing a Referral Provider
We want you to understand the options available when your pet is referred.
Our veterinary surgeon can recommend an appropriate referral provider based on your pet’s clinical needs and the expertise or treatment required.
If you have a preference about where your pet is referred, please tell us.
We can discuss the available options with you so you can make an informed decision about your pet’s care.
Understanding Referral Costs
We know cost can be an important consideration, particularly when your pet needs more complex investigations or treatment.
Where reasonably possible, we’ll help you understand the likely costs associated with the recommended referral or obtain relevant information from the referral provider.
The final cost of specialist treatment will usually be determined by the referral practice and may change depending on the investigations or treatment your pet ultimately requires.
We recommend discussing costs and any potential changes directly with the referral provider before treatment takes place.
Pet Insurance & Referrals
If your pet is insured, your policy may provide cover for some referral investigations and treatments.
Every insurance policy is different.
Before proceeding with referral treatment, we recommend checking:
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Your level of cover
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Your policy limit
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Your excess
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Any exclusions
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Whether pre-authorisation is required
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Whether your insurer places any conditions on referral treatment
If documentation is required from Folly Veterinary Centre, our team can explain how we can help.
What Happens When My Pet Is Referred?
If you decide to proceed with a referral, we’ll provide the referral practice with relevant clinical information about your pet.
This may include:
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Your pet’s medical history
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Relevant test results
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Diagnostic images where applicable
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Current medication
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Details of the condition being investigated
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The reason for referral
This helps the referral team understand your pet’s history before assessing them.
What Happens After the Referral?
Being referred doesn’t necessarily mean saying goodbye to your usual veterinary team.
Where appropriate, the referral practice can send its findings and recommendations back to Folly Veterinary Centre.
Depending on your pet’s condition, ongoing treatment may then continue:
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With the referral centre
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At Folly Veterinary Centre
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Through a combination of both
We’ll help you understand what happens next.
Second Opinions
You Can Ask Questions About Your Pet’s Care
We understand that there may be times when you want another veterinary opinion, particularly if your pet has a complicated condition or you’re faced with a difficult treatment decision.
If you would like to discuss obtaining a second opinion or referral, please talk to us.
Our priority is making sure you have the information and support you need to make decisions about your pet’s care.
Helping You Make Informed Decisions
As an independent veterinary practice, we believe you should understand your options and feel comfortable asking questions about your pet’s care.
If specialist veterinary treatment is recommended, we’ll help you understand why, what the next steps are and the choices available to you.