FAQ

In order to avoid long wait times, we run by appointments at the Waverley Animal Hospital. However, emergencies are seen at all times.
If you want to make an appointment, please call (03) 98079222, or book online.
We are very flexible and can often accommodate last minute appointments, call the clinic to see if we can fit you in!
If you are new to our clinic, you can complete a New Client Form prior to your visit.

We will see emergencies at all times during opening hours. If you can, call the clinic on your way, but if you can’t just come down.

If there is a particular vet you want to see to care for your pet, please ask the Nurses when you call to book an appointment.

In general, we do recommend taking out pet insurance for your pets which is best done BEFORE your pet gets ill. Otherwise, your pet will have a “Pre-existing condition” that may limit or stop your ability to claim for that condition.
Legally, we are not allowed to recommend one insurance company over another (because we are not financial advisers).
However, we can give you general advise on what to look for with a policy.
Call the clinic for further advise, or to book a consult with one of our vets to see if your pet has any pre-existing health issues that may cause problems with a claim.

We do recommend Yearly Annual Health Checks and Vaccinations for your pets.
Some of the Diseases we vaccinate against will only have 12 months of cover with vaccination, requiring yearly boosting. If your pet misses these yearly boosters, then additional vaccinations may be required to ensure optimum immunity to prevent disease.
Of vital importance is the health check itself – this allows us to detect any health issues that may not be obvious from looking on the outside of your pet.
Heart disease, Dental disease, Arthritis, and Abdominal Conditions are just some of the things we may discover quietly impacting the quality of life of your pet.

We do see rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Rodents, and other smaller pets. And sometimes birds as well!

Bad breath in pets is generally caused by dental disease.
Bacterial infection of the gums and roots of the teeth is a leading cause of bad breath in pets.
Infection causes inflammation, and inflammation causes pain.
So if your pet has bad breath, they will have painful mouths.
They will still eat because at times their level of hunger is larger than the level of pain they feel. But they are eating in pain.

At the Waverley Animal Hospital, we are fastidious about pain relief.
Our pets can not tell us when they are painful, so we sometimes have to look or subtle signs to detect animals feeling pain. Or assume that they are in pain of they have had surgical procedures or certain conditions.
If you are concerned your pet may be in pain, please call the clinic to discuss this with us.

Puppy Class is vitally important for the early socialisation, and then long term behaviour of dogs.
While we do run through basic training, obedience and health issues during the class, the most important aspect is getting your puppy used to new situations, new dogs, and new people.
And If your puppy looks like they are having trouble, allowing us the opportunity to try and help you and your puppy with the issues they are facing at a younger age, rather than allowing them to grow up and develop behaviour problems.
If you are worried about the way your puppy is acting at home, around people, or around other dogs, please call the clinic on (03) 9807 9222

We use and recommend Hill’s Pet food, as a premium diet, using high-quality ingredients, for specific ages, sizes, and health and disease states.

Other diets that are also good are Royal Canin, Advance, and Eukanuba.

Take care with some of the other “Premium” diets that are sold in pet shops, some are of dubious quality, with regards to claims of appropriateness in certain life stages.

If you want to give your pets other foods, make sure that the majority of what they are getting is the commercial food, to avoid any nutrient imbalances.