Information for referring vets We are dedicated to achieving the best possible outcomes for every patient, maintaining exceptional levels of communication and fostering friendly, supportive collegial relationships.

The referral process works in a similar way to conventional referral.

Following examination of the case and relevant workup, you identify a case that may benefit from specialist surgery.

Following assessment and liaison with us, surgical treatment may be recommended.

Where it differs, is that the surgery is performed at your practice instead of a referral centre.

You maintain control of the case and perform the anaesthesia, all pre and postoperative imaging and aftercare.

We provide helpful advice, support and encouragement on all fronts to ensure procedures are safe, low stress and as positive an experience as possible for you and your staff.

Keeping the case in house allows your practice to maintain overall control of the case and to apply appropriate charges for the anaesthesia, theatre fee, hospitalisation, blood testing, imaging, medications, aftercare and follow up.

In this way, much of the potential profit from the case is retained at your practice.

There may be a significant advantage to the client too, as they avoid having to travel long distances and battling heavy traffic to attend an appointment at a referral centre. This may be particularly appealing to elderly clients or those in rural areas. It’s also much easier for clients to visit their pet in the postoperative period.

Often clients are closely bonded to their local veterinarian. With a mobile surgical referral, that relationship is maintained.

There is also an educational aspect to the service as it allows direct one on one interaction with a specialist without having to leave your practice. Keeping interesting surgical cases in-house can be very stimulating and rewarding for staff. For vets and nurses that are interested in surgery, ‘scrubbing in’ can be an interesting, valuable and rewarding experience.

Having a specialist in the building also facilitates communication and interaction around additional cases and the management of surgical cases in general.

Diplomates of the European and American Colleges of Veterinary Surgeons (DipECVS, DipACVS) and Fellows of the Australian New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (FANZCVS) can all register as specialists in Small Animal Surgery in Victoria.

In order to obtain these qualifications, candidates will have typically completed an internship(s) followed by a rigorous three to four year residency training program at an approved centre. During the residency program, all aspects of case management are supervised and critiqued by Specialist Surgeons acting as supervisors to residents. Surgical logs must be completed and minimum case numbers achieved for different conditions.

In order to be eligible to sit exams, candidates must also fulfil minimum criteria for presentations at conferences and publications. The exam process itself involves written, practical and case based examinations. The exams are challenging with a low pass rate and success mandates a long period of study and detailed knowledge of the surgical literature.

Candidates that have passed the exams have fulfilled all these criteria so you can be assured they have been exposed to an extremely robust training program and a demanding examination process. Only then can an individual apply with the state board to be recognized as a specialist. This ensures they are truly experts in their field.

Most elective surgical procedures can be performed in your practice. Our services page lists some of the procedures that we offer. If you are unsure, or if a procedure is not listed, simply contact us and we will be more than happy to help.