Terms and Conditions

Here at Heronden Veterinary Practice we always aim to provide the best service that we possibly can and so we have brought together a team of extremely experienced Veterinarians and Nurses and the most up to date modern facilities and equipment to enable us to do that.

We are all pet owners ourselves, and understand completely how worrying it is when your pet is ill. So we promise to always take the time to explain diagnosis and treatment options to you clearly and we are more than happy to talk to you to discuss any questions you may have regarding your pet’s treatment at any time.

Opening Hours

Our opening hours are: Monday to Friday 8.30am-7.00pm and 8.30am to 1.00pm on Saturdays. Please call us on 01580 763303 or visit our website www.herondenvets.co.uk  or our Facebook page for any alterations to these opening hours, such as Christmas and Bank Holidays.

Whilst we are open, we will endeavour to see your pet at a time that is convenient to you. However, if you have an emergency during these hours, we will of course see you as quickly as we possibly can. If you are able to call to inform us of the nature of your emergency and to let us know you are on your way, that will help us to prepare for your arrival.

As always, we will give your pet the best treatment we possibly can, and if that involves your pet staying with us overnight as an inpatient, we will discuss this option with you. Occasionally, it may be necessary to refer your pet to a specialist practice. In this event, we will present the options and explain the whole procedure to you.

“Vets Now” provides emergency care outside of our normal hours. The nearest is based in Kingsnorth, Ashford and their telephone number is 01233 884599. They will bill you directly for any treatment your pet receives.

Fees and Payments

Payment for all treatments and products are required at the time of treatment. Although we have some set fees, for example: vaccinations, microchipping and neutering, other fees are calculated based on a number of factors.

These include expertise and time, equipment, procedure, tests, drugs, materials and consumables used and VAT. These obviously may vary on a case by case basis. We are more than happy to give you an estimate and talk with you regarding the costs of any treatment and discuss different treatment options that might be available. Please ask the consulting Vet who will be happy to help.

You will be asked to sign a consent form before any procedure is undertaken on your pet. Signing this form gives us authorisation to treat your pet as agreed, although it is understood that due to the unpredictable nature of clinical work, and variations in the way that each individual animal may react to treatment, treatment can vary.  We will always do what is in the best interest of your pet, especially in an emergency and we will of course try our best to contact you beforehand to discuss any variations in treatment. Please make sure you, or a representative over the age of 18 is contactable during this time.

On signing the consent form you also agree to pay for your pet’s treatment at the time of collection. In the event of late payment, interest may be charged at a rate of 2% per month. Failure to settle accounts may incur further charges and Heronden Veterinary Practice reserve the right to pass unpaid accounts to external debt collectors and solicitors for recovery or legal action. We may assign the unpaid debt, and all rights, without restriction.

If the account is not settled, Heronden Veterinary Practice reserves the right to ask you to find another Veterinary Practice to treat your pet for routine problems. You will be given 7 days notice.

Medications

We will always discuss the medications we dispense for your pet with you. All Veterinary practices are obliged to use Veterinary UK Licenced medication whenever possible. However, there may be cases when the best medication for your pet does not hold a licence for use in animals. In these cases, all vets follow the Cascade protocol which allows vets to use “Off Licence” medication to ensure your pet’s health and welfare. We will of course, inform you of this and obtain your written consent. Further information on the Cascade protocol can be found on the RCVS website.

Prescriptions

Whilst we endeavour to keep most medications in stock, if you require a repeat prescription, please be aware that we may need to order products in and so we kindly request that you give us as much notice as possible and at least 24 hours. Please note that our wholesaler only deliver on weekdays.  Written prescriptions are available upon request.  In accordance with RCVS regulations certain medications must be prescribed by a Veterinary Surgeon, who must first carry out a clinical assessment of the animal under his or her care so please bare this in mind if we have not seen your pet before. We would also need to review your pet’s condition regularly, usually every 3-6 months to ensure there are no changes in your pet’s health which may affect the medication prescribed or the dose given. Do feel free to call or pop in to discuss repeat prescriptions, we are always happy to help.

Vaccinations

At Heronden Veterinary Practice, we strongly recommend regular vaccinations to prevent your pet contracting some very nasty and life threatening diseases. However, we realise that some owners have concerns regarding vaccinations, and we would welcome the opportunity to discuss any concerns you may have and to enable us all to plan for what is in the best interest of your pet. Please feel free to call any time with any questions you may have.

If your pet is vaccinated, we can provide reminders of when your pet’s vaccinations are due and the way we do this depends on the contact information you have given us, so please keep us updated of any changes. However, this is a complimentary service, and Heronden Vets accept no liability for any loss, damage or costs which may result from a client not receiving a vaccination reminder.

Please refer to our privacy policy for more information on how we use your data.

Traveling abroad with your pet

Whilst we can provide you with information regarding current legislation and requirements for taking your pet abroad, give treatment and complete documentation as required, as the owner, it is your responsibility to ensure that you have all vaccinations, tapeworm treatment and documents in place for travelling out of and returning to the UK.

For further information please call Defra Pet Travel Scheme on 0870 2411710 or go to: www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad/overview

Insurance

Whilst we are not able to recommend specific insurance companies, insuring your pet can be a good way of dealing with the cost of unforeseen veterinary treatment.

If your pet is insured, we will be more than happy to treat your pet and to enable you to claim the cost of treatment back, we will complete The Veterinary part of the form and provide all supporting documentation as required.

Complaints

At Heronden Vets, you and your pets are the most important part of our practice and we strive every day to offer the best service that we possibly can. Therefore, we always welcome any thoughts or suggestions you may have regarding the services we offer and how we can improve them.

If however, you feel that our services have fallen below the standard you expect, please do call us to discuss the matter and be assured that we will take all your thoughts extremely seriously. You can contact Vicky Vidal, owner of the practice, either by phone on 01580 763303 or at Heronden Veterinary Practice, Unit 3, Pickhill Business Centre, Smallhythe Road, Tenterden, Kent. TN30 7LZ

All newly registered clients will be provided with a copy of these terms and conditions as this is a requirement set out by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS).