FAQ

Appointments for in-clinic consultation and other services can be made by calling 204-253-2668 during our regular business hours. We do request that you call for an appointment; this helps to avoid unnecessarily long waits. If you are unable to keep an appointment, we would appreciate that you call us as soon as possible so that other clients can make use of the appointment space. If you wish to see a particular veterinarian, please indicate this at the time you make the appointment. Surgeries and anesthetic procedures, except emergencies, are performed Monday to Thursday and must be pre-scheduled.

We offer drop-off appointments for those clients who are unavailable to attend in person. A brief history of your concern will be taken by one of our RVT’s. Once the veterinarian examines your pet, they will call you to discuss physical exam findings and any recommended diagnostics, treatments, therapies or prescriptions. At that time, an estimate can be provided detailing any associated costs, as well as a pickup time for your pet.

Walk-in appointments are welcome but can result in prolonged waiting times, depending on the time of day, staffing, and available openings between scheduled appointments.

Emergencies, which are the exception, are encouraged to come immediately and are seen promptly, during regular business hours.

We recommend that animals be placed on a leash or in pet carriers before entering the waiting room.

Thank you for your trust; we appreciate the opportunity to care for your pet. Having a pet in the hospital, away from home, may leave you feeling uncomfortable. To ease your concern, your pet is under the care of our qualified team of veterinarians and technicians during the day. Your pet’s condition is monitored regularly: vital signs, food and fluid intake, and changes in medical status.

Health Care Plans & Estimates

Any time that your veterinarian recommends hospitalization for your pet, St Vital Veterinary Hospital (SVVH) will present you with a health care plan. This will include an approximate range of charges that may be incurred for services and procedures. If your bill should increase to exceed the highest end of the plan, you will be notified by a staff member. Changes in your pet’s medical condition, new findings under anesthesia not detectable on an awake animal, maybe some of the reasons for additional fees.

Payment and payment options will be discussed with you by your veterinarian or technician at the time your pet is hospitalized.

Emergency services after hours are provided through the Animal Emergency Clinic at 400 Pembina Highway (Pembina Veterinary Hospital). Their phone number is (204) 452-9427. They are fully equipped and staffed to provide the intensive care and monitoring that emergency cases require. If your pet requires prolonged hospitalization, arrangements can be made to have them transferred to our care once they are stabilized, or continue care their if preferred.

Convenient Payment Options & Help with Pet Insurance
At SVVH, we are frequently asked about the costs of an office call. Charges vary based on the type of visit; please ask for specifics when you make your pet’s appointment. Payment of fees for services provided is due at the time of your visit or upon the discharge of your pet from the hospital.

Payment Options
The veterinarians and staff members of SVVH understand you want what is in the best interest of your pet. Sometimes the costs associated with these decisions can be difficult to understand. That is why we work to provide you with several options that will benefit your pet, allow for optimum quality of life, and enable you to feel comfortable with your choice.

To give you a better sense of the costs involved in treating your pet’s medical condition, your veterinarian will develop a health care plan. This plan includes an approximate range of charges that may be incurred for services and procedures while your pet is hospitalized. There may be times when a deposit is requested before treatment is initiated, usually for costly procedures.

While our hospital does not offer in-house payment plans, we do accept the following forms of payment:

Cash, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and by using Interac direct payment. We do not accept cheques.
We also offer PetCard, a convenient financing plan that allows qualified applicants to divide payments over 6 months to 6 years.

Pet Insurance is another method of payment that is available. While we still require you to pay your medical bill directly to St Vital Veterinary Hospital, we are happy to help with any of the necessary paperwork that will streamline the reimbursement process from your insurance provider. If you would like to learn more about pet insurance, we recommend these articles from the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA): a buyers’ guide, discussion about the cost of veterinary care, and help to choose an insurance plan.

You may also wish to visit Pet Insurance University to help you evaluate which pet insurance plan is best for your pet.

If you are interested, our staff can supply information on Pet Health Insurance or click here for more information.

While we understand the stress that comes when our companions need potentially lifesaving, but prohibitively expensive diagnostics, surgery and medications, we are unable to extend credit for payment of veterinary service. Rather than raise our fees to cover the costs associated with credit extension and unpaid accounts, it was decided to cease the practice of providing credit. While we realize that this may be an inconvenience for some, it is necessary to be fair to our clientele.

Please visit our Financial Planning page to read more about various financing options that can help prevent financial stress when providing medical care for your pet.

Many of the medications that we use to treat your pet are prescription drugs, which means they can only be dispensed on the orders of a licensed veterinarian. Refills of a prescription must be pre-approved by a veterinarian. In order to reduce waiting times for prescription pick up, we strongly recommend that you call before coming down to pick up any medication. This way it will be ready for you when you come in. Our staff is unable to dispense medication if not pre-approved by the veterinarian.

Our veterinarians are governed by regulations that require a valid Veterinary Client Patient Relationship (VCPR) regarding dispensing and renewing prescribed medications. This means your pet must be seen annually (or more frequently) by a veterinarian at our clinic to keep records current before a prescription can be renewed or dispensed. Please visit the Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association for more information.