Equine Clients

It is essential that you bring your horse’s Passport card with you on the day of consultation.

Regular business hours: 9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday

• Drive up to the gates and ring the bell – this will notify the receptionist who will trigger the gate to open and allow you to enter. Pull into the yard and park your trailer so that the patient can be unloaded on the pavement or at the elevated chute – whichever is appropriate for your situation

After business hours: Between 5.00pm and 9.00am, Monday to Friday, all weekends & bank holidays.

• Drive up to the gates and call (01) 716 6001. The Intern on duty will then open the gate and meet you in the yard. Please stay with your vehicle to make it easier for our staff to find you. Do not unload your horse before talking to the Intern so we can direct you to the appropriate barn before unloading

BEFORE UNLOADING: please check in at Reception, which is located through the doors in the building on your left as you drive through the gate. Reception staff will collect information on the patient, including all pertinent patient records, radiographs, passports, etc. which you should bring with you for the visit. A member of staff will meet you in Reception to help you unload your horse and direct you to the appropriate barn.

• The Intern and/or a student will take any additional history and perform an initial physical examination. A Senior Clinician will then review the entire history and examination process with the student and determine the clinical status and plan for the patient. This is a valuable learning experience for tomorrow’s veterinarians. The Senior Clinician will explain the treatment plan with the owner or authorised representative of the owner. At the same time a cost estimate will be prepared based on the projected course of treatment
• Surgical cases will be admitted to the UCDVH one day prior to surgery for evaluation and will remain at the Hospital at least one day after surgery. Longer stays will be at the Clinician's discretion. Medicine (including Foal Unit), Reproduction, Ophthalmology and Pain Management cases will be evaluated by a Senior Clinician upon arrival to determine the length of stay
• It is possible to leave your trailer in the yard but the UCDVH does not accept any liability for loss or damage that may occur while it is on the premises
• On completion of the consultation, you will return to the Accounts desk to finalise the registration of your visit
• Please note a deposit is required if an animal is admitted into the Hospital and the balance is due for payment on or before the time of discharge

You should ask your veterinarian to call first to arrange a referral appointment. That way, we can get a complete history of your animal's medical problem, what tests have been run, what medications have been given etc.

Some procedures can be performed on an outpatient basis, while others require hospitalisation in order to be completed. The Clinician assigned to your case will discuss the options with you.

Yes! Whether a routine visit or an emergency, your veterinarian must call first before you present your horse. The UCDVH Reception number is (01) 716 6000. During regular business hours (9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday), this number is answered by our receptionist who will arrange for scheduling of both routine and emergency appointments.

After hours, our answering service will contact the emergency duty clinician to assist you with emergencies, however the answering service cannot make routine appointments or provide non-emergency information or services. Call during regular business hours for these services.

Call the UCDVH Reception at (01) 716 6000 during regular office hours (9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday) to schedule an appointment or have your veterinarian call to consult with a staff clinician and schedule an appointment.

The hospital is on 'emergency only' basis after hours and on weekends and holidays.

With special advance arrangements with the clinician in charge, discharges and admits may be scheduled after hours. Please notify the clinician of the approximate time you plan to arrive and call (01) 716 6001 when you reach the Hospital gate.

We are a fee-for-service hospital. Hospital income supports the activities of the UCDVH. We will make every attempt to estimate the costs involved with diagnosis and treatment of your horse before the services are performed. 

Please discuss fees with the Clinician in charge of your case who will provide you with an 'estimate' for the treatment projected. Once care has begun, the cost of treatment is subject to revision as the treatment plan is revised.

Individual responses to treatment vary greatly depending on many factors and may require multiple revisions. Revised estimates for care may need to be given verbally should circumstances require.

You may also be asked for a deposit when registering your animal. This deposit does not reflect the final amount. Treatment options and an estimate of the total cost will be provided by the Clinician after your animal has been examined. The difference between the final invoice and deposit will need to be settled when your animal is being discharged. Should the final cost be less than the deposit, the balance will be refunded to you at this time.

The Accounts Office will answer questions regarding the status of your bill at any time during business hours, please call (01) 716 6007.

We have a clinician 'on call' 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to handle emergencies. You must make arrangements in advance by having your veterinarian call (01) 716 6000 (9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday) or (01) 716 6001 (out of office hours) before coming to the Hospital. Use this number for emergencies any time of day. Calling in advance not only allows us to make preparations to receive your horse, but it also prevents problems in the uncommon situation where we are unable to hospitalise your horse because of concerns about infectious disease.

No, experimental research is not carried out within the UCDVH.

Students do not independently diagnose or treat any patient and their involvement in patient care is always under the direct supervision of a qualified clinician and nurse.

Students are involved in the delivery of health care services to your horse under the direct supervision of a staff clinician. The veterinary students assigned to the Equine Clinic rotations have completed a minimum of 3.5 years of intensive veterinary training prior to initiation of clinical rotations, which does not include any pre-veterinary training they may have completed. 

Each clinical service (Medicine, Surgery, Sports Medicine) is staffed on a rotating basis by the specialists on staff. Depending upon the type of problem your horse has, you will be referred to the clinician who is on duty for that particular service. Because our clinicians rotate on and off duty, you may not see the same clinician each visit, however in the case of follow-up visits, the original clinician will always be involved.