Halifax Veterinary Centre

You may find it hard going if you don’t have a medical background, and BEWARE very graphic images - not for the squeamish! If you are not a veterinarian but would like a referral, do discuss it with your current vet. That way we will receive full details of the case and can do a much better job.

Referrals

To the Referring Veterinarian:

As seen in Vetscript, Halifax Veterinary Centre has achieved the status of an Accredited Veterinary Hospital, the top tier of the NZVA accreditation scheme. This shows we have been audited to a high standard, and you and your clients can be assured that our methods and protocols have passed stringent tests (see Awards, Tour the Centre and Hal's Team).

We are also open 365 days a year, but we try not to do fancy stuff on weekends unless really necessary!

How do I Organise A Referral?

Halifax Veterinary Centre accepts referrals in internal medicine, diagnostic imaging, surgery, dermatology and ophthalmology. We love those really difficult and time consuming cases that you may not wish to tackle in your own busy practice. Referring is highly acceptable in today’s animal world. It never fails to enhance the reputation of the referring vet, as the client is now so accepting of the concept and will value your concern.  As for charges to you, only those cases that do not appear for an actual examination are charged $50 for phone, fax, or e-mail referrals. We feel this modest fee is well appreciated by clients and perceived as value for money. Lengthy dermatology cases incur a fee up to $60.00 All prices are GST inclusive.The level of service is always your choice. Some referring veterinarians want us to do all relating work including follow-up; others wish to do some or all of this. We'll do our best to keep you in the decision loop.

To request a referral to the Halifax Veterinary Centre it is as simple as 1. 2. 3.

1. Complete a Referral Service Request Form. These can be downloaded here (Halifax Vet Centre - Referral Services - Fax Referral Form.pdf)

2. Fax the form to 03-548 1712

3. We will fax / phone back the appointment details including the veterinarian to be seen and the time and date of the referral. Please make a concerted effort to fill out the form completely and thoroughly. A little bit of extra time spent doing this greatly improves our level of service both to you and your clients.

A current price list of the most common referral services can be found here (Referral Services Price List.pdf).

It is very important to inform your clients that payment is expected at the time of service. We do not offer credit / payment options for referral work. Please do not place us and your clients in the embarrassing situation of having to decline work because payment cannot be made.

We can provide Referral Brochures that outline what your clients can expect from their visit to us. (Referral Brochure.pdf)

If you would like hard copies of any of the above referral materials please feel free to phone, fax or e-mail your requests to us.
 

General Medicine

Todd Halsey, Chris Welland and Hans Andersen are all members of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists (MACVSc) in medicine. Todd has also completed a post-graduate residency program in internal medicine at Massey Univeristy and gained a Masters of Veterinary Science in critical care nutrition. For more information about the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists (ACVSc) please click on the following link www.acvs.org.au/content.asp

Imaging

Breaking News - CT Scans now available through Halifax Veterinary Centre

The Nelson Radiology Group is now offering Halifax Veterinary Centre the ability to do CT scans for pets - How cool is that! CT (computed tomography) is able to produce absolutely stunning images and is particulalry useful where xray and ultrasound images struggle. In particular, accurately defining the extent of tumour lesions in and around important blood vessles so that a single successful surgery can be accomplished, musculoskeletal disease - especially lumbosacral disk disease, and intracranial disease in pets suffering from seizures. We are very priviledged to be able to offer this sevice. Under most circumstances CT scans can be done under sedation only and are very quick to complete - this minimises the risks to your special companions. At this stage an approximate cost for the scan is around $750.00 + sedation costs. There may be an additonal chanrge if we need to consult a specialist radiologist for interpretation of complex cases.  For further information please Contact Us.

Chris Welland and Todd Halsey have gained exceptional skills ultrasonography and have been involved in this field for over 8 years. We have updated our machine and expanded the range of probes. Ultrasound is used routinely at Halifax Veterinary Centre to do full abdominal checks including liver, kidney, splenic, prostate, and bladder problems. It is invaluable in assessing fluid in the abdomen and for "tumour hunts." With this tool unnecessary exploratory laparatomies are truly minimised.

Chris and Todd also get excited about measuring heart chambers, watching cardiac valves and sorting out pericardial effusions. They routinely checks canine prostates to help differentiate between hyperplasia, neoplasia, and cystic conditions, and are involved with the breed screening of Persian cats and Bull Terriers for Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD).

Halifax Veterinary Centre has a condenser discharge x-ray machine with plenty of power. It has no problems with factors suited to birds or Saint Bernards. We routinely do contrast studies, including myelography. Automatic processing maximises the technical quality of the radiographs.

Any time we are not sure about the diagnosis we refer to Massey University.  If requested in advance we can supply copy x-rays to the referring veterinarian.

Surgery

Hans, a man of many talents, is our chief surgeon. He has a major interest in laryngeal paralysis cases, chest surgery and other major invasions.  Second in command is Bryan Paterson, who is very keen on orthopaedics.

Remember that our ability to provide asepsis is second to none. Unfortunately de-compressive spinal surgery, triple pelvic osteotomy, and hip replacements are not part of our repertoire.

Monitoring during surgery can include continuous ECG monitoring, blood pressure checks, and toe-web temperatures, as well as the usual respiratory, mucous membrane colour and so forth. Our Datex patient monitor is capable of measuring oxygen saturation and end-tidal CO2 concentrations making anaesthesia as safe as possible.

Aftercare is part of the service until you feel happy about having the patient back again.

Recent cases:
Fractured fibular malleolus with severe tarsal distraction in a working dog, ovario-hysterectomy in a formerly ketoacidotic but still diabetic dog, pyloroplasty for hypertrophic gastropathy, successful removal of a cardiac haemangiosarcoma in a dog.

Chronic sore nail beds and discharging ears are especially good; he has made Zepp ear resections almost a thing of the past.

Duncan has an ongoing interest in melatonin responsive skin diseases, and finds this drug useful in cases as diverse as alopecia x, follicular dysplasia syndrome, acanthosis nigrans, and CCFA (canine cyclic flank alopecia).

Duncan travels regularly to hold skin clinics in Wellington and throughout the South Island.

He is the only veterinarian in the South Island offering intra-dermal skin testing, and is one of only four vets in the entire country doing this type of investigation.

Dermatology Referral Clinics:

Appointments:

St Martins Veterinary Hospital
128 Wilsons Road
CHRISTCHURCH
Phone/Fax 03-332-6632

Mornington Veterinary Clinic
158 Eglinton Road
Mornington
DUNEDIN
Phone 03-453-0699
Fax 03-453-0698

Lower Hutt Animal Hospital
70 Pharazyn Street
Lower Hutt
WELLINGTON
Phone 04-569-8830
Fax 04-566-6612
E-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Central City Vets and Cattery
84 Pitt Street
PALMERSTON NORTH
Phone 06-357-5887
Email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Please contact:
Melissa at Lower Hutt Animal Hospitall
Annette at St Martins Veterinary Hospital
Luci at Central City Vets
Alayne at Mornington Veterinary Clinic

For information on maximising your dermatology visit, see FAQ's and Tips.

Please note: While Halifax Veterinary Centre is very proud of its veterinarians, it must be pointed out that none are registered specialists. To be a true specialist, one needs very, very intensive training and to be spending at least 50% of the working time in that specialty.

We do, however, import specialists from time to time and/or refer on to these veterinarians (with whom we have a very good working relationship) when needed or requested. 

There is a specialist referral centre located in Christchurch who offer medical and surgical care. A feline specialist is located in Wellington, Massey University has a large referral centre associated with the veterinary school and Auckland also has a state of the art facility. Consultations at these centres are strictly by referral appointment only.

Dr. Steve Heap a veterinarian with a special interest in ophthalmology and a post graduate qualitfication performs a referral ophthalmology clinic at the Halifax Vet Centre every 12 weeks. To organize a referral please phone the Halifax Veterinary Centre.

 

The Cuting Edge Newsletter

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The Cutting Edge - November 2007

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