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.

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.

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.

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.

No. We are a fee-for-service hospital. Hospital income supports the activities of the Hospital. Please discuss fees with the Clinician in charge of your horse.

Students do not perform specialised surgery. All operations are done by specialists and residents with students observing and assisting. Many of the operations we perform require years of postgraduate training to learn the techniques and become proficient; it would be unethical and irresponsible to allow students who have not yet finished their education to “learn” on clients’ animals. In general, our fees are comparable to those of other veterinary hospitals in the area; please discuss fees with the Clinician in charge of your horse.

Yes. We will make every attempt to estimate the costs involved with diagnosis and treatment of your horse before the services are performed. It is not always possible to predict the course of medical management well in advance, so please discuss fees with the Clinician as the case progresses.

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

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.

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.

Yes – but please notify the clinicians of the approximate time you plan to arrive and call (01) 716 6001 when you reach the Hospital gate.

Each clinical service (medicine, surgery, sport 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.

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

Veterinary students are an integral part of the UCDVH. 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. They are involved in the delivery of health care services to your horse under the direct supervision of a staff clinician. They do not independently diagnose or treat any patient.

Visits must be pre-arranged and approved by the clinician in charge of the case. Visits are limited to the owner and immediate family or trainer. Visits are limited in length to no more than 1 hour and cannot extend past 9.00pm. During regular hours, visitors much check in at the UCDVH Reception. After hours, the visitor should call (01) 716 6001 when they arrive at the gate and await an escort back to the barn.

Visits to horses hospitalised in the Isolation Facilty are not permitted under any circumstances.