We accept Visa and Mastercard and Eftpos facilities are available (no cash out).
We are currently implementing GAP Only.
GAP Only is a pet insurance payment option for pets who are insured with a GAP Only pet insurance partner.
When you use GAP Only you can access an eligible pet insurance benefit, on the spot. So rather than paying the full invoice and then claiming the insurance benefit back, you only need to pay the gap. The approval time for this process can be up to 15 minutes so please allow enough time if you wish to utilise this service. Please also contact the clinic in advance to confirm which services this is available for, as GAP Only is not available for all services.
Vetpay is a third-party credit provider that Brighton Veterinary Hospital utilises. Please see their website for further information on this service. Please be aware that for all Vetpay transactions, the minimum spend, is the cost of a standard veterinary consultation.
Brighton Veterinary Hospital previously partnered with Openpay. Unfortunately, in February 2023, Openpay went into administration and this service is no longer available. We are currently exploring alternative finance providers.
We apologise in advance for not accepting cheques or facilitating an account.
Returns
Medication cannot be returned for credit or refund. Strict legislative controls are in place to regulate the manufacture and storage of medicines in the pharmacy environment. Once the medication has left the hospital, the storage conditions of the medication cannot be guaranteed, and it is possible the product could have been tampered. Therefore, we cannot accept return of any dispensed pharmaceutical products. We thank you in advance for your support in this matter.
Pet Insurance
We understand at BVH that an unexpected veterinary expense can place a lot of stress on pet owners. Pet insurance can help to relieve some of that stress through assistance in covering the costs of your veterinary bill.
The process of choosing an insurance policy can be tricky and confusing as there are many different companies that offer pet insurance and they each have different policies. Usually waiting periods apply and they will not provide cover for any pre-existing illness.
We cannot recommend one insurance company over another, but in our experience, the questions you should ask of the insurance company include the following;
- For what percentage of vet bills will I be reimbursed?
- Will I be reimbursed for preventative health visits or only illness visits?
- Do I have an option of accident-only cover vs accident and illness cover?
- How much excess will I need to pay in the event I make a claim?
- How much of the veterinary bill will I have to pay for vs how much will the insurance cover? (an insurance companies might pay 70-80% of the bill)
- What is the length of cover and will my policy premium change as my pet gets older?
- What exclusions apply to the policy?
Please be aware that pre-existing illnesses are likely to be excluded from any policies. For example, if your pet is seen for lameness early in its life, then it is likely that any insurance policy will not cover future costs relating to this issue. For this reason, if you are planning on taking our pet insurance, it is important you do this early in your pet’s life so there are no pre-existing conditions.
Please do not request a change in clinical records for the purpose of insurance claims. This cannot be done so please refrain from asking.
Surgical Estimates
For all surgical cases, you will be provided with an itemised quotation prior to the surgery. We want to ensure you are fully aware of your pet’s expected surgery costs before the day of your pet’s admission. A quotation will be emailed to you so please ensure we have your current email address on record so we can forward this information to you.
This surgical quotation may be a range of the approximated cost. Often it can be difficult to know exactly what surgery is required and how long it will take until the procedure has actually commenced.
At the time of admission, the veterinary nurse will discuss the financial estimate and can answer any queries or concerns you may have.
Please be aware that full payment is required at the time of discharge.
For all surgical procedures, a SMS confirming your scheduled surgery time will be sent to you the day prior to your surgery.
Brighton Veterinary Hospital performs surgery Monday-Friday and there are a limited number of surgery admissions each day.
In the event you cannot attend your appointment, please contact the clinic at your earliest convenience. A fee may be incurred for non-attendance.
Dental Surgery
Dental surgery can be particularly difficult to provide an accurate fee estimate. This is due to the fact that often the extent of the dental disease can only be determined following teeth probing and the completion of dental x-rays which are taken while your pet is anaesthetised.
At the Brighton Veterinary Hospital, dental surgery is graded according to the expected duration of the surgery. Dental surgery is graded between 1 and 4. A Grade 1 is the simplest dental procedure and includes a descale and polish of your pet’s teeth. A Grade 4 dental procedure is the most extensive dental procedure which will include a large number or some major tooth extractions.
For dental surgery, estimates are only valid for one month. This is because a pet’s dental condition can dramatically change after this period. After a month, we would kindly ask you to book a revisit consultation with one of our veterinarians, who will be able to reassess your pet’s teeth to ensure we provide you with a more accurate surgery estimate.
This revisit appointment will also provide the veterinarian with an opportunity to plan for your pet’s surgery and make any necessary surgical arrangements before your pet’s admission. For this reason, we would request that this revisit appointment is at least 2 days before a surgical booking.
As an alternative, clients are also welcome to book a Grade 1 dental (clean and polish) with dental x-rays as an initial procedure. This will allow the veterinarian to create a fixed price dental procedure which would be performed during a subsequent surgery, as the extent of dental disease will be ascertained in the initial procedure.
Lump Removals
Lump removals can range from a superficial lump removal to advanced resections.
For some complex lump removals, advancement or skin rotation flaps may also be used to close some wounds. In some situations, a wound may be left open to heal. In this situation regular bandage changes are essential with large defects taking 6-8 weeks to heal.
Depending on the type of lump your pet has, it may grow quickly, or it may remain unchanged for many years. For this reason, surgical estimates for lump surgery are only valid for one month as the size of a lump (either the depth or the circumference of the lump) can dramatically change within a four-week period.
If you wish to proceed with the surgery after one month has lapsed, we kindly ask you to book a revisit consultation with one of our veterinarians who will be able to reassess your pet’s lump.
This revisit appointment will also provide the veterinarian with an opportunity to plan for your pet’s surgery and make any necessary surgical arrangements before your pet’s admission.
For this reason, we would request that this revisit appointment is at least 2 days before your surgical booking.
