FAQs

Your vet, a general practitioner, is your trusted vet for everyday pet care. They are experienced in diagnosing and treating common conditions such as ear infections, skin allergies and gastrointestinal issues. They are also your go-to for vaccines and health checks. In addition, they can carry out routine surgeries like spaying and neutering, dental cleaning and provide emergency care when needed.

A veterinary specialist is an animal doctor who has completed advanced education and focuses on a specific area of veterinary medicine. This is very similar to a consultant within the human medical field. A veterinary specialist will undergo additional years of residency training and exams to become board certified and a specialist in their field. This could be anything from soft tissue or orthopaedic surgery to cardiology or internal medicine.

In the UK, qualifications are assessed by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Achieving RCVS Specialist status is a significant accomplishment. To be included in the List of RCVS Specialists (featured on Find a Vet website), along with the necessary qualifications, an individual must demonstrate to the RCVS that they actively contribute to their specialty, have earned national and international recognition, and publish extensively within their field.

RCVS Specialists must also be available to accept referrals from other veterinary professionals. Specialist status is not permanent; individuals must reapply for recognition every five years (or sooner in certain circumstances) to remain on the list.

Just like within the human medical field, there are veterinarians who are in between a general practice vet and a specialist. These include advanced practitioners and certificate holders.

An advanced practitioner is a veterinarian who has undertaken additional training and has a keen interest in their chosen area of expertise. An advanced practitioner offers a higher level of advanced care compared to a general practice vet, but not at a specialist level.

At NiVS, our advanced practitioners work closely with our specialists in our own practice and at practices within our family of referral hospitals.

Sometimes, a pet has a complex medical problem which requires advanced diagnostics or medical treatment and all options have been exhausted by the primary veterinarian. At NiVS, we have a range of advanced equipment which would typically not be found within a general practice clinic, including CT scanning, fluoroscopy, echocardiography, bronchoscopy and arthroscopy. At NiVS, we communicate closely with your primary veterinarian to work towards a plan which can lead to an improved quality of life for your furry family friend.

Our vets at Northern Ireland Veterinary Specialists treat a range of different conditions within the following areas:

• Cardiology
• Internal Medicine
• Orthopaedics
• Neurology
• Soft Tissue
• Chemotherapy
• Ophthalmology.

We always recommend that you reach out to your primary veterinarian if you feel that your pet needs a referral to one of our vets. If you have questions regarding a referral for your pet and have questions, please feel free to contact us. We are happy to help with any questions that you may have and to communicate with your primary veterinarian if you would like to schedule a referral.

We understand that an emergency with your pet can be stressful and scary. We are happy to take emergencies with a referral from your veterinary surgeon. In case of emergency referral, please request for your vet to contact us.

Yes! Your vet is very welcome to refer your pet to NiVS. We have a convenient online booking tool that allows your vet to book an appointment with us directly and according to when you are available.

When you come to NiVS, you and your pet will be greeted warmly by our reception team and we will help with any direct claim forms for your pet’s insurance company. We offer a spacious and comfortable reception area with a separate waiting area for cats

Your pet will have a comprehensive physical exam with the veterinarian who you are scheduled to see and the vet will review your pet’s medical history with you. Following this, we will make a plan with you according to what your pet needs. We truly believe that the pet parent should be fully informed at each step of the journey. We take pride in an approach of contextualised care to ensure that pet owners help to make decisions for their pet’s health and wellbeing and this helps us to create a tailored medical plan for your pet.

When your pet is discharged, your primary veterinarian is your first point of contact. All discharge instructions will be sent to your primary veterinarian and this may include instructions of when to bring your pet in for a recheck after surgery or to have sutures removed. You are always very welcome to contact us at NiVS by email [email protected] or by telephone +44 (0)28 92 680 681.

We accept cash, debit and most major credit cards (with the exception of American Express, Diners and Solo cards). Payment is due at time of service in full. If your pet is insured, you are welcome to pay us directly at the time of service and claim back from your insurance company directly to you. We also offer the option of helping you with a direct claim where we will bill your insurance company, if your insurance company is a company that we directly work with. Please note that any excesses, shortfalls or co-payments must be paid at the time of service. For more information on insurances, please visit our dedicated Payments & Insurance page.

We understand that you want to be close by when your pet is sick and receiving care at NiVS. We have compiled a comprehensive list of locations which offer accommodation within the local area on our dedicated page.