PET OWNERS

Our objective is to provide the next level of Veterinary care.

REFERRING VETS

Our objective is to be the referral extension service of your practice

Our Veterinary Referral Services

The Referral Centre (TRC) is a multidisciplinary veterinary hospital providing a range of veterinary services beyond those available at your regular practice. We have a team of veterinarians that have all undertaken additional training, advanced qualifications and referral experience.

Our specialist and referral veterinarians work closely with your regular veterinarian. We send our referral patients back to their referring veterinarian as soon as they are ready to continue with their recuperation. All patient records are transferred to ensure there is a full recovery.

Animals hospitalised at The Referral Centre in Hamilton have veterinary supervision and onsite nursing care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our Tauranga clinic provides daily onsite care.

Veterinary Referral & Critical Care

Emergency and Critical Care Medicine

Critically ill animals are provided with 24-hour care until they are suitable for treatment as a day or outpatient. We can help you with animals that require staff resources or equipment that general practices don’t have.

Further investigation of complex medical and surgical cases can also be undertaken at TRC.

Dermatology

Skin and ear disease can be highly uncomfortable for pets, frustrating for owners and time consuming for busy general practice veterinarians. Very commonly, owners seek a second opinion when they become frustrated with their pet’s ongoing or recurrent skin disease. Referring an animal with skin disease to somebody with advanced skill level can be helpful to retain existing clients.

Surgery

Animals having surgery at TRC have a dedicated team of experienced surgical nurses and 24-hour care before and after surgery. Our referral surgeon has experience with cruciate surgeries, fracture repair, surgery to help brachycephalic dogs breathe more easily, skin mass removal as well as general abdominal and intra-thoracic surgeries.

Hydrotherapy and Rehabilitation

Hydropaws is devoted to canine rehabilitation, health & fitness. The primary aim is to improve quality of life. Hydropaws offers a holistic approach to canine care integrating land and water-based rehabilitation therapies to promote good health and mobility, performance and recovery from injury and surgery allowing dogs to live life to the full.

Imaging

Advanced imaging is available at TRC Hamilton. We have an in-house cone beam CT, and access to off-site fan beam PET CT and MRI imaging at local human facilities. All patients referred for advanced imaging have a consultation to assess their stability for general anaesthesia and to discuss which modality is most suitable.

Ultrasound

Dr Ivan Aleksic is available to perform abdominal, pregnancy and cardiac ultrasounds every Tuesday and Wednesday, and other days by arrangement. Ultrasounds can be performed as part of a workup by one of our TRC clinicians, or on an ultrasound-only basis when will image the animal and provide a full written report to the referring vet within 24 hours.

Endoscopy

Imaging of the oesophagus, stomach and colon can be performed via endoscopy. Non-invasive gastric foreign body retrieval can also be performed using our endoscope.

Exotic Pets

In our Tauranga clinic, Dr Martin Earles BVSc MANZCVS (Medicine and Surgery of Unusual Pets) has a particular interest in avian and exotic pet medicine and surgery and is available for appointments in our Tauranga branch.

Eye Speciality

Dr Kellam Bayley BVSc MVSc(dist) CertVOphthal MANZCVS Dip ECVO is a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists and a Registered Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology.

Referral Process

Committed to providing excellent, care for you and your pet, we are a full-service referral hospital dedicated to incorporating the latest advances in science and medicine to diagnose, treat and enhance the quality of our patient’s lives.

Animals can be referred by their primary veterinarian who sends us all the relevant medical records, diagnostics undertaken and laboratory results. Having the full history helps us to provide the next level of care. Alternatively, owners are welcome to seek a second opinion with one of our TRC clinicians. With the clients permission, we will then request the medical records from the primary veterinarian.

We send our referral patients back to their primary veterinarian with all of the information they need to continue aftercare and ensure there is a full recovery.

Client Testimonials

In February this year I was devastated to learn that my two 3 year old labradors had severe degenerative joint disorder. In fact there were bits of bone fragments in their elbow joints. I shared their x-rays with Dr Trudi McAlees for advice and as a consequence was referred to Dr Boet Vermuelen, the surgical vet. Following the surgery both dogs are really well and full of bounce. The dog that was more affected has had a change of personality, he is obviously feeling so much better and where I previously thought he was a quiet-natured dog he is now showing me otherwise.

I owe The Referral Center personnel and both Trudi and Boet a huge amount of gratitude for their care, concern and expertise for my two young dogs. They have extended and returned quality of life to both them. Although there is still ongoing care required we hope to get many more years with our dogs now that they have had surgery.

Lyn Hunt

King & Aichi