Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I choose a veterinarian?

You need to be able to trust the veterinarian of your choice, For many people location and referrals decide which clinic they go to. While location is definitely important be sure to choose someone who you feel comfortable with. It may be worth your while to visit a clinic and take a copy of their Clinic Brochure and ask the receptionist questions about the clinic's services. 

Make sure the clinic that you go to is and accredited facility according to the standards set by the British Columbia Veterinary Association as some are not. An accredited facility is one that has met the minimum standards set out by the BCVMA which is our governing body. You can ask the BCVMA if the clinic you are visiting is accredited or not.

2. Emergency Service

At Little Mountain Veterinary Clinic Ltd. we share emergency calls with two other veterinary clinics in the area. This is to provide emergency service to  clients of these clinics. We offer  a local option for emergency service to those to whom we owe this commitment to - our clients, all of whom are very special to us. This shared emergency service allows the participating veterinarians  to spend quality time with their families and meet the emergency needs of their clients.

3. Why do veterinarian services cost so much?

Many people ask this question especially in Canada where we have Medicare. We are unaware of the  high cost of medicine as we are used to Medicare taking care of our medical bills. In general the price you pay for veterinary services reflects the cost of the service performed. 

Costs of services are based on the cost the business has to pay for many things. It is not just the cost for the veterinarian's time. Each procedure must help pay for it's share of the overhead of the business (rent or lease of the building,  utilities, maintenance, office supplies, receptionist's time, veterinarian's time , technician's time, cost of materials, cost of equipment, continuing education for the entire veterinary team, and many other necessary costs to running a business)

Elective surgeries (spays and neuters) are subsidized by the business. There are no subsidies received from government, charities or other businesses or individuals to offset the costs faced by the business. Private veterinary clinics pay taxes on all income. These taxes support our social programs. We also pay staff and good staff deserve to be paid well. Our staff are much loved by our patients and clients and we consider them valuable members of our health care team. We do not have volunteers.

When shopping around for prices bear in mind the following:

1) As always you get what you pay for  so be sure to compare apples with apples. The cost of a service  reflects the costs born by the establishment and what is done for that service. At Little Mountain Veterinary Clinic Ltd we do not cut corners in the care of our small animal patients. If we did we believe we would compromise our care and we will not do that.

2) What is involved in the physical exam? Ask what the veterinarian does for a physical exam so that you know. You also need to know what other services are included with this service. Some clinics will send out reminders when certain services such as rechecks and  vaccination boosters are needed. These services are very important for your pet's continued well being. As our pets age so much faster that we do we need to see them more often than a human doctor needs to see their patients.

4. Why does my pet need a physical examination before receiving a vaccination?

The physical exam helps the veterinarian determine whether your pet is well enough to receive the vaccination. The physical exam also enables the veterinarian to find any health problems. All pets should have an annual physical exam. For dogs this is equivalent to once every 7 years and for cats it is similar to once every 4 years. A lot can happen in this time span.

In Dr Banyard's experience many problems are discovered during the annual physical exam that the owner had no idea was present. Our pets cannot tell us what is happening in their lives although they do try. A thorough exam will often pick up these problems. In some cases the vaccine will have to be postpones so that health problems can be corrected first.

5. What is a physical exam?

At Little Mountain Veterinary Clinic Ltd. the veterinarian records the temperature and heart rate, and then she examines the  eyes with an opthalmoscope, and ears with an otoscope. These instruments enable her to see inside the eye  and down the long ear canal of the pet. She will check the heart sounds, listen to the lung fields, feel the lymph nodes, palpate the abdomen, feel for evidence of pain while palpating the body and ask you many questions. This is a chance for the owner to ask questions about any concerns they may have regarding their pet's health. Physical exams usually take about 15 to 20 minutes. As the veterinarian discovers areas of concern she will describe to you what she finds and how to treat these conditions. Be sure to ask questions should you not understand. In some cases due to time restraints all questions and conserns cannot be covered during one exam and another visit will be scheduled for the patient.

6. How long does it take to become a veterinarian?

Veterinary graduates from Canadian Veterinary Colleges have a minimum of 6 years of post secondary education but some veterinarians have more.

7. Do veterinarians need to continually update their knowledge?

Yes they do. In British Columbia we are required to take 15 hours of continuing education annually.

8. I want to know how to receive PetMews.

At Little Mountain Veterinary Clinic Ltd, we offer our clients PetMews, our clinic newsletter. We produce a new edition every two or three months. We have copies on our counter at all times and we love our clients and their friends coming in to pick up a new edition. Examples of the newsletters are on our website. If you want to print these newsletters you would need to save the image onto your "My Pictures" folder on your PC and then create a new Word document on your PC then import the image to that Word document. Once you have the image on the word document enlarge the image to the size of a page and then print the page. 

For the latest edition, feel free to come to the clinic and ask for a copy.

9. Who should I go to for advise regarding my pet.

Veterinarians are the best source of information regarding pet health issues. They have a minimum of 6 years university education. They also are required by the British Colombia Veterinary Association to have a minimum of 15 hours per year of continuing education in order to keep current. As veterinarians we have to offer our clients reliable information that is backed up by research and by our peers. 

Links to Pet Health Information Databases

The following websites have wonderful, well thought out explanations to many frequently asked questions. We encourage those with an enquiring mind to take a peek. Enjoy the wealth of knowledge our associations offer to you and REMEMBER these are well researched and documented, written by specialists in their fields.

CVMA  http://www.animalhealthcare.ca/

AAHA  http://www.healthypet.com/Library/index.html

VIN      http://www.vin.com/PetCare/VetHospital.htm

46793 Yale Road East

Chilliwack, BC Canada  V2P 2S5
Phone: 604-792-2844

Fax: 604-792-5822

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