Does it matter if I’m late for my appointment?

It’s been a lot busier at Vetwest recently and you’ve likely found it harder to find an appointment straight away. Our schedules are currently very full and the next available time for a routine appointment can often be a week or two away. With these busy schedules, it’s important that we run on time where possible as it can have flow-on effects on other booked appointments.

Unfortunately, pet emergencies can occur and may require us to prioritise helping a pet that desperately needs medical attention. In the event of an emergency, we hope that you can understand if your appointment is delayed or needs to be rescheduled.

There are some things that you can do to help our clinic run smoothly and ensure we can see you and your pet, provide the appropriate recommendations or treatment, and then see the next pet without disruption.

Please arrive 5 minutes early so we can weigh your pet and check you in. Ideally, our vet can see you straight away and spend the necessary time with you and your pet in the allocated appointment time.

Just like an appointment at your GP, our standard 15-minute consultation is appropriate to address one health concern for your pet. If you have two or more health concerns, you will need to book a long consultation so our vet has enough time with your pet to provide the appropriate recommendations on multiple concerns. Complicated cases like skin, eyes and ear issues also require more time for the vet to investigate your pet’s condition.

Tip – Make sure to mention to our team on the phone if your pet has more than 1 health concern. Note our online booking appointments are standard booking times and are designed for one health concern.

We operate on structured appointment times and our goal is to provide quality care to all our clients in a timely manner. If you are late for your appointment, we may need to reschedule your visit to enable our vet to undertake a full health assessment of your pet and prevent inconvenience to other clients and patients.

If you are running late for your appointment, please call your local Vetwest clinic.

Using Google Maps or Apple Maps on your phone is a great way to find the quickest route to your appointment and address any potential traffic delays. You can click here to quickly get directions to your local Vetwest or you can Google us.

Please call us as soon as possible if you are unable to make your appointment. With our busy schedules, it’s highly likely that there is someone else who is needing your appointment slot. If you booked your appointment online, you can reschedule or cancel via the confirmation booking email you received.

Thank you for helping us to make our clinic run smoothly. During these busy times, your assistant makes a big difference and helps us to provide care to all the pets that need to see us.