Your Appointment
What to Expect & What to Bring
Arranging an appointment at Rainbow Equine Hospital
Clients of the Hospital’s on-the-road team can make appointments at the Hospital direct with the reception staff in the normal way.
Clients of other veterinary practices who are referred to the Hospital are always welcome but will only be seen after contact has been made with their own veterinary surgeon to arrange the referral. Owners that contact the Hospital directly, will be asked to discuss referral with their own veterinary surgeon before an appointment can be made.
We are happy to provide second opinions but will always handle them in a professional and ethical manner and will make contact with the primary veterinary surgeon.
Once the referring vet has spoken to one of our Hospital team, a plan of likely investigation and treatment and an estimate of the likely costs involved will be provided. One of our team of receptionists will contact you directly to arrange a convenient time for an appointment.
Admission for Surgery
Admission for Colic
Admission for Gastroscopy
Admission for MRI or Bone Scan
Admission for CT Scan
- A copy of your insurance claim form, if applicable, with the owner section completed
- Your horse’s passport (this is a legal requirement)
- Tack if you are being seen for a lameness assessment
- Appropriate rugs if the horse is staying in
- Medications or supplements that you wish the horse to have whilst with us
Under current legislation, all horses must have a passport. Please bring it with you so that it can be checked on admission. According to EU law, many drugs can only be administered if that part of the horse’s passport that certifies that the animal is not for human consumption has been signed. Whilst we will not decline treatment of your horse if the passport is unavailable, we will treat your horse as though you have agreed that it will not be used for human consumption. It will be your responsibility to complete the passport, when it becomes available, to this effect.
If you are running late for your appointment, then please phone us. We understand that this can be inevitable and the more warning you give us the more likely we are to be able to rearrange things for you.
On arrival please report to reception, preferably before unloading your horse.
You are welcome to leave your trailer or lorry but please:
- Tell reception the registration number of your box or trailer
- Ask a member of staff where to leave your box or trailer
- Accept that it is left entirely at your own risk and that The Rainbow Equine Hospital can accept no responsibility for any loss or damage.
At the time of discharge from the hospital you will be given a written set of discharge instructions. These written instructions will also be copied to your veterinary surgeon.
A full report will be sent to your veterinary surgeon within days outlining the details of any investigations and treatment that your animal has undergone and when requested a copy of the report will also be submitted to your insurance company.