There are different levels of referral specialists and hospitals.
- Specialist - The highest level of referral clinician is a Specialist - officially recognised in their field of expertise with advanced Diploma status. This is very difficult to achieve and maintain. They are often involved in both clinical work and research, and train others within the profession.
- Advanced Practitioner – the intermediate tier. Advanced Practitioner is an official recognition of a veterinary surgeon’s particular knowledge and skills in a designated field of veterinary practice. They have an RCVS or other relevant postgraduate qualification, and have to maintain their knowledge in the subject
- Certificate holder – hold an additional qualification in the subject
In house referrals
We are lucky to have some referral surgeons providing travelling referral services to Blue House.
Orthopaedics
Gareth Harries BVMS Cert SAS MRCVS RCVS Recognised Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Surgery at Surgivet is able to provide orthopaedic surgery at Blue House. He is a very experienced and proficient surgeon who lives locally.
Soft Tissue Surgery
Visiting Vet Specialists (Visit website) is a service providing travelling referral surgery. Catherine Sturgeon is a very experienced RCVS and ECVS Recognised Specialist in Surgery who has performed many advanced procedures with us at Blue House
External referrals
If your pet has a condition that cannot, for whatever reason, be treated at Blue House, we will always offer you referral. We are lucky to be close to a number of excellent referral centres.
Lime Trees Referrals at Meir Park Veterinary Hospital – Stoke-On-Trent
Lime Trees offer an excellent certificate level referral service which is friendly, reliable and local. The ‘Vets Now’ Stoke service runs from their hospital in Meir Park, so all cases receive 24 hour Veterinary Care should they require it from an experienced expert team of emergency vets.
They offer referrals in:
- Internal Medicine - with Hywel Parry BVM&S CertSAM MRCVS and Rachel Meakin BVetMed CertAVP(SAM) MRCVS.
- Orthopaedic & Soft Tissue Surgery
- Diagnostic Imaging
For more details please visit their website Referrals | Local Vets in Stoke-on-Trent - Lime Trees Vets
Pride Veterinary Centre – Derby
https://www.prideveterinaryreferrals.com/en-gb
State of the art small animal veterinary referral hospital offering a multi-disciplinary specialist referral service. The referral services they offer include:
- Anaesthesia & Analgesia
- Dermatology
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Exotic Pets
- Feline Medicine
- Internal Medicine
- Interventional Radiology
- Neurology
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopaedic & Spinal Surgery
- Rehabilitation
- Soft Tissue Surgery and Oncosurgery
Northwest Veterinary Specialists
https://www.nwspecialists.com/
Northwest Veterinary Specialists provides specialist veterinary services to veterinary practices in North West England and North & Mid Wales.
With all departments led by specialists, their multi-disciplinary team and extensive facilities provide a complete service for our patients. From on-site MRI and diagnostic imaging team, to industry-leading operating theatres and recovery areas, they can help your pet return to a fit and active life. Specialist vets in orthopaedics, oncology, soft tissue surgery, internal medicine, neurology and neuro-surgery are supported by specially-trained veterinary nurses, on-site anaesthestists, and physiotherapists.
They’re located just off J12 of the M56 in Sutton Weaver, Cheshire - convenient for travel from North West England, North and Mid Wales and further afield.
Eye Vet
Eye Vet is a dedicated ophthalmology practice, and has back-up from other disciplines provided by clinical staff at the University of Liverpool Small Animal Teaching Hospital in Leahurst. It is based in Frodsham and is approximately 50 minutes’ drive from Blue House.
https://www.eye-vet.co.uk/
University of Liverpool
https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/sath/about-us/
The Small Animal Teaching Hospital is part of The University of Liverpool’s School of Veterinary Science, based on the Leahurst Campus in the Wirral. As one of the largest and most advanced hospitals built for small animals in Europe, the facility sees referral appointments from far and wide. The team of RCVS and European Specialists work at the cutting edge of veterinary medicine to deliver a service that is world renowned.
Exotic referrals
Whilst we are happy to see your parrot, tortoise, bearded dragon or other more exotic pets for routine health checks, nail/beak trims and consultations, we may on occasion recommend that your pet is seen by a specialist with all of the associated equipment needed to hospitalise and operate on these species.
Cheshire pet – Holmes Chapel
Cheshire Pet have a great team who are experienced in exotic pets. Their team is led by Certificate holder Dr Emily Hardacre BVM&S Cert ZooMed MRCVS
https://www.cheshirepet.co.uk/specialist-services/exotic-medicine
Birch Heath Vets - Tarporley, near Chester.
Birch Heath are recognised as one of the best equipped surgeries in the country for treating raptors, parrots, cage & aviary birds, waterfowl, reptiles, rabbits, tortoises, exotic small mammals, zoo and wildlife. Their veterinary surgeons have an international reputation, and have lectured extensively both in the UK and worldwide. Uniquely the practice has outdoor mews for the hospitalisation of raptors, and ventilated purpose-built parrot wards. Birch Heath has the facilities to hospitalise any small animal, reptile, avian or exotic mammal.
Behaviour
Positive Pet Training – behaviour consults with Dr Katie Friel-Russell BVSc MAPDT PGDip CCAB MRCVS
Veterinary behaviourist and Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CCAB) with the Association for the Study of Animal behaviour (ASAB) and a Certificated Member of the Fellowship if Animal Behaviour Clinicians (FABC). Offering qualified, appropriate behavioural modification advice.
https://positivepettraining.co.uk/portfolio-items/behaviour-consults/
Cardiology
We are fortunate to have two cardiology specialists in our area, who can also be seen at Blue House on occasion if you are unable to travel.
Cheshire Cardiology – based in Northwich
Led by Dr. Emily Dutton BVM&S DVC MRCVS (RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Cardiology). Emily has held a passion for cardiology since qualifying from Edinburgh University in 1999. After obtaining the certificate in veterinary cardiology in 2003 from general practice, Emily began working exclusively as a veterinary cardiologist in 2006. In 2014, she was awarded the RCVS diploma in veterinary cardiology followed by RCVS specialist status in veterinary cardiology in 2016.
Emily enjoys all aspects of feline and canine cardiology, but is particularly interested in arrhythmias, collapse, biomarkers and echocardiography. She has contributed to international clinical trials and has written a number of articles for professional and peer-reviewed journals including establishing echocardiographic reference intervals in deerhounds. Emily has been heavily involved in CPD training for vets.
https://cheshirecardiology.com/
James Specialist Cardiology – based in Cranage (CW4)
Led by Rachel James MA, VetMB, CertSAM, Cert VC, DVC, MRCVS. Rachel is an RCVS recognised specialist in cardiology gaining her Diploma in Veterinary Cardiology in 2008. She has worked in cardiology referral and University vet schools since gaining her Specialist status. Rachel brings considerable expertise, dedication and experience to any veterinary practice and she took the plunge and set up JSVC in 2015.
https://jsvc.co.uk/about/