Pet Carers

Your Referral Journey

With the guidance of your local vet, you have decided to seek specialised treatment for your beloved pet at The Ralph. Please navigate the sections below to get an idea of what the journey with The Ralph could look like for you and your pet.

If you would like to get in touch, please contact us at [email protected] / 01628 308330.

For Dog Carers

For Cat Carers

What is a referral and why The Ralph?

Just like when our GP refers us as humans to a consultant, your pet’s local vet can refer them to a specialist vet at another practice. This may be because the team at your local vet practice does not have the facilities or expertise to treat your pet’s condition. 

At The Ralph, each of our twelve services is specialist-led. We are now the largest independent referral centre in the UK, and our niche is just how focused we are on compassion and ethical practice. We stay true to our strong set of core values and culture. We have the experience to provide the best care for your pet’s specific needs.  We care for every patient as if they are our own family member and we really do share the hope that your pet will feel better and get back to their old self again.

Getting booked in and what to bring

We are a referral centre, so we cannot arrange appointments without a referral from another vet. 

Once your local vet gets in touch with us to arrange a referral for your pet, our Customer Care Team will contact you directly to arrange your initial appointment.

Once this initial appointment is booked, we will send you a confirmation email with attachments containing valuable information to help you prepare for your visit. We love to provide individualised care, so do fill out the “Getting to know your dog/cat” questionnaire if you can.

Please do not hesitate to let us know if your pet has requirements outside of what’s included in the questionnaire. If you have concerns about your pet’s level of anxiety, stress or reactivity at the vet, you can email [email protected] to discuss how we can work with you – and your pet – to ensure a smooth visit.

Please bring any medications, special diets, and insurance information (if applicable) to your appointment at The Ralph. Dogs should arrive on a lead (and ideally a harness), and cats should arrive secured in an appropriate carrier.

Finding us

If you are travelling by car, most satellite navigation systems, including Google Maps, will lead you right to our door. If you are not using a satellite navigation system, please visit the Find Us page for a map and directions.
Note: Some satellite navigation systems, including built-in systems, can lead you to a road behind The Ralph, Saville Way. Please use the map on the “Find Us” page or call us on 01628 308330 to find your way back to us.

Free on-site parking is clearly signposted, including dedicated spaces for cat carers. Outdoor seating and a grassy area to the left of the building allow pet carers and canine patients to stretch their legs before coming in.

If you are travelling by public transport/taxi, please find more information on our Find Us page.

What to do when you arrive

We have separate entrances at the front of the building for dogs and cats, so please check in at the appropriate reception on arrival. 

Our reception hours are Monday-Friday 8am – 8.30pm and Saturday 9am – 6pm, so doors will always be open during these hours. On Sundays, Bank Holidays and outside of our reception hours, please use the intercom at the Dog Entrance to alert the team that you have arrived.

Our Customer Care Team will notify your clinician that you have arrived and will direct you to our Dog or Cat Waiting Room.

In the waiting room

While you wait for your clinician to greet you, you can help yourself to free hot and cold drinks from our refreshments area in the Dog Waiting Room. Twice a day on weekdays, at around 10:30am and 2:30pm, a coffee van will serve hot drinks, sandwiches and snacks outside the main entrance. Dave “the coffee man” accepts payment by card and cash.

Please keep your dog secured on a lead at all times and notify a member of our team if your dog has a toileting mishap. We have separate booths in our Dog Waiting Room for those who prefer their own space.

Please keep your cat secure in their carrier at all times. Our Cat Waiting Room has dedicated tables for you to place the carrier on (cats tend to feel less vulnerable off the floor) and Feliway-sprayed blankets to help soothe anxiety. Feliway is a pheromone-based spray that helps calm and reassure cats in stressful situations. We suggest that all carers spray Feliway onto their cat’s bedding in their carrier before leaving home for their appointment.

 

What happens during your appointment?

A clinician from our specialist-led team will meet you in the waiting room and show you to a consultation room. In addition to our specialists, you may see an intern or a resident. Interns and residents are fully qualified vets who are furthering their skills within a specific discipline (specialists-in-training) and are supervised by our specialists. 

Initial consultations take 45-90 minutes, and follow-up appointments and post-operative checks take 15-90 minutes. The length depends on the department you are seeing and the reason for the appointment. During the appointment, the clinician will ask questions about your pet’s history, and they will perform a clinical assessment.

This appointment will influence the next steps for investigations and treatment. Please note the plan determined during this appointment may differ from any plan already recommended by your local vet.

We may need to admit your pet to the hospital for the day or keep them overnight for further testing. This is because not all investigations can be performed at the time of the consultation. During this appointment, we will also run through estimated costs and answer any questions you may have. Prior to any tests being performed and treatment starting, you will be asked to read and sign a consent form detailing the proposed plan for your pet.

What happens if your pet is admitted to the hospital?

Your pet may be admitted for further investigations and/or treatment. If this is the case, they will be taken to either our wards or the intensive care unit (ICU). Under the guidance of their specialist-led team, your pet will be looked after by our dedicated Registered and student veterinary nurses, who are supported by our patient care assistants. We have a clinical team on-site 24-7-365 to care for our patients.

While your pet is with us, we will keep you informed and involved in your pet’s treatment plan. We aim to provide regular updates on their progress. Your local vet can also follow their progress via an online portal. 

Your pet may require diagnostic investigations while they are with us, such as blood tests, ultrasounds, X-rays, and a CT or MRI scan. The results of these investigations will help determine the next steps for your pet’s treatment plan. This may involve medical therapies in our wards/ICU or surgery. If surgery is required, your pet will likely need to stay overnight, or surgery could be arranged for a later date.

Things to do locally

Please click here for further information about places to eat, things to do and places to stay locally.

How do I know my pet is in good hands?

We promise that your furry loved ones will always be given excellent care and treated with compassion. We have a deep understanding of and respect for the relationship you share with your pet. We understand that there is so much more to the service we provide than clinical care.

We follow the fundamentals of compassionate care to ensure that our patients are as relaxed as possible and that their experience with us is healing and positive.

Every one of our twelve services is led by a specialist in their field, and our facilities and equipment are state-of-the-art. We pride ourselves on our independence and ethical focus, which allows us the freedom to tailor our service and be transparent with you.

The Ralph has been accredited by the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) as a Gold Cat Friendly Practice. This means we meet the gold standard for providing a feline-friendly environment.

If you have any questions about the specific needs of your pet, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] / 01628 308330.

The payment process

Prior to your pet being admitted, our Customer Care Team will discuss how you wish to pay for your pet’s treatment. Options include: 

Insured pets:

If your pet is insured, we will assist you in submitting an insurance claim for their treatment at The Ralph. There are two scenarios:

  • A direct insurance claim: In this scenario, your insurance company will pay The Ralph directly when settling your claim. We offer direct insurance claims for many but not all insurance providers. Please email our Finance team at [email protected] if you would like to request a direct claim for which we charge a small administration fee.( Note that your local vet cannot authorise a direct claim on our behalf.) 
  • An indirect insurance claim: We cannot facilitate a direct claim for some insurance providers. This means you will need to settle your account with The Ralph, and your insurance provider will reimburse you directly. In this instance, we ask for a 50% deposit of the lower end of your estimate on the day of your initial appointment.

Self-funded: If you plan to self-fund your pet’s treatment, we ask for a 50% deposit of the lower end of your estimate on the day of your initial appointment, and the remaining balance to be settled at the end of your pet’s treatment. Please note we cannot accept American Express. 

Self-funded payment plan: We have partnered with an external provider, Tabeo, through whom you can apply for a loan. Several interest-free and interest-bearing loan options are available, and there is no set-up fee (The Ralph incurs some costs, which we do not pass on to you). A basic credit check is required as part of the application process.

Please email our Finance Team at [email protected], and they will send you a link to apply for Tabeo Finance. This arrangement will be entirely between you (or a family member/friend) and Tabeo.

We cannot advise on your personal circumstances or provide advice on Finance and whether it is right for you. You can find all the necessary information using the link we will email you. You can also get in touch with Tabeo, and they will be able to help (https://app.tabeo.co.uk/support). You should only use Finance if you believe you can make the monthly payments and understand the associated risks.

The Ralph is an Introducer Appointed Representative (“IAR”) of Tabeo. Our Firm Reference Number is: 1036412.

Please note that The Ralph does not offer internal payment plans. Exceptions to this policy will be approved rarely and are at the sole discretion of The Ralph’s CEO.

If the time comes to say goodbye

We are so very sorry if you have reason to read this section.

The information below relates to your beloved pet’s final journey. We want you to know that you have our support.

We take end-of-life care very seriously at The Ralph and caring for your companion, you, and your family does not end when your pet passes away.

Euthanasia is one of the most difficult decisions a carer can ever make for their pet, and it is the final act of love that we can give.

At The Ralph we have a dedicated End of Life Care team who will be there to support you through this very difficult time and will be on hand to help you with all aftercare decisions.

Please do not hesitate to contact them at [email protected] / 01628 308330.

The crematorium that we use and recommend is a family-run independent company called Dignity, their website can be found here.

We also use Final Care Pet Crematorium, their website can be found here.

Dignity and Final Care’s values strongly align with our own, and we know that they will continue to show your pet the compassion they deserve.

Pet Carer Resources

View our pet carer resources

Resources for Pet Carers