FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FARM ANIMAL HOSPITAL

It is unfortunately not possible to obtain any advice by phone if your animal is not actually a patient at the CHUV. We suggest that you either contact your regular veterinarian or call to make an appointment for a consultation.

You can make an appointment with our specialists. To do so, your veterinarian must directly contact our team, who will be happy to give them all the necessary information concerning your first appointment.

Please contact the farm animal admission’s service as soon as possible at 450-778-8100.

See the online map.

If you present yourself for an emergency out of regular hospital hours, please the bell at door number 41. Please take note that there may be a delay of several minutes before someone comes to the door.

You can park anywhere along des Vétérinaires avenue. Other parking spaces require a permit from the University of Montreal without which a parking ticket will be issued

Free visitors parking permits are available at the admissions desk of the Equine Hospital for owners with trailers and parking is available near door #41.

A restaurant (Presse Café) is located a few steps away from the CHUV, at 1500 des Vétérinaires Avenue. Opening hours are from 7 am to 4 pm Monday to Friday.

For more information concerning dining and accommodations, we recommend that you visit the Tourism Saint-Hyacinthe website.

A resident will be in charge of explaining every detail related to your animal’s condition and to answer your questions. During your animal’s hospitalisation, a resident will contact you on a regular basis to keep you informed. Communications are usually made in the afternoon or at the end of the day. You are also welcome to contact us at any time to receive updates of your animal. Il vous est aussi possible de nous contacter afin d’obtenir des nouvelles concernant votre animal. A member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.

As for the specialist, he will contact your regular veterinarian to inform them of any developments concerning your animal’s condition.

You must first obtain an appointment to be able to meet with a specialist. For an emergency, it is impossible for us to foresee the waiting time, which may vary from a few minutes to a few hours, since priority is given to the more unstable cases

Since we are part of a teaching establishment, students will be implicated in the examination and treatment of your animal. At all times, students are supervised by a qualified veterinarian.

A degree in veterinary medicine demands 5 full time years of studies. The title of doctor does not convey the right to practice veterinary medicine. To be able to practice in Quebec, the veterinarian must pass the exams required by the College of Veterinarians of Quebec.

Internship

An intern is a qualified veterinarian who is completing a 53 week full time advanced training course, in applied veterinary sciences, in a selected field of interest (small animal, bovine, equine and zoological) under the supervision of specialists.

Residency

The ultimate step for the veterinarian wishing to become a specialist is the residency program, a three year full time graduate training program, leading to a diploma of specialised studies in veterinary medicine. There are many residency programs recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association such as anesthesiology, cardiology, dentistry, dermatology, internal medicine, neurology, oncology and ophthalmology. The resident must finally complete a series of exams with one of the recognized American or European associations to earn the status of Diplomat.

For more information regarding training in veterinary medicine, please refer to the University of Montreal’s admissions website.

The animal health technician ensures technical support to the patients at the CHUV. The technician will prepare the animals for and assist the veterinarian during medical and surgical procedures. The technician also provides care to the animals as prescribed by the veterinarian. The technician may meet with an owner to collect pertinent information regarding their animal and convey it to the professional.
The animal care attendant transports, prepares and distributes food to the animals as well as handles, restrains and displaces them. The attendant finally, cleans and disinfects cages, washes food and water bowls and any other accessory.

Following your animal’s initial assessment, a detailed estimate of costs for procedures and treatment will be presented to you. This estimate does not, however, include costs for medication.

Since this is only an estimate, the amount can vary with any change in your animal’s status during hospitalisation since other procedures may be necessary therefore adding additional costs. It is therefore possible that the final bill be different from the initial statement. However, daily contact with your animal’s veterinarian will allow you to keep up to date with any change in your animal’s condition as well as associated costs.

We encourage you to ask the attending veterinarian for regular updates concerning costs related to any diagnostic and therapeutic procedures that your animal has received

A deposit of 1000$ will be requested for animal’s arriving from another province or country. If your animal has been cared for at the farm animal Hospital, a bill will be sent to you through the mail following its discharge. You will then be able to pay off your bill through your financial institution.

Financing with AccordD from Desjardins is available at the CHUV. You can find out about this service by asking any member of our team.

Although the CHUV is part of a university teaching institution that has the mission of training future veterinarians, your animal will be treated by experienced generalists and renowned specialists. For these reasons, our prices are sensibly the same as in other specialized establishments to the exception of our professional fees that are not taxable.

You can obtain a detailed invoice of care and procedures your pet received by simply asking the receptionist. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your bill, it will be our pleasure to answer any of them.

Please note that as of June 8, 2020, infection prevention and control fees of 11.50 $ will be automatically billed for all types of appointments (excluding purchases at the Veterinary Boutique and at the CHUV pharmacy).

These amounts will be dedicated to activities related to infection prevention and control.

What is biosecurity?

Biosecurity refers to the combination of measures aimed at reducing the risks associated with the introduction or transmission of infectious agents between animals and people (zoonotic diseases *). In a veterinary hospital, it is an essential element in providing excellent veterinary care and ensuring the protection of human health and the environment.

A major study carried out in the United States in human health establishments (Study on the Efficacy of Nosocomial Infection Control or SENIC, 1970-1976) on the effects of the implementation of infection control programs reports a reduction of 32 % of the rate of nosocomial infections ** during this period.

* Zoonotic disease: any infectious disease transmissible between animals and humans and vice versa.

** Nosocomial infection: any infection acquired during hospitalization in a health care center (human or veterinary), which was not present or during incubation at the patient’s admission.

Initiatives to be undertaken through the Infection Prevention and Control Fund

• Improvement of infrastructure
• Development of training and communication material
• Purchasing of new equipment and products (detergents, disinfectants) related to infection control
• Development of monitoring tools
• Emergency response fund

The CHUV has its own pharmacy. You can therefore leave the hospital with all the necessary medication for your animal.

You can renew a prescription online, by phone at 450-773-8521 ext. 8322 or in person directly at the CHUV’s pharmacy.

Please note that any shipment of medication by Purolator requires a signature from the person receiving the package.

To obtain a copy of your animal’s record, you must contact our archives at 450-773-8521 ext. 8334. The CHUV disposes of a maximum of 20 days following the deposition of your demand to provide you with your copy. Associated costs will be given at the time of your request.

Medical file copy request

Certain groups of students of college or university levels with joint interests may visit the CHUV. For more information please contact us at communications@chuv.umontreal.ca.

The CHUV being a hospital and a teaching institution as well as a work place, we cannot honor demands from the public. If you wish to find out more about our institution, we strongly encourage you to visit our website or to watch the episodes of “Hôpital vétérinaire” available on the TV5 website.