Changes to VMC's selected clinical services

Please note the following changes to selected clinical services at the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre (VMC).

SMALL ANIMAL SURGERY

As of September 11, 2024, the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre's small animal surgery service is no longer able to accept regular surgery referrals that are non-life threatening or non-emergent until further notice.

VETERINARY OPHTHALMOLOGY 

The WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre's veterinary ophthalmology service has only one faculty member on clinical service due to reduced capacity. As a result, a specialist is currently available in the clinics for only 50 per cent of the time. 

The VMC’s ophthalmology service operates on a rotating schedule, with an ophthalmologist available for two weeks on/two weeks off. When the specialist is “off clinics,” the ophthalmology service does not see new consults or referrals.

Until further notice, please follow these steps: 

• Please call the Small Animal Clinic (306-966-7126) in advance before referring any urgent or emergent ophthalmology case to the VMC. If a veterinary ophthalmologist is not available at the time, please refer your case to another ophthalmology service in Canada. 

• Please do not send eye-related referral cases through the VMC’s emergency services without contacting the ophthalmology service in advance. Due to the rotating schedule, the VMC clinical team cannot guarantee that eye-related cases will be seen through the hospital’s emergency services. 

If the ophthalmologist is not available, patients may need to wait for the next scheduled appointment or be referred to another ophthalmologist elsewhere in Canada.

DERMATOLOGY

After a one-year hiatus, the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre's dermatology service is now accepting new cases. Now that the service has resumed regular operations, the dermatology referral form is available on the VMC's online referral system.

CLINICAL NUTRITION

Until further notice, the veterinary nutrition service at the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre (VMC) is not accepting external referral cases and is not available for VMC patients. Click here to access other options for nutrition services in Canada and the U.S.