FAQ’s

Southpaws is open 24/7, 365 days a year for emergencies at our Malvern location. Our specialty elective surgery service operates Monday-Friday across all 3 locations. We have an on call surgery team, including specialists available around the clock to ensure the best possible care can always be provided to your pet.

We have three locations across Greater Melbourne: Moorabbin, Mornington, and Malvern East. Detailed directions and a map are available on our website under the “Contact Us” section.

For emergencies, please visit our Malvern East Hospital or call us at 9569 3677. For all other enquiries, including booking appointments, call any of our locations and our customer care team will assist you. For less urgent matters you can also reach us via email at info@southpaws.com.au and we will endeavour to get back to you within 48 hours..

We provide a wide range of speciality services. Specialist surgery, including but not limited to orthopaedic, neurologic, oncologic, major soft tissue, abdominal/thoracic, advanced endoscopic, laparoscopic and arthroscopic procedures. Specialty anaesthesia care, emergency and critical care for both referred and non referred emergencies. A full list of services is available on our website under the “Services” section.

Referrals are necessary for our elective specialty surgery service. However, please feel free to contact us for information even if you do not have a referral, and we will always endeavour to assist you. Emergencies presenting at our Malvern hospital do not require a referral.

If there is an emergency with your pet, please bring your pet directly to our Malvern East hospital where our emergency team is located. If possible, call ahead at 9569 3677 to inform us of your arrival.

Within our state of the art, purpose built hospitals we offer a comprehensive range of advanced diagnostic tools. These include but are not limited to, CT, ultrasound, endoscopy, digital radiography, laparoscopy, arthroscopy and in house laboratory stations. These tools enable our team to provide precise and timely diagnosis for our patients.

Our hospital offers specialised care for small animals such as cats and dogs. For urgent care for animals outside of these categories, please call us in advance at 9569 3677 to confirm our capacity to treat them.

Appointments can be scheduled by calling any of our locations 7 days a week, preferably within regular business hours.

For the first consultation, we will contact your referring vet to collect all relevant history and records so they can be sent to us. Please bring any other important information you may have including current medications, insurance details and a list of symptoms and questions.

yes, this will help the veterinarian in their assessment of your pet.

We accept cash, credit cards (Visa, MasterCard), and debit cards. Payment plans are available through our in-house ‘Paypaws’ facilitated by Ezidebit. For more information, click here or contact our team for assistance.

Yes, we accept most major pet insurance plans. Please bring your insurance information to your appointment, and our staff will assist with the claims process.

Payment Conditions: Full payment is due under the following circumstances:

  • Upon discharge of my pet from the hospital
  • In the event of inter-departmental transfers within Southpaws or between its locations
  • For hospitalisation exceeding two days, subsequent payments will then be required every 24 hours thereafter

For larger estimates of cost and for emergency procedures a deposit will be taken prior to commencing any treatments.

Visiting pets in the hospital is generally discouraged to minimise stress, prevent infection spread, allow focused professional care, ensure safety, and maintain a quiet, controlled environment which is essential for treatment and recovery. However, if visiting your pet is something that you would like to do please speak with a member of our team and we can assess whether this is possible on the day.

We prioritise the comfort and well-being of hospitalised pets through gentle handling, regular monitoring, pain management, and compassionate care from our trained team.

To prepare your pet for consultation, ensure they are in a secure carrier or on a leash. For procedures requiring fasting, please ensure your pet fasts 12 hours beforehand (water consumption is permitted unless advised otherwise).

Referring veterinarians can refer patients by calling any of our locations, emailing info@southpaws.com.au, or using our online referral portal on our website. Please provide all relevant medical records and diagnostic results.

Include a detailed medical history, current medications, recent diagnostic results, and any specific concerns or recommendations when referring a patient.

Updates on referred patients can be obtained by contacting our Southpaws directly or accessing patient records through our secure online portal.

Yes, our website features a blog with articles on various pet health topics and educational resources for pet owners and veterinary professionals in the “Resources” section.

We value your feedback. Please contact our client services team at any of our hospitals or email us at info@southpaws.com.au. We also appreciate Google reviews for timely feedback.

Yes, you can speak directly with the veterinarian treating your pet during the initial consultation and throughout their treatment. In the veterinarian’s absence, another familiar with your pet’s case will assist you or relay your queries to your primary vet.