What to Expect from a Pet Lighthouse Consultation
Dr Caroline Allen FRCVS- former Chief Vet at the RSPCA, with over 25 years of clinical experience- offers independent online consultations for owners navigating complex or difficult decisions about their pet's health and quality of life.
If you've found your way here while trying to make sense of a difficult situation, you're in the right place.
At Pet Lighthouse, our consultations are designed to provide calm, thoughtful support at what is often an emotionally difficult time.
We focus on helping you understand your pet’s quality of life, explore your options, and make decisions that feel right for both your pet and your family.
Book a free 10-minute introductory chat, or if you're ready, book a full consultation directly.
How it works
Step 1: A short introductory chat (optional, free)
Before committing to a full consultation, you're welcome to have a brief no-obligation call with Caroline. This isn't a clinical consultation — she won't offer opinions about your pet at this stage. It's simply a chance to:
- Share what's brought you to Pet Lighthouse
- Ask how the consultation works
- Decide whether it feels like the right fit
If you already know you'd like to proceed, you can skip this step and book a full consultation directly.
Book a free introductory chat
Step 2: Before your consultation
Once booked, you'll be asked to consent to Pet Lighthouse requesting your pet's clinical records from their primary vet. This is a required step - reviewing the records is essential to making sure any guidance is fully informed, and a requirement of the RCVS (the vet regulator).
You'll also complete a short questionnaire before the session, so Caroline arrives prepared and the time is focused on what matters most to you.
Step 3: The consultation itself
The consultation lasts around 45 minutes. Caroline will review your pet's health and broader wellbeing, explore their current quality of life with you, and discuss the options available.
This might include:
- Making sense of a diagnosis or treatment plan
- Navigating the risks and benefits of different treatment options
- A structured quality of life assessment using the Five Domains framework
- Support with end-of-life decision-making or palliative care
- Understanding whether further treatment is genuinely in your pet's interests
There's no pressure to make decisions during the call. Caroline's role is to inform and support you at your own pace.
The session is usually recorded or AI transcribed to ensure no details of the discussion are missed, but this is entirely at your discretion, I was ask you before starting any recording or transcribing.
Step 4 — After your consultation
You'll receive a detailed written report following the appointment. A shorter summary is also shared with your primary vet, so everyone involved in your pet's care is working from the same picture.
If you'd like follow-up check-ins to monitor progress or talk through changes, these can be booked online at any time.
Online or face-to-face?
Online consultations are available to everyone, from anywhere. Most clients find this works well - joining from home is often easier for pets who are elderly, unwell, or anxious about travel. Evening and weekend appointments are available.
Face-to-face consultations are available in selected London postcodes and include a clinical examination alongside the quality of life assessment, carried out in your home. These can't currently be booked online - please book an introductory chat to arrange one.