Recently visited this place more than once due to the ill health of my wee dog.
1st of all, you can barely give them your name without being “hounded” for a donation. I appreciate it’s a registered charity etc but people are there due to concern about a beloved pet, payment is the last thing on their minds so perhaps wait until after they’ve been seen to?
Unfortunately my wee dog had to be put to sleep. Me and my daughter had wanted to be there but it seemed that we were rushed through the whole process as it was a Saturday and they were only open until 12. The “vet” told us in gruesome details what “could” happen after the procedure had been administered and we really didn’t want to see our baby suffer like that so decided against it. We weren’t given any time alone to say our goodbyes to our dog, when one vet went out, another came in with a cremation leaflet, at least wait until after it’s done instead of trying to get even more money. (Use Balmedie for cremation, better than getting your beloved animals ashes back by a courier 3-5 working days when they can be bothered)
After underlining all the bargains that could be had, the other came straight back in with the needles etc.
Morale of the story, get pet insurance and use a vet who actually have time for the animals they are caring for. There was a course of tablets that could have helped my dogs condition but was told that they aren’t really a vets practice that look after animals long term, they were an emergency place so that was extra money that would be coming out of the charity.
PS, after her first operation for Pyometra which ruptured, we were sent an email with information about the procedure and it had stated that it was a “botched” operation. Not one person told us this to our faces. She also got a heart issue after her first visit which had never been an issue in the past but all of a sudden it was the main concern.
I have a question about your payment policy because it seems very inconsistent.
A very friendly and helpful lady called me to book an appointment for my pet. She never mentioned that I needed to make a payment in advance. In the past, I have often paid on the day of the appointment, so I naturally assumed that would be the case this time as well. If advance payment had been required, I would have expected her to tell me when she booked the appointment.
However, a few hours later, another member of staff called me. She was very rude and demanding, telling me that if I didn't pay immediately, my appointment would be cancelled. I found her attitude unnecessary and quite upsetting.
What I don't understand is why one member of staff is happy for me to pay on the day, while another insists on immediate payment and threatens to cancel the appointment. Even this year, I've had several appointments—some required payment in advance, while for others I paid on the day. There doesn't seem to be a consistent policy.
Could you please explain what your actual payment procedure is? It would be helpful if all staff followed the same policy so customers receive clear and consistent information.
Absolutely fantastic staff
Absolutely disgraceful and not worthy of being the PDSA Registered vets, if this is how they treat beloved pets and mistreat owners at very trying times I will no longer be supporting this charity. The girl who I spoke to on the phone was rude, aggressive, disrespectful and totally lacking in empathy and basic manners. My cat is severely ill so I was stressed when I rang, 1st time immediately upon answering my call she said "hold on a minute", 5 minutes later I was still on hold, when she eventually took the call she was short, impatient and clearly irritated. I tried explaining what was going on but she kept talking over me, cutting me off and getting annoyed at my difficulty answering which was due to her manner, it's hard to communicate when someone is being so aggressive and rude. It was agreed it was an emergency but then when I said I don't have a pet carrier she said it's policy and I couldn't take my cat in, no "oh let's see what we can do", what about a makeshift box, what about get vet to speak to you over the phone, nothing, just no carrier tough luck, your pet can just suffer because I'm having a bad day or maybe that's a normal day, I expect so since I completed the online questionnaire and she rang the next day and was just as abrupt, rude and dismissive and my cat is deteriorating. I now don't feel able to contact them as I just can't deal with having to face such unnecessary ignorance and what seems to be enjoyment at making me feel little, beneath her and show no interest in the emergency health situation with my cat. Very disappointed in the PDSA that they consider this acceptable representation of their charity.
My dog clio was senn by staff very quick and explained her problems
Very responsive, quick appointments and a fast, reliable diagnosis for my cat.
Understanding staff, showing genuine interest in their patients. I strongly recommend PDSA. :)
