Name: Vets Now
Address: Penguin House, Castle Riggs, Dunfermline, Fife
Rating: 4.26

“Wish I could justify charging 1500 for four hours of supposed watching on a dog that might have another cluster seizure Only difference between a bank robber and Vets Now is the Bank robber usually wears a mask”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi Andy, we regret to hear that you are displeased with your recent experience with us. Much like it is for other out-of-hours services in other industries, It's more expensive to run an out-of-hours pet emergency service than a general daytime practice. If you’d like to query your bill or speak to us about anything we’re here for you on customersupport@vets-now.com.

Posted 3 years ago

“Absolutely appalling way to treat animals and customers, told I must see the vet 11:00 slot, sat in car park for 3 hours and was told told “ we are like NHS accident and emergency” They had no history about my dog and shot him up with Bupranorphine or in human form Subutex same thing they give addicts ? A completely over the top pain killer for an abscess that apparently they had drained and all was so good he didn’t need antibiotics, no it wasn’t drained seeping puss all the way home ! My dog couldn’t stand up and I was so scared about his breathing, I thought he was going to die! Took over an hour to try and get hold of them to find out who had given him and where to take him or what to do , no one would take responsibility! They then kept him inside the building until I paid over the phone ? I watched a guy sit outside with his dog unable to walk for three hours in his arms it was heartbreaking! I think my little guy is ok but he needs antibiotics. So that’s a another bill! Vets who are using this service are going to loose a lot of clients, if my pet has to go through a situation like that ever again I’ll leave and take all 7 fully insured animals elsewhere for treatment. You see VetsNow you are not an over pushed National Health Service PetsNow , you are greedy poor veterinary service! Your reference to the NHS turned my stomach when I think what nurses on the front line get paid next you you who play on the emotions of owners and are happy to willy nilly inject a brachycephalic dog with subutex . My dog is bloody traumatised , I’m traumatised by the lack of aftercare or concern for him and to top off the insult they took money from my account for paid blood Pet products Where do these people get off ! Never Ever Ever use them !”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi there, we would like the opportunity to address your concerns. Please reach out to us directly at customersupport@vets-now.com.

Posted 3 years ago

“Couldnt post a no star or I would have done, My dog Barnie was real ill, took him to a vets now £1700 + for a course of antibiotics and 2 nights staying in, dearer than the Hilton”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

“I took my dog on an emergency call yesterday as they are the out of hours my vets used. It was my first experience. I was asked to call when I arrived at the clinic. I arrived 25 mins after a I called. Called to say I had arrived and was told some one would come and see me. I was not asked what was wrong with my dog. An hour later no on had been so I called reception to be told that I had not been forgotten and someone would be out. 20 mins later the receptionist came out and to take Buzz in. She didnt even ask what was wrong. When prompted if she wanted to know what was wrong with him I was told a vet would call me. Another 20 mins + passed and no call so I rang at reception and was told his Triage was being done and the vet would call me. Another 20 mins and still no call. The recpetionist was outside seeing to someone else and when I explained I had been there 2 hrs and not spoken to a vet was anxious about my dog being inside not having been told anything she offered to bring him out for me. When she brought him out I was told they had a cat come in that had been run over and that I was likely to have another hours wait. As Buzz had improved I decided to take him home. Absolutely awful customer service. Another lady left before me as she had got the same silent treatment and had been waiting a while. I will not be using them again for out of hours! For the £179 call out charge they should be on to of customer service!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi Mel, thank you for taking the time to leave a rating. If you would like to discuss your experience further then please contact us at customersupport@vets-now.com including details of the clinic you attended, pets name and your address.

Posted 3 years ago

“We were forced to use this vets 3 week ago just under 1200 pounds for my cat to stay there overnight if we hadn't he would have possibly died he suffers from UTI and blocks easily , went to fetch him the next morning to take to my own vet only to be told I would have to take him back when my vets shut in the evening , I asked why and their reply was he'll be on his own alnight is that what you want ? It's as though I was being blackmailed into feeling guilty ! He was in my vets with x-rays , scans and blood tests for 3 nights at a cost of £368 big difference . So basically if you are desperate to see a vet out of hours they know they have you over a barrel and can and do charge what they want , where's the so-called compassion for pets and owners , the Gov. need to cap what vets charge , just hoping my insurance will pay most of the costs incurred buy a very money grabbing vets.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi Jacqueline, I am sorry to hear that you are unhappy after your recent visit to Vets Now. If you would like us to look into any aspect of your visit then please contact us at customersupport@vets-now.com with your concerns, pets name, first line of address and postcode

Posted 3 years ago

“Took my dog in for emergency care as she is due in a vets tomorrow but feel she could not wait. They took her rudely / abruptly and rushed - the vet then called me as due to cov I was not allowed in which is de-stressing in itself. They said that her heart rate and temperature were normal but they had to run tests which would be £400. I agreed they carried out the tests - called me saying they have all come back negative but she is very de- hydrated. I said ok - but they requested I leave her over night - I refused as I would not leave her some where strange - i asked what was wrong - they said she was a very poorly dog but gave me no answer as to what was wrong. My dog is 15 and is old and I’m aware she is not well. They simply told me to take her back to a vets tomorrow so I am £400 down and non the wiser if my dog is just poorly as she is 15. Do not use them wish I had read these reviews before - and now reading them I am so happy I decided to take her home. They talk to you like rubbish and are rude. Con artists and time wasters.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi Rebecca, thanks for sharing your experience with us. We’re really sorry to hear it wasn’t a more positive one for you. If you would like to discuss your experience further then please contact us at customersupport@vets-now.com, including your concerns, Pets name, first line of address and postcode.

Posted 3 years ago

“4 weeks ago on a Sunday evening 8pm ish my 17 year old cat was taken ill. I rang the vets in tears as I knew this was it and I wouldn’t be bringing her home. I informed person on the phone that it would be a pts appointment but they still insisted she needed a checkup for the small cost of £180. When I asked for the price of the whole appointment I was told it would be £350. My little cat weighed about 2 kg I’m still struggling to understand how it could cost that much extra. My last cat I had pts 2 years ago during normal opening hours cost £65 and he was at least double her weight. Vets now are all about extorting people that have no other choice when they are scared and vulnerable”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi Debbie, thank you again for taking the time to reach out to us. We regret that you weren't satisfied with your experience. If you would like us to look into any aspect of your visit then please contact us at customersupport@vets-now.com

Posted 3 years ago

“Never again. My 16 week old toy breed puppy tried to eat a cigarette butt on a walk this evening, I managed to pull out of his mouth as he nearly ingested it & he seemed fine. Ate his evening food an hour or so after & was fine. 2 hours after that I came to see him shaking, wobbly, disorientated & staring vacantly like he was drunk. He was clearly not himself I tried getting him to drink water or have an icecube (which he normally loves & he just had no reaction). So I panicked & took him to vets now (my usual vet is lovely- only charged £30 for antibiotics despite 3 vets visits due to burst abscess a few weeks prior- but being a Sunday eve was closed & had vets now listed as their out of hours service). While I appreciate this is an out of hours service I still find the costs extremely excessive. He was seen for approx 5 mins & I was charged £150 despite them saying nothing was wrong with him, he seemed fine but they hadn’t done any blood tests. So basically it cost me £150 for them to “look at him”. I felt relieved obviously first & foremost... but I am still not sure my puppy is ok. When I returned home I took him out to the toilet in the garden & he just sat & stared at the floor & didn’t go to the toilet & I had to carry him in as he couldn’t get up the back step. I am really annoyed they didn’t check for anything else or properly do anything as he really isn’t himself still. So my mind is not at ease & after just being made redundant due to Covid-19 I really could have done without a £150 for less than basic checkover. Hopefully I can claim this on my insurance without a ridiculous costly excess. This is clearly a money-making scheme to over-charge pet owners when they are at their most vunerable & have nowhere to turn. Surely 5 mins of their time is not worth £150. My main concern is the health of my pup & I hope my puppy returns to his usual self as I don’t feel 100% that his check up was thorough or even based on real care for animals. Only upside was staff were friendly.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi there, I am sorry to hear that you are unhappy after your recent visit to Vets Now. If you’d like to query your bill or speak to us about anything we’re here for you on customersupport@vets-now.com.

Posted 3 years ago

“My daughters dog was not well on a Sunday and this was emergency vets directed to. Very polite and well treated in car park and because of COVID she was taken in alone. Returned to tell us that problem was neurological because of the way she was behaving and would require head scan. This proved negative although costing£1,500. She then required body scan which found possibly cancer. They said they could treat her but she would only survive a few months at best. Not wishing to put her through any more trauma we decided to say goodbye and not see her suffer. She was in from Sunday afternoon until the Tuesday afternoon when she was put to sleep. My daughter had insurance up to £3000 pounds with the usual conditions. The final bill was £2,700 which we had to pay as only £500 was paid by insurance company I feel that although we were treated courteously we were put in a very difficult position while under stress. I am almost certain if our own vet had been available he would have given us better advice and although outcome would have been same the cost for tests could have been reduced.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi there, I know it can be frustrating having to pay for an unplanned trip to the vets. Much like it is for other out-of-hours services in other industries, It's more expensive to run an out-of-hours pet emergency service than a general daytime practice. If your daughter would like to query her bill or speak to us about anything we’re here for her on customersupport@vets-now.com.

Posted 3 years ago

“Last week a dog was taken to Vets Now out of hours emergency, after it had been bitten by my son's dog. Despite, both myself and the other dog owner's belief that there was minor/limited injury to the dog, as a responsible dog owner, i encouraged the owner to seek a vets assurance that all was well. Less than 15 hours later, im left with a cost off 1100+!?!?! I was shocked by the excessive cost of treatment for what we believed to be minor injuries. Furthermore, despite the cost, several days later, a lump had come up on the dogs belly, which may have been from an infection, which we believed the Vet had managed!! Now we were informed that the dog may need an operation!!! More cost!!! At what point and by who will the rising costs of vets bills be explored and looked into? I feel that responsible dog owners are taken advantage of at a time when the are vulnerable and will do anything to help their pets!! Please feel free to explore my payment invoice and if anyone can expalin the cost to me that would be great!!! 🤬”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi Jay, I believe you've already phoned us to discuss this case. If there is anything else you would like to raise with us we’re here for you on customersupport@vets-now.com.

Posted 3 years ago

“Do not use!! Shocking experience at a very traumatic time. On Sunday 14th our dog suffered an injury whilst playing in the garden and we were convinced he had broken it. We called Vets Now as it was gone 8pm and were told to bring him straight in. We arrived and due to Covid we had to wait in the car park for 15 mins after telling them we had arrived (our dog was whining and shaking in pain). Finally someone came out to see another owner waiting outside and we demanded he be taken in straight away which he was. 10 mins later a nurse called me to say they didn’t think he had broken it and won’t be long. We were very confused and asked if he had an x ray and they said no because he didn’t need it! We took him home that night and were told he needed rest for a week. A week goes by and he’s still very sore and visibly lame. He goes for an appointment at our regular vet who says again he’s fine and can see him playing so can’t be anything wrong. He was having a routine castration so requested he was x rayed and we were prepared to pay it but again there was apparently no need. Fast forward another 2 weeks and we demand an x ray only to find out SHOCK he has broken it. Our boy dog has been walking around on a broken leg for 3 weeks with vets including vets now telling us he is fine! Surely if a client is requesting an x ray you bloody well do it! We were there, we heard the crack and saw his reaction! We knew something bad had happened! So fed up with vets talking down to owners when they don’t know the dog. Vets now charged us nearly £300 for a 15 min appointment and a week of metacalm!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi Charlotte, thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. If you would like us to look into any aspect of your visit then please contact us at customersupport@vets-now.com

Posted 3 years ago

“I went through these people that put my poor cat to sleep 5/6/20 on the phone I was told 45.00 consultation fee when in fact they charge me 239.00 They said she would need overnight care for over a thousand pounds for 1 night, in the end she had to be put to sleep as he then claimed she wouldnt make it through the night I've argued the conservation I had with the operator I was sent the recorded call and they have taken out parts of the conversation, I know 100% that I repeated the price back to her to confirm it that part of the conversation was missing do not trust these people with your pet or money they lie all we wanted to do was take our cat back out of that place and go to another vet who truly would help a poorly cat treat her which is what a vet should do”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi Imogen, thank you for taking the time to leave a rating. What you’ve described sounds very unusual and we’d really like the opportunity to look into this further for you. Please contact us at customersupport@vets-now.com

Posted 3 years ago

“Vets now are a money grabbing con. they should not be allowed to charge such extortionate amounts to people with sick animals at night when there's no other option. Normal day time vets fees are expensive enough, and I could understand it being a little more, but they charge you for things that aren't even necessary or fair. For example, my dog was taken through to the back for an injection, and trust me I was looking at the clock and she was in there for 4 minutes- and they charged her an over night admittance fee for that! Which is meant to cover the cost of food, bedding, through the night nursing, and obviously she came home with me and was only in for a few minutes. They really are to be avoided at all costs and should be ashamed of themselves. They milk your insurance for everything they can, but then even the top level insurance I have won't cover the extortionate amounts they charge for even consultation fees etc. Avoid!!!!!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi Jessica, I’m sorry to hear you’re unhappy after your recent visit to Vets Now. What you’ve described sounds very unusual and we’d really like the opportunity to look into this further for you. If you could provide us with more information, we can review your case and gain a better understanding of your experience. Please contact us at customersupport@vets-now.com

Posted 3 years ago

“My dog Toots had surgery on 3rd January for mammary cancer , she came through it no bother in fact she was like 2 year old , but on 4th March something happened and I thought she looked as though she had had something like a mini stroke , took her to my own vets and they gave her medication , unfortunately she didn't get any better and on Friday 6th March in the middle of the night she became very unwell and as it was 4 o clock in the morning I didn't want her to suffer for 5 hours before my vets opened so took her to Vets now , Had the most horrendous experience , I knew she would have to be put to sleep but thought it would be in nice calm way , When I got there the vet asked me what had happened and I told him he then said I will just be a couple of minutes I am going to put a canula in her , she went off with him as good as gold , he had her out there for about 10 minutes and I could hear her crying and whining , he then came back and said she didn't like to be shaved , that was not true as you could do anything you liked with this dog and she never complained , if fact she had blood taken from her a few days before and never murmured if fact the vet nurse said " isn't she good " when I said aren't they all like this " she said ." no they are not " I can only imagine how much he must have hurt her , with hindsight I wish I had gone into that room and asked what he was doing to her , but I was so distraught at having to put her to sleep I couldn't think straight , When he brought her back she was laid on the floor at my feet and that is how she died , he was a big man and could have easily put her up on to the table . I really thought that I was going to have therapy over this experience , I have lost loads of sleep and have not been able to get these images out of my mind , We have had to have a dog put to sleep before but it was nothing like this , we were able to stroke her good bye which I thought that how it always was when you lost a dear part of your family , I took this dog from the Dogs Trust and in the 5 years I had her she never put a paw wrong . I loved her so much and I know I gave her a lovely life . unfortunately I am now filled with guilt that I gave her an awful death , AVOID THIS PLACE LIKE THE PLAGUE ,”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Hi there, I’m so sorry for your loss, it’s never easy to lose a much-loved dog. If you would like us to look into any aspect of your visit then please contact us at customersupport@vets-now.com

Posted 3 years ago

“Vets Now - Castle Vets Reading On 12/04/2020 at approximately 7 am I was forced to visit this surgery with an emergency as my usual surgery was closed. My cat suffered from a blood clot and lost blood flow to his hind legs. As we got there, I had to leave him with the nurse outside due to Covid19 and wait in the car for them to call me back with an update. After a while, I get a call from the vet, who in a VERY unsympathetic tone tells me that my cat is in critical state and that it would just be better to put him down. I firmly disagreed and pushed for treatment as I knew there is a chance of recovery in cases like this. I was told to wait for an update. Hours have passed and no news from them so I give them a call, the nurse tells me that she had checked up on him 30 minutes ago and there have been no changes with my cat but they need aspirin and cant get a hold of any in the area (?). A vet without basic life-saving medicine like this was a huge surprise in itself. I had some at home and dropped it off as quickly as possible. More hours pass as I'm worried sick with absolutely no updates. I call them myself two times in the space of 6 hours but all I hear is "there have been no changes” in an annoyed tone each time. At around 7 pm I call again, I get passed on to the vet again who tells me, and I quote: “your cat is not going to get any better, you need to make the euthanasia decision or stop calling for an update". God, how much I wish I had a recording of the conversation to release to the public. The disgusting, unprofessional and unsympathetic way in which she spoke to me in such a devastating situation is truly shocking. A woman like that does not deserve to work with animals or people. She lacks any compassion, empathy and is a disgrace to all vets. I hope disciplinary action will be taken against her. They do not care at all about helping the animals. Disgusting place. My beloved cat died alone later that night in this disgraceful place without me being able to say a final goodbye.I’m full of regrets of not taking him to a different emergency vet. Please don't make the same mistake and avoid this place at all cost. I am absolutely distraught and heartbroken to this day.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“WARNING WARNING DO NOT USE THEM I didn't even want to leave any stars. I would put MINUS a trillion stars for them. We lost our beautiful boy (dog) in February. Its taken me this long to bring myself to write a review. They have left nothing but horrible memories and scars of their cruel service. As most of these reviews have said. They have no concern for your sick pet. They are just interested in getting the most money out of you or your insurance, to the sacrifice of your loved pet. They asked if we had insurance. Of course we would for our dog. So we filled in the forms for them to communicate with the insurance company . We paid the excess from our insurance. We asked for a receipt they blagged us off. Saying that the insurance company would give it to us electronically. The insurance policy would cover the overnight fees and his stay and medocation. Our dog was perfectly healthy when he went in. We thought he was just a bit constipated and needed some laxative. He'd refused to go out for the toilet all day. As it was storm Dennis at the time. He had a slightly swollen tummy. They said leave him overnight and they'd do tests. So off he trotted off happily with a female nurse (he always like the girls, a charmer!). We went home with full trust in these vets. As you would with any medical professional. A few hours later a phone call. He's had a bad reaction to the anaesthetic. He's got a failing heart. His organs are shutting down blah blah. We rushed back. He was laid on a manky old towel on the floor!! He saw us and wagged his tail even through all the fog of the drugs he'd been given. Truly truly upset to see this. The nurse said the best and kindest thing is to do is to euthanise. Of course we were in such a state and not thinking properly. We felt we were rushed into a decision to do this. Literally the nurse was waving the consent form under my nose to euthanise. We were in such a state we just believed her professional judgment as you would in a situation like this. We also felt like we were rushed to say our goodbyes too. She was literally leaning over us. Making us feel like we had to hurry up. We were on the floor with our poor boy. Absolutely distraught. We so so wished now we'd just scooped him up and took him home. We would have stayed up with him all night. Then took him to see his normal trustworthy vet in the morning.He was 8 we expected him to live longer than that he was a very healthy boy. His normal vet had always said this when going for his check ups. I wish they would just shut this ruthless company down. They are evil. We wished before taking him there we had read these reviews. Then our circumstances would've been different. PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT USE VETS NOW.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“DO NOT USE THIS SERVICE. We had to take our 7 year old sheltie to the emergency vet as he was unwell and had gone downhill. The vet did not examine him, weigh him or in any way look into his condition. A sample of his runny pooh was discarded into the rubbish without any testing. After a couple of minutes the vet left and did not return for almost an hour and came back with a several boxes of medication and a syringe - the cost would have been £300+, I refused these as there had been no diagnosis given and I questioned the reason for these to be given, I asked if the vet knew what she was doing (politely). I was asked to pay £167, (a cost I was aware of prior to attending and would have been happy to pay had my dog received adequate care and attention) for this appalling service and as I was raising a complaint I did not do so at the time. The response received was most unsatisfactory and full of inaccuracies, the vet claimed to have weighed my dog and manipulated his abdomen and had taken his temperature. No, my dog never left my side. At no time was my dog examined with a stethoscope and therefore his heart rate could not have been ascertained, nor respiratory auscultation. The vet did take rectal temperature, which was slightly raised but not significantly. The vet did not carry out an abdominal palpitation. I was not asked at any time if I agreed to a blood test being carried out. The vet did not advise me of the diagnosis of a colitis presentation merely that she knew what was wrong. All these items, received in their response, were a surprise to me as they had not been raised during the few minutes I had been in the surgery. But as these fabrications had been entered on the system were accepted, by the office manager, as the truth. I was made out to be a liar and racist for questioning the vets ability to diagnose rather than dispense expensive drugs without a thorough examination, when my only concern was for my dog. I was also accused of rudeness to the staff, it is hard to discern how they could have been upset as in their response they ‘were not surprised that you had raised concerns and are in agreement that the interaction that day was less than ideal’. Fortunately, he made a full recovery but this company are only concerned with making money as I had been alone for almost an hour to justify the exorbitant fee, and have no care for the animals they treat.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“DO NOT USE THESE PEOPLE. Totally inadequate and uncaring, we had a very stressful experience trying to get help in the end I stayed up with my dog all night and took her to our own caring vet the following morning. They should not be allowed to practice Veterinary care as they most definitely do not care.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“I posted a scathing review of Vets Now yesterday but I would just like to say I have since been in communication with their head office where they are very friendly and supportive so it's only fair I give their customer service an excellent review. If you have a problem, ring their head office or e-mail them, they may not be able to help everyone but they are very caring and considerate and will do their best to resolve the problem.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago

“We rushed our dog in for an emergency… We rushed our dog in for an EMERGENCY operation 2pm on a Saturday, they gave me a load of forms to sign which basically gave then freedom to give any treatment they wanted at any cost. They kept him in 12 hours before they even operated, meanwhile filling him up with plasma and adding it to the cost. Each time I rang they said they where too busy to do anything yet. Blood tests showed that his blood count was low but rather than investigate the reason for that they eventually removed his spleen and gave him two blood transfusions. Every time I rang the cost went up £1500 so in the end I had enough and removed him, at the beginning they were saying don’t worry about paying we will sort that out later, you can spread the cost etc but because I was removing him they put a massive £5,300 bill in front of me and after removing my insurance limit and payments already made they demanded payment prior to bringing me my dog. I did not find these people helpful or understanding, it is all about the money when you are at your most vulnerable.The blood transfusions gave a false reading for his blood count but he rapidly went downhill after several days and my vets confirmed that he was unable to produce red blood cells and he had to be put down. On looking at the Vets now bill a few days later I found that they had charged me for the actual operation twice, an amount of £860 so I rang their head office and they arranged a refund which I did get. I will never use these people again. 19/02/2020- update just got a revised bill asking for another £470 which includes £13.70 for one human paracetamol!!!!!!!! Obviously trying to claw back the rebate they had to give me for charging twice.”

Helpful Report

Posted 4 years ago


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