Vets Now (Gateshead)

When we arrived, it was very warm and welcoming. We were offered warm drinks while we were waiting. The staff were very understanding and attentive

Waited 90 mins to be seen as there was only one vet and she was running around seeing multiple patients. When we were seen she was very kind, review was very quick (5mins), our dog who was on day 3 of diarrhoea was diagnosed with a back injury and we were given 3 days worth of dog paracetamol and charged approx £360 all in. Now I expect to pay more for an out of hours service but this seems excessive! We were also advised to visit our own vet the next morning if our god still had diarrhoea - which he did… Our own vet did not agree with the diagnosis regarding the back and felt this was a symptom relating to the diarrhoea pain, she prescribed antibiotics and some gastro health food and our dog is now on the mend. He has had no back pains since the diarrhoea cleared. Our own vet charged under £100 for all of the above which I find much more reasonable. I also felt that Vets Now made it very difficult to charge directly to the insurer insisting that I pay the invoice myself upfront and what I also noticed later on, they had added an additional charge to the bill for having to liaise with insurance firms. Not greatly impressed….

Had to wait over an hour to be seen (only 1 in ahead of us) 5 minute appointment, then another 20 minutes waiting to pay (I asked twice during this time) I thought as it was private it would have been a lot quicker. £365 for a 5 minute apt, anti-bs and pain relief.

We brought our greyhound Ruby in early Sunday morning, she didn't leave til the Monday morning to be transferred to our own vet. I just want to thank all 3 vets who looked after her and helped her, as well as the lovely nurse/receptionist. You were all fantastic, and kept us up to date, I honestly didn't think she'd be coming home, but thanks to you guys, we should have her home tonight ❤️ thanks again 😁

took my dog to the emergency vets, first appointment was somewhat helpful as they prescribed medication but had no idea what was wrong with her or what caused the lump on my dog but we paid £79, her breathing was getting worse and the lump grew bigger so i rang to let them know 6 hours later, they said they would give me a call back within the hour.. i ended up having to ring back up and query why i wasn’t given a call back they were rude on the phone insisting they did and left a voicemail, which i explained i had been waiting by the phone and my phone hadn’t rang.. turned out they had rang a different number on the system rather than the main contact number and said to bring her down but expected me to pay £190 for the second appointment which i didn’t have as i just paid £79 on the same day, they asked if i could borrow it, it was early hours of the morning i said no there isn’t anyone to borrow me the money, they said i can dispute it on her review appointment with the pdsa the following tuesday. i sat and waited hours early hours for to be seen to be in and out within minutes. again said they have no idea what is wrong with her checked her temperature, it was fine said to take her home and wait for the review. i’ve queried this with the pdsa and they said it’s on my account and needs to be paid as the balance lies with vetsnow. £190 on top of £79 to be told to take her home that she’ll be less stressed at home. disgusting as clients of the pdsa are on low incomes so don’t know how we’re expected to pay £260 in one day for medication.

The vet was incredibly friendly and helpful during a difficult time for us and our hamster. Thank you so much.

Support for my dog was very good and information clear from reception and on the phone. Less so from the vet who was very rushed. Was also disappointed that the price’s increased from £320 to £709 depending on who I spoke to.

We attended the Vets Now Gateshead clinic with our 6-month-old English bulldog, Bruno. I want to say first that the reception staff were lovely, and I had no intention of leaving a negative review. Unfortunately the veterinary care afterwards was extremely disappointing. After returning home from the appointment (which cost £441), Bruno developed raised lumps across his back. We sent photographs to the clinic so the vet could review them. When we phoned for advice, we were told to give chlorphenamine (an unlicensed medication for dogs) without the vet even looking at the photos. When we asked whether the vet had reviewed the images we sent, we were told no. We were also told the reaction could not be related to the injection he had received earlier (Prevomax). However, after reviewing the product information leaflet ourselves, we found that urticaria / allergic reactions are listed as a recognised adverse reaction. No side effects were discussed with us at the time of treatment and we were not given any written information. Instead we had to research the medication ourselves while dealing with a worrying reaction in our dog. Overall the experience left us feeling unsupported after paying a very expensive out-of-hours fee.

Found me an emergency vet quickly and close by

The cost is astronomical but the care was outstanding. My dog was admitted and they allowed me to go and spend some time with him on day 2.