Recommendations for local Vets Please. We're desperate to find a really good vet locally.

[Frieda]

We've tried Brockwell Vets and found we see a different vet/student every time we go. They only seem to be interested in money. We're happy to pay, but want a vet that gets to know our dog and doesn't just give out pills that cost a fortune. Our dog suffers from some sort of allergy in the summer, we've been going to a homeopathic vet who's great, but she's in East Grinstead, can anyone recommend someone really good and caring nearer home.

[resdes2]

I highly recommend Hankinsons, Shardeloes Rd, SE14 6NZ. 020 8692 3030. Two incredible, caring vets. My dog and two cats have been with them for many years and I am extremely happy with them.

[aquarius moon]

Agree with above. Hankinsons (New Cross) are the best local vets.

[Frieda]

Many thanks will give them a try.

[danbee66]

Possibly too late to add my two penn'orth, but I wholeheartedly concur with the consensus on Hankinsons. Not just John H himself, but the whole team: Matt the other vet there, and the nursing staff: Jaquie, Becky, Gemma and all the others. A really great team who look after your animals as if they were the most important animals in the world (which to the owners, of course, they are!). You won't find anywhere better than Hankinsons. They have saved my dog's life at least twice!

[murphy]

Just wanted to stick up for Brockwell Vets. A couple of times they have refused to charge us anything for a quick consultation and they have also recommended cheaper treatments rather than going straight for pills. The other advantage is that they are open until at least 7pm every weekday.

[Frieda]

Well Murphy that's not the experience I've had and I did stick with them for 4 years and they new our dog from the day we got her age 12 weeks. They didn't consider any other avenue but expensive pills and steroids, they also got quite shirty with us when we said we were going to try homeopathy. They even rang me and said I hadn't paid my bill!! Which I always paid in full when there!!

[edcam]

We now go to Norwood Road Vets and can't recommend them highly enough. the nicest vets and staff I've come across so far and as reasonably priced as any vet nowadays.

http://www.norwoodrdveterinary.co.uk/

[Bellenden Belle]

Frieda Wrote:

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They also got quite shirty

> with us when we said we were going to try

> homeopathy.

To be quite frank Frieda, if a qualified veterinarian supported your decision to use homeopathy,I would rather question their practice.

[ionaw]

have been with David Cuffe in Abbeville Road in Sw4 for 10 years and love them.

[kamila]

danbee66 Wrote:

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> Possibly too late to add my two penn'orth, but I

> wholeheartedly concur with the consensus on

> Hankinsons. Not just John H himself, but the whole

> team: Matt the other vet there, and the nursing

> staff: Jaquie, Becky, Gemma and all the others. A

> really great team who look after your animals as

> if they were the most important animals in the

> world (which to the owners, of course, they are!).

> You won't find anywhere better than Hankinsons.

> They have saved my dog's life at least twice!

Agree, I always take my dogs there, shame Matt isn't there anymore but the new guy (not sure what's his name) is also good - I had to take my dog there last week as an emergency as she cut her leg during the morning walk and he did a great job.

I had another emergency last Monday, one of my dogs cut her paw while chasing a ball in Brockwell park so I took her to the closest vet which was the Brockwell vet by Herne Hill station and I wouldn't recommend them. They didn't even want to see the dog beacuse I couldn't get hold of the owner to get her permission so I had to register her under my name and then they charged a fortune. I am really greatfull that they helped the dog at the end but next time I will rather drive to my vet.

[Frieda]

Homeopathy is a COMPLEMENTARY treatment and used as such works! In fact we returned to our Homeopathic Vet and our Dog is much much better now thank you.

[Frieda]

I know the vet near Herne Hill station IS the vet's we've been Very disappointed with, they are only interested in money!!

[Frieda]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and recommendations. I think I'll sign up with Hankinsons as everyone that uses them seems very happy. I am very happy with our homeopathic vet, but she is a long way away and anyway I do believe homeopathy is a complimentary medicine (as does our homeopath) and should be used with ordinary medicine. Obviously we need a normal vet as well, for emergencies and if our dog broke a leg or something similar. However I must stress that for her allergy the homeopathic route has been far more successful and less invasive than anything the Vet near Herne Hill Station ever offered. Thanks again all, our dog is much better now and we're off for a walk :)

[cvc]

Norwood road vets

[taper]

"I do believe homeopathy is a complimentary medicine (as does our homeopath)"

I bet she compliments you for handing her cash for dispensing water.

"I must stress that for her allergy the homeopathic route has been far more successful and less invasive than anything the Vet near Herne Hill Station ever offered"

Less invasive certainly, but not successful.

http://www.howdoeshomeopathywork.com/

[The Minkey]

To add my bit, I was with Brockwell Vets Surgery for years, beginning when there was just the single vet there back in the early 90's. She sold up and the current owners took over which was fine at the beginning but then they expanded and expanded until we never saw the same vet twice. So much like large GP Practices these days, they couldn't possibly get to know his health history. Unfortunately, it came to pass that I became less satisfied with the quality of care.

I signed up with Hankinsons once we moved into this area. John is a great vet. Even down to the very basic stuff like greeting my aging vet-phobic cat, Tom, with a few strokes when he was turfed out of the carrier. The continuity of care was really important, especially as more regular visits became necessary in his old age. All the way through to the point I had to take him in to be put down. I should have found it even more distressing had I had to do that with a complete stranger in charge of the proceedings.

[Frieda]

Actually it has been more successful and considerably cheaper than the Chemical tablets that the vet wanted our dog to be on continually.

[taper]

what star sign is your dog? Uranus is in the ascendent at present.

[Willard]

http://www.homotron.net/images/homotron/258Troll_spray.jpg

[georgemac]

If you are looking for a sensitive and caring vet at brockwell vets, then I suggest you shop around.

I recently made the heartbreaking decision to have my cat put to sleep after her being my family pet for 20 years.

I made the decision to have the vet visit the house as i didn't want to stress my cat out by taking her by car to the practise.

However 30 minutes before the vet was due to arrive I was called by the practice to tell me the vet would call in 30 mins. In the next breath the receptionist asked me to pay the bill now. I was shocked at the insensitivity of being asked to pay before my cat was killed. I understand that this is a business and maybe people have not paid their bill but I have a customer for many years, I thought this was extremely insensitive and uncalled for.

When the vet arrived she was very brusk and lacked feeling or any sensitivity to my situation.

It took the '?qualified vet? 3 attempts to inject my cat who was extremely distressed and crying out.

Eventually after my cats traumatic death the vet asked if I had anything to take her away in. I would assume a vet would carry a box but she offered her white plastic carrier bag to take away our family pet!! whilst handing me the receipt for my payment of ?311. I may add I wrapped my cat in a jumper not in a bag. The vet whisked her away not even giving me a moment to take it all in.

Even if the vet didn't care she could have acted sympathetically but alas she didn?t, leaving me quite distraught at the fact that my cat didn?t die peacefully at all.

When I picked up her ashes from the vet we made a complaint to the receptionist and told them i would be posting a complaint on these forum.

5 weeks later i received a very defensive, condescending letter of apology. The letter was addressed to a Mr although I am clearly the female who paid the vets bills.

The letter implied to me that i should be grateful for them to visit on a saturday even though i paid for this service! They even got the sex of my cat wrong and said in a condescending manner about her death "we have all been through it ourselves".

[Frankito]

Georgemac, sorry to hear about your trauma. I had my little Siamese put to sleep on Christmas Eve past :( and took him to Norwood Rd vets. I have to say the vet, Ellie, couldn't have been nicer and more sympathetic. She took time to explain the procedure and left us with him after the event and I think she even gave me a hug as I was in bits. She was great and even though it was a very traumatic day all round, she was superb.

[edcam]

Agree Frankito. We had to have our cat put to sleep and took her to Norwood Road Vets and they couldn't have been nicer or more sympathetic. Taking our new boys to have their nads snipped off next week and very happy we've found Ellie and her team. I've heard a few bad things about Brockwell Vets and Lordship Lane Vets had gone badly downhill last time we used them.

[colville09]

Ellie and all at Norwood Road Vets are fantastic -especially with cats. We had bad experiences with Lordship Lane vets.I would never never go there again

[kamila]

I think that I am ready to write about my bad experience today...

As I said before I always take my dogs to John Hankinsons in New Cross and I think that they are just brilliant.

My dog Lala got sick the other night, we were up every 30 mins since 1am as she was vomoting and had a diarrhea. From 5 am we were constanty in the garden...At 6 am I called an emergency vet in Beckhenam. I had explained to the nurse that my dog is very poorly and that I would like to bring her. Her answer to that was - take the water bowl away (at that stage she was drinking and vomiting straight away) and wait until your vet clinic is open. I have stupidly listened to her...By the time I took my dog to New Cross 8.30 am) she was just exausted...Ended up on a drip and 7 days in intensive care at the hospital in North London.

Luckily she recovered ,but unfortunatly the day after she came back home she got a stomach bloat (gastric torsion) and there was nothing I could do to save her. We rushed to the vet to have her put down, again the one in Beckhenam as it was on Sunday...I am not going to write on here about the amount of pain she was in..., it's just impossible to imagine...But what really shocked me was that as soon as we got to the vet they wanted me to fill up the papers first (!?) and also the vet really struggeled to inject the anesthetic....:(

Now I really would like to ask you - does anyone know of an emergency vet that they could recommend?