I had been a client and supporter of Blackwater Vets for many years until recently. Unfortunately the rudeness and attitude of the vet/owner forced us to move our Labrador and cats to a different practice. This was not something we wanted to do and was done with a heavy heart. My elderly parents who struggle to travel any distance also had to leave this week. Their young dog was taken there with what appeared to be a skin rash. The vet gave the dog an injection (without discussing it with my mother) that resulted in a serious adverse reaction. Less than an hour after leaving, the dog swelled up to twice her size, was struggling to breathe and became extremely distressed. My mother rang the vets immediately. The receptionist told her she would ring the vet for advice as she had left for the day. The vet lives 2 minutes away from the practice. The receptionist told my mother the vet would not re-attend. My mother informed the receptionist that the dog was extremely unwell and was told that “if she was that worried about it she’d have to take the dog to the emergency vet”. This is 15 miles away in Colchester. I then had to collect the dog and my parents and drive at breakneck speed to Colchester. Fortunately the emergency vet gave the dog an injection that reversed her symptoms. Oh, and it cost several hundred pounds. When I collected my parents and the dog I was shocked and not sure the dog would survive. She was in a terrible state. It took three days for her to recover. When my mother attended the vets the next day to inform them she was moving vets they told her they wouldn’t transfer the dog’s medical notes to the new practice until she paid £17. She was told that if she cancelled her medical plan direct debit she would owe them this even though it was for medication she wouldn’t get, but she paid it. She then received a letter demanding more money or they wouldn’t complete the claim form form for the fiasco they’d created. The vet recommended I take my Labrador for hydrotherapy to help with a shoulder injury. When I booked him in for a session at the hydrotherapy centre in Colchester I was told that he needed his vet’s consent to undertake treatment, and Blackwater had sent a one-line email informing them that the vet did not “authorise” hydrotherapy treatment, even though it was the vet’s idea. I saw the email response from the vets saying “Ola does not recommend hydrotherapy at this time”. It transpired that the only hydrotherapy centre that Blackwater Vets will “consent” to you using is one in Ipswich - a 3 hour round trip. I subsequently found out it’s because one of the vet’s friends owns it. We had used the one in Colchester a few years ago and the same vet had consented then. Since when does a vet have to “consent” to which hydrotherapy centre you can take your pet to? When I rang to complain I was told that it was Ola’s decision and there would be no point in me speaking to her about it. After some very upsetting and unpleasant experiences with this vet (including being told I wasn’t looking after my dog properly and was cruel and irresponsible) - this was the final straw. He had been prescribed pain medication for his shoulder injury which wasn’t making any difference, and the vet wanted to give him more injections as well (and if I didn’t consent I’d be guilty of animal cruelty and would be expelled as a client) - his new vet put him on alternative pain medication that solved the issue immediately. We had also previously agreed to let the vet remove several of our young cat’s teeth - at huge expense - as we were told this was necessary. We were also told that if we got a second opinion it would be viewed as mutiny by the vet and we would be expelled. We have since been told it was completely unnecessary by another vet. I have since been told that other local cat owners have been told their cats need expensive dental extractions. Blackwater Vets used to have a superb reputation and could easily be a centre of veterinary excellence, after all it’s the only vet on Mersea Island. The fact that people travel miles to go to an alternative practice says it all. Their business model appears to be to try to get you to part with as much money as they can, and if you question their decisions or disagree, the vet then threatens to sack you from their practice for animal cruelty. Because there is only one vet who is also the owner, there is no way to get a second opinion or view. It’s the owner’s way or the highway. I hate writing negative reviews and was very upset (after all my years of support) to be ultimately treated very badly, but until the current management change their attitude towards their clients, I can’t see how it can improve and get their former excellent reputation (that was built up by the previous owner over many years) re-established.
Claim your business profile now and gain access to all features and respond to customer reviews.
