Rate card higher than other vets and we expected standards to be too. Well equipped and skilled in vetenary practice but sadly lacking in humanity, ethics and morals. Watch for excessive treatments and over inflated costs; the Staff we met were very pleasant but were ultimately focussed on generating revenue.Swanbridge have now let us down with two animals. The first I put down to "bad luck" but the most recent issue has been the final straw.We presented our terminally ill dog for consultation with the expectation we would most likely be putting her to sleep. Lottie was in pain with long-term orthopedic issues which had deteriorated rapidly in the last month and been compounded with further unforseen complications in the last few days following a recently prescribed course of pain medication. Despite normally being a cheeky, energetic little character who loved to run, she had been refusing food and water for days, couldn't walk further than a few feet and was generally very weak and subdued. We highlighted to the consulting vet that, although she was a young dog, our desire was to achieve quality not necessarily quantity of life and that, if it was her time, we wanted to ensure she died peacefully with dignity.He listened then proceeded to sow seeds of unrealistically high hopes and employ borderline emotional blackmail to convince us to do more to "give her a chance". I'm ashamed that we allowed ourselves to be swayed and agreed to pay £900 for tests, IV fluids and an overnight stay. The next morning they called and told us that she was "looking better" and they were "pleased" with progress and recommended that we should pay another £500 for additional tests and treatment... We were not convinced and confirmed we should only complete the treatment for which we had already paid. We were uncomfortable enough with the situation to contact another vet to arrange a transfer. When we collected Lottie in the afternoon, Swanbridge staff insisted we pay the full balance before bringing her out to see us. Bill settled, they brought her out; She looked terrible and was totally bewildered and withdrawn. With no more money on the horizon, Swanbridge staff were outwardly polite and sympathetic but obviously couldn't hand her over quick enough. They were vague in their handover and were either unable or unwilling to tell us what quantity of fluids she had been given or even whether she had eaten while she was in their care. It was immediately apprent that the dream sold as "Giving her a Chance" had only served to extend her suffering.We took her home for the night and then to a new vet the next afternoon. Having briefly reviewed her case and examined her, the second vet quickly agreed that putting her immediately to sleep would likely be the kindest thing.Lottie is gone now. Whilst I am annoyed at being sold unrealistic false hopes, I am far more upset that we let her down and allowed Swanbridge unecessarily extend her suffering solely in the name of demonstating their vetenary prowess and padding their bottom line.There are undoubtedly great Vets out there but I'm sad to say that our experience of Swanbridge more closely mirrors those described by the ex-Vet who published a veterinary expose: "Why I'm ashamed to be a Vet" (worth a Google). On that basis I'm not going to subject any more of our animals to Swanbridge Vetenary Hospital...
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