Vets in Scotland

[Fancy Rats Admin]

Please add to this thread if you would like to recommend a vet in Scotland. For regional map of area boundaries see here.

[sharplady]

My vets are the
West End Veterinary Partnership
12-16 Bread St
Edinburgh, EH3
Phone 0131 229 7619

They were recommended to me by someone on this forum and I have found them to be excellent. They are expensive (£89 for a castration, same as for a cat) but they use the best of anaesthetics, glue rather than stitches, and really care about the health and well-being of my ratties.

[Rose's Mischief]

ABERDEEN

Town and Country Vet Group, Millburn
Vet - Fiona (edit: Fiona replaced Heidi)
She is experienced in exotics, and has a real love of animals too. You'll get the best care and the best treatment from her!

NB: I don't recommend going to Banchory 'Town and Country vets' - there were no specialist exotics vets there when I went, and from personal experience, I've found that their knowledge about rat treatment is limited, and a lot of my visits there have appeared to be just guesswork on the vet's part.


ETA 10/05/10

Unfortuately the vet Heidi is no longer at the Aberdeen practise. Would be grateful to hear who you now deal with in Aberdeen

ETA 17/03/11

the vet we now have there (Fiona) is brilliant, and I'd like to replace her name in my post. Thanks Rose

[xoffender]

Glasgow

Una McLean (2 surgeries)
13 Queens Crescent
St Georges Cross
Glasgow
G4 9BL
0141 3321934

I use the Queens Crescent branch and think they are fantastic. Moderate prices - £68 for castration including preop check
Think ratty consultation was about £18 - cost me £25 total for consultation and eye drops for Dorothy. Although they aren't 'Rat specialists' they treat loads of small furries and are very thorough with their consultations

[CatherineP]

Hyndland Street Vets
Hyndland Street
Partick
Glasgow
0141 357 3139

I have been taking my ratties there for 5 years and they are fantastic!

[Scarlett44]

Hyndland Street Vets
Hyndland Street
Partick
Glasgow
0141 357 3139

I have been taking my ratties there for 5 years and they are fantastic!

I have started using this vet as recommended by other ratty people and I've also found them to be great.

[baileymags]

EDINBURGH/SURROUNDING AREAS

Dunedin Vets
Tranent
East Lothian
www.dunedinvets.co.uk

I have been looking for a good vet for a while now and this is the best I've found. They have a few different vets in differing areas, but the one in Tranent is where I just got Musket operated on and they have been very good. Reasonable prices, and they are quite happy to give different drugs rather than just the baytril. I've had the two partners - Margot Hunter and Chris Monk (who did the surgery). Both seem to be good, as do the other vets there.

[acapae_wolf]

Aberdeen

Practice Name: Aurora Vet Clinic
Address: Old Stoneywood Church, Bankhead Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, AB21 9HQ
Telephone Number: 01224 716848
Website: http://www.auroravet.co.uk
You can also email via the website.

This is a very open and friendly practice who're completely there for the animals first, rather than profit.

The vet I have seen at this practice is Kevin and he is wonderful with rats. I have also talked to Andrew on the phone who is competent with rat-specific advice. However they prefer you to see a single vet for a continuous problem so as to provide the best treatment possible, so I have not had a consultation with Andrew.

Drugs are suggested and prescribed with no thought to lisencing, and at suitable dosages. Kevin is confident with his own abilities, but is honest with regards to areas he has had less experience with. All consultations and treatment decisions have very much been a two-way decision with as much input from me as from him - rather than the vet talking and me just nodding along.

They are also open to follow-up consultation by phone. Both Kevin and Andrew and are completely happy with one saying "by the way I've started her on xyz drug which I just happened to have to hand", or to suggest new drugs to try which one just picks up from Marcia at reception. In addition they are open to giving drugs on repeat prescription which have prescribed by another practice. I have been given large amounts of drugs at a time rather than smaller volumes to keep me returning for more.

The practice is open 24/7 and the usual staff work in shifts to cover the extra time, rather than employing external staff. As such there is no price increase in consulation/ drugs on top of the emergency fee. I have also had the extra emergency fee waivered.

All staff are kind and considerate when faced with pts. Their prefered method is gas before fatal injection, but they are open to owner preference. You're more than allowed to be present, and there is no feeling as with some practices of being rushed off the premises afterwards.


In Aberdeen I am also registered with Ashgrove Vets and Ardene House:

Ashgrove (Kevin is prefered vet) are ok with prescribing non-liscenced drugs, but not overly confident. Dosages given are suitable and they treat rats and mice with the same level as care as larger animals. The practice is open 24hrs, but their own staff do not cover. However their prices are on the expensive side (drug prices themselves are not inflated), and they don't allow one to be there during pts. I've not had any surgery at this practice.
http://www.ashgrovevets.co.uk

Ardene House are also ok with prescribing non-liscenced drugs, but will only prescribe very short courses at a time (e.g. my 'course' of clava was 3 pills). They are also on the more expensive side for the area. The practice is open 24hrs, but their own staff do not cover. I have had emergency surgery done here, but the vet/ nurse I spoke to had limited knowledge of rat biology.

Overall, regardless of being nearer either of the other two practices I would advise travelling to Aurora. I was living in Garthdee and so Bucksburn was completely the wrong end of town for me, but it was well worth the travel for the treatment, level of care and compassion given

If travelling by public transport (as I mostly was) you have 2 main options. Either get a train from town up to Dyce and then a [First, I think] bus south to Bucksburn. Or to get a [First] bus from town which stops just outside the practice. If you do go by car and get lost, the receptionist is lovely at directing you over...

If anyone has any further questions please feel free to PM me, I cannot reccomend Aurora enough