Laura Young
We took our dog to this vet out of hours on a Friday night and the experience was extremely distressing and, in hindsight, completely unnecessary. Within seconds of shaving his foot, we were told the swelling on his toe was a tumour and that he would need a toe amputation the following Monday at a cost of around £2,000. This was presented to us very quickly and with little explanation, and we felt enormous pressure to consider a major surgery almost immediately. We left feeling shocked, upset and worried — both emotionally and financially — at the thought that our dog might need part of his toe amputated. Thankfully, we trusted our instincts and sought a second opinion a few days later. The second vet took the time to properly examine him and advised that it looked far more like an infection than a tumour. They prescribed a week of antibiotics and pain relief costing around £60. A stark difference from a £2000 amputation. After completing the medication, the swelling completely cleared up. We returned for a follow-up examination and the vet thoroughly checked for any lumps or abnormalities and confirmed there was absolutely nothing there. We were originally told our dog needed an urgent £2,000 amputation for what turned out to be a simple infection that resolved with basic treatment. The contrast between the two diagnoses is alarming. Being told so quickly and so confidently that our dog needed part of his toe amputated caused unnecessary stress and anxiety and could easily have led to an avoidable operation if we had not sought a second opinion. We were so close to agreeing to the op through fear of losing our beloved dog, we would have done anything to make sure he received the care he needed We would strongly advise other pet owners to be cautious and always seek a second opinion before agreeing to expensive or invasive procedures recommended here.
