Unfortunately, I did not have a good experience at Clerkenwell Animal Hospital. I won't return. My go-to vet is now Amwell Vet Surgery. If you are looking for a kind, honest vet that loves animals...t... Read More
Unfortunately, I did not have a good experience at Clerkenwell Animal Hospital. I won't return. My go-to vet is now Amwell Vet Surgery. If you are looking for a kind, honest vet that loves animals...that is a good place for you. I brought my aging pooch companion here (due to location/convenience) with a few bits and bobs that needed a look. A cyst on her eye, bump on her leg, teeth looking a little gnarly, and a small dark dot on her neck, under her chin. She's getting old, and the cracks are starting to show but she is otherwise really in very good health and shape. She's 13...so, when making decisions regarding her health I appreciate having all the information, and making decisions that will allow her to lead her snoozy retired life in peace, for the most part. Any sedation or extreme measures should be considered but not necessarily undertaken if they don't greatly increase quality of life. What's the saying? Better to let old dogs lie? She wishes! :) Within literally seconds of being in the exam room the vet (who scarcely looked at her) diagnosed the brown dot on her neck as melanoma and said it needed to be excised, and that while she was under she should have at least 6 teeth removed, if not more. He couldn't be sure until she was under. He hastily snapped an iphone pic of her teeth. Why? I don't know. As for the bump on her wrist -- would need to be biopsied at a VERY hefty sum to see what it was and the eye cyst would need removal, suture and sedation. Whoa. A bit of a shock...and as they were trying to book me in the very next day, I felt a bit too high pressure for my liking. Also it was going to cost upwards of £2k. What? No. I opted for a second opinion at my regular vet (who is lovely - Amwell Vet Surgery in Islington) a few days later. Melanoma on neck = old blood blister that was easily drained and gone within seconds. ZeroBump on wrist = he advised I leave it based on its location the removal would cause more pain than good given her age. Eye = this one they agreed on, the cyst did need to be removed which required sedation and a suture. Based on that procedure he suggested he do a dental cleaning and at that time he would decide if any teeth needed to be removed. The goal always being quality of life, least amount of discomfort, etc. So, for about £600 Madame Tillie spent the day at Amwell and is doing very well. Had I gone with Clerkenwell it would've cost me nearly 4x that amount, plus a lot of unnecessary suffering for my old girl. The second opinion was worth it and this operation seems a bit too quick to take drastic measures without knowing anything about the animals. Bedside manner also lacking. I won't return. For around £50 I wasted an hour of our lives and paid for the pleasure of being overwhelmed. Additional star for emergency services and weekend hours. If it truly is an emergency, this would definitely be a decent option for your furry friend. Read Less