Blackwater Vets

Absolutely awful vet, only out for the money, staff rude and incompetent. Vet has no concern for animal welfare. Avoid at all costs!!

Terrible treatment firstly wouldn’t see my ill dog as she hadn’t seen her for 2 years Took my cat who she recommended he be put to sleep due to him being old. He was 10!!!! I gave now moved vets and would not recommend them ever

beautiful dog that's was rescued from a terrible life has spent 10 happy years with us and we love her as she loves us. Sadly she is now very unwell and at about 13/14 very old. After a weekend of just watching her do nothing but sleep and this morning she is very unwell, we have decided that we would do the right thing and let her go. However Blackwater Vets refused to help saying that because she hasn't seen her since 2019 then she cant help. What ever happened to animal welfare? So now we have to try and lift her into the car(not easy for 2 elderly unwell people)and drive 40mins to Colchester Vets who are really empathetic and helpful. Is there a governing body that we can report them to? surly this is unethical.

Did not like the woman vet, no compassion for our pet, just wanted to put him down - so cruel - she gave pain relief and we headed home halfway through our holiday he died the next morning in his known surroundings.

Just dont go there, far better veterinary practices do exist,

The veterinarian believed the ideal option for an elderly friend of mine’s elderly dog of 11 years —who was otherwise in good overall health, apart from head shaking and ear scratching—was euthanasia. The actual issue was poor gut health and collagen loss, which costs pounds, not almost a grand to treat, Banking on an inevitable worsening ear infection. That particular dog is still well, live and kicking with nothing more than probiotics, collagen and a diet change. I took my own dog there for a booster vaccination and ended up paying only for a consultation, as she wanted another one and a half to “treat” nothing more than a yeast build-up. Avoid at all costs. If the owner reads this: get a better veterinarian not a scam artist. Eerily I'm not the first person to say Orla or Ola has suggested putting dogs to sleep.

I was a client and supporter of Blackwater Vets for many years until recently. I couldn’t understand the negative reviews until it happened to me. Unfortunately their unprofessional and unethical spiteful behaviour forced us to move our three animals to a different practice. My elderly parents who struggle to travel any distance have had an appalling experience. Their young dog was taken there with what appeared to be a minor 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 was extremely distressed. My mother rang the practice 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 rang my mother back, and told her the vet had said 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 immediately 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 a week 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 amount! She was clearly very angry and upset at the way she’d been treated and felt blackmailed, but she paid it - even though she was paying for future medication she wouldn’t be getting. She has since received a letter demanding more money (over £100) before they will sign the insurance claim form for the fiasco they’d caused the previous week. I’m furious at the stress and upset this has caused them. The “fee” is exactly same as the policy excess, so this is simply spiteful. After some upsetting and unpleasant experiences with this vet (including being told I was an irresponsible owner) - this was the final straw that has forced a formal complaint. The vet prescribed medication for a shoulder injury for my Labrador which wasn’t making any difference, and wanted to give him additional monthly injections, 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 consented to let this 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 are prepared to 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 and disloyalty. There is only one vet who is also the owner, so 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 they 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.

Ive had 2 dogs, 2 cats, guinea pigs and rabbits all with blackwater vets but because our last animal, a cat who was a house cat hadn't been in yearly for the last 4/5 years they refused to take her for cremation at the grand old age of 20. Blown away by this stupidity and unkind attitude. She had been vaccinated for 15 years of her life but as she was by her own choice housebound we decided to stop vaccinating yearly which is our choice. She was well to the day she passed but despite the thousands ive spent in this vet they chose to decline as they only do 'prevention' and cremations to those that are regular and not kindness to those that have used them for years for multiple pets. What an unkind and repulsive attitude to have.

Lovely staff. Very helpful