Help with a tough decision....

Lel

Lel

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Hi all, hope everyone is well!
Firstly I'm wondering if anyone has had recent experience of the small animal vet who works at Ayres Vets in North Shields?
I've been with Judith Brown who is a beloved, amazing piggy vet for 5 years now, unfortunately due to surgery's price hikes I am having to consider switching vets. (Eg. Consultation was £16, now £82).
Ayres is much closer and considering my boys are seniors now they unfortunately need a lot more visits.
I'm struggling to find reviews online of Ayres small animal vet so just wondering if anyone here has any experience with them?
Thank you lovelies 💓
 
Have gone on the "Meet the team" bit of Ayres Vets in North Shields and one of the Vets has a small animal certificate. So should be OK. You could try it out and see.

Veterinary surgeons
 
Betsy said:
Have gone on the "Meet the team" bit of Ayres Vets in North Shields and one of the Vets has a small animal certificate. So should be OK. You could try it out and see.

Veterinary surgeons
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A small animal medicine cert is very different to a BVM +S, which in my case is essential as I have a bladder stone prone pig which is why I'm hoping to see if anyone here has had any recent experience of the surgery. It's a long shot but I thought I'd try :)
 
Lel said:
Hi all, hope everyone is well!
Firstly I'm wondering if anyone has had recent experience of the small animal vet who works at Ayres Vets in North Shields?
I've been with Judith Brown who is a beloved, amazing piggy vet for 5 years now, unfortunately due to surgery's price hikes I am having to consider switching vets. (Eg. Consultation was £16, now £82).
Ayres is much closer and considering my boys are seniors now they unfortunately need a lot more visits.
I'm struggling to find reviews online of Ayres small animal vet so just wondering if anyone here has any experience with them?
Thank you lovelies 💓
Click to expand...
I really wouldn't recommend them from everything I've heard about Ayres and also from work experience I've done. I would really stick with Judith. The consultation at firstvets I think is currently top end of £50. Not sure on the specific vet your talking about though. Though I think a small animal vet can sometimes just mean cats and dogs rather than horses etc. Judith is fab at surgery. I don't think Ayres is cheap either.
 
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Appreciate that thank you. Consultations are £80 @ first vets now and £50 @ Ayres. Judith is amazing, it's just the prices and travel that are troublesome seeing as my guys are seniors now and require frequent visits.
Had to visit Ayres for an out of hours emergency and the vet we saw was great but not one of them seem to be small animal specialists. Have you heard bad reports about Ayres?
 
Lel said:
Appreciate that thank you. Consultations are £80 @ first vets now and £50 @ Ayres. Judith is amazing, it's just the prices and travel that are troublesome seeing as my guys are seniors now and require frequent visits.
Had to visit Ayres for an out of hours emergency and the vet we saw was great but not one of them seem to be small animal specialists. Have you heard bad reports about Ayres?
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Are you sure about the £80? I went recently and I'm sure I was told something like £58/£59. I haven't got a recent receipt though as I don't bother asking for a breakdown most of the time. I am unfortunately a regular visitor.

Yes I've heard bad about Ayres. In fact your the first person I've heard a positive from.
 
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Wow, that's good to know and I really appreciate it! Thank you!I've possibly met you in the waiting room before then, we always meet other piggies there :)
I'll be sticking with First Vets then.

Been charged £80 for a consultation twice now, I never question it, just wanna get the boys home ASAP.

Thank you so much
 
Lel said:
Wow, that's good to know and I really appreciate it! Thank you!I've possibly met you in the waiting room before then, we always meet other piggies there :)
I'll be sticking with First Vets then.

Been charged £80 for a consultation twice now, I never question it, just wanna get the boys home ASAP.

Thank you so much
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You may have done I'm unfortunately in a lot! If you are having meds too that will add to the bill. I average about every 2 weeks at the vets. Though currently it's weekly while Nancy has some injections.
 
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Hope Nancy is doing as well as can be! It's so stressful for the little ones and us. We are there pretty much the same for various pesky illnesses. (If you ever meet Mr Lomu, Taika and their mum, that's me) :)
 
Lel said:
Hope Nancy is doing as well as can be! It's so stressful for the little ones and us. We are there pretty much the same for various pesky illnesses. (If you ever meet Mr Lomu, Taika and their mum, that's me) :)
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It really is stressful! I'm worried about Nancy's kidneys now 🙁. She didn't used to drink but really has started to. But it can also be a pain response in guinea pigs but starting to be doubtful on that. She is on a lot of pain meds. She doesn't drink much during the day but at night she does.
 
One of my guys is a bladder stone prone pig, had 2 ops. I'm guessing Judith has ruled out a stone for Nancy?
 
Lel said:
One of my guys is a bladder stone prone pig, had 2 ops. I'm guessing Judith has ruled out a stone for Nancy?
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Yes. She's had two x-rays and an ultrasound. The drinking is driving me mad. I think I probably should have taken the option of a blood test recently but I was keen for her to go on the cartrophen because she was in so much pain. Judith isn't in this week having to see a different vet, but she's back in next week. I will have to ask about it. But didn't want to put Nancy through more. Nancy is on gabapentin, metacam and glucosamine plus cartrophen.

Drinking isn't technically excessive but she never used to drink...
 
Hoping Judith can find the cause! I'm taking my boy in for bloods as his weight has bottomed out, so many random illnesses since May for both of them that I feel like I live at vets surgeries. Sleeping next to them as they have both become very needy.
I've been told that blood tests for pigs are rarely conclusive in their findings but its gotta be done I guess.
Let's hope for the best for all!!
Didn't know Judith was off again so thanks : )
 
Lel said:
Hoping Judith can find the cause! I'm taking my boy in for bloods as his weight has bottomed out, so many random illnesses since May for both of them that I feel like I live at vets surgeries. Sleeping next to them as they have both become very needy.
I've been told that blood tests for pigs are rarely conclusive in their findings but its gotta be done I guess.
Let's hope for the best for all!
Didn't know Judith was off again so thanks : )
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My piggies are in my bedroom too. It's very stressful to be woken up by Nancy when it's not good though!

I think they can check kidneys okay on them or I don't think Judith would have mentioned it. She had a blood test in april which showed she was fine but that was before all the drugs.

How old are your piggies? Mine are only 2.5 years.
 
I just looked at Ayres vets, they are part of the CVS group (as are my vets in Bristol), they are expensive but very good. CVS are a large group with shareholders this is unfortunately the way vets are going now, practises are being bought out by big companies which pushes the prices up. They do however employ very good vets who have the use of the best diagnostics. I have tried cheaper vets here and have ended up being referred to the CVS practise because the other vets didn't know what was wrong or we needed a scan that they couldn't do. The consult fee is around £52, it's £80 if you go in as an emergency when there are no ordinary appointments available.
 
Lucy3733 said:
My piggies are in my bedroom too. It's very stressful to be woken up by Nancy when it's not good though!

I think they can check kidneys okay on them or I don't think Judith would have mentioned it. She had a blood test in april which showed she was fine but that was before all the drugs.

How old are your piggies? Mine are only 2.5 years.
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Oh I'm sleeping on the sofa next to them 😴 my guys are coming up to 6 (at a guess as rescues) have both had various health issues which is why we have stuck with Judith for so long as she is the best.
 
Lel said:
Oh I'm sleeping on the sofa next to them 😴 my guys are coming up to 6 (at a guess as rescues) have both had various health issues which is why we have stuck with Judith for so long as she is the best.
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My two are rescues too 😊. But they were babies when they came to the rescue so I know their age.

I would be anxious about seeing another vet. I had to once and it didn't go well.
 
I missed a response from another site saying that I should avoid Ayres for piggies so I'm really glad I reached out here and elsewhere. I'm gonna bed down with the pigs, thanks again and if you get a chance, let me know how Nancy gets on : )
 
piggieminder said:
I just looked at Ayres vets, they are part of the CVS group (as are my vets in Bristol), they are expensive but very good. CVS are a large group with shareholders this is unfortunately the way vets are going now, practises are being bought out by big companies which pushes the prices up. They do however employ very good vets who have the use of the best diagnostics. I have tried cheaper vets here and have ended up being referred to the CVS practise because the other vets didn't know what was wrong or we needed a scan that they couldn't do. The consult fee is around £52, it's £80 if you go in as an emergency when there are no ordinary appointments available.
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I'm so sorry, I didn't see your response. I've been told by a few people now that the North Shields branch of Ayres isn't great for piggies so will be sticking with First Vets.
Side note, Ayres (my local branch) charge £230 for an emergency appointment.
 
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