Riverside Veterinary Practice - Livingston

Reviews of Riverside Veterinary Practice - Livingston

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  Yagari

  Google · 14 March 2026

  AVOID! Stress, dismissive attitude, pressing atmosphere, gaps in knowledge and plain refusal to listen. That’s the short story. The longer is that after an extensive labour of 36h our Great Dane gave birth to 7 healthy pups. Two days later she run a bit of a fever, with no additional worrying symptoms, hence we took her to be seen by the vet. Worst 3 hours of my life. Ultrasound done on my dog, we weren’t given any diagnosis. Either some membranes are still present and she’s cleaning up the uterus, or she’s in life threatening condition of mastitis. 48h after the birth. She can die at any moment. She can go septic in a minute. She can spiral down and die! Blood work done, and all within the range. Yet she may die at any time. We had to leave her for an IV and treatment - all while having the 7 pups with us in a basket. Called to come back in an hour, told she’s good. Temperature went down. Dog is happy, eating, going to toilet, nothing changed here. She was given paracetamol and amoxicillin. Basic - good it works. £600 for this party so far. And now we go downhill. Consulted another vet - to know what right questions to ask - I’m a first time litter parent. The vet took it as an offence I dared to ask questions about treatment and diagnosis. Told me I can be frustrated but that’s her advice. Got treated very hostile and my questions / thoughts totally dismissed. Wasn’t frustrated - but genuinely wanted to know the answers about my pet. We are not in the 60’ when doctors gave you a shot and you never knew what your illness was. You have a right and an obligation to educate yourself when it comes to your pets wellbeing!!! I was told it can be mastitis. That’s plain wrong. This can happen only after some time - when there was untreated infection in uterus. Usually 2 to 3 months even after season or giving birth. Impossible in day 2 two after birthing healthy puppies. And this is used to scare the owner to oblige - as we were FORCED to go to vets now for continued treatment. Overnight stay was made mandatory as the vet at riverside DIDN’T EVEN CONSIDERED any alternatives or options. I was told to hand feed the 7 pups for 2 days, till Monday. 7 pups. That’s been sitting with us for hours at the practice. We were told even when she could come home we need to hand feed, as she can’t be nursing after antibiotics. THAT IS PURE WRONG AGAIN. Amoxicillin is safe for nursing mothers and their pups. I gave up on further discussions and we went to VETS now, only to be: Charged additional £300 for a visit Have the examination done again Have the blood labs checked Be told at the very end her condition is not much of a concern, she can take oral medication, can be monitored at home, and no problem can come back should her condition worsen, but it’s more important to let her nurse the babies when she’s felling ok, eating and drinking fine. I am beyond disappointed. Never been so dismissed, not listened to, and plainly mislead in crucial information regarding my dogs health and wellbeing. I was accused of not having my dogs wellbeing in mind. I was told she can die at nearly any time should we choose not to carry on with the recommended treatment. I was treated hostile for asking questions and felt attacked for actually having a bit of common sense and knowledge. This could cost us lives of the 7 pups, not to mention stress and hell the mother goes through. I will make it my mission to inform who I can about poor patient services, poor communication, gaps in knowledge and forcing fees in unnecessary treatments. That was sincerely the worst experience I ever had with a vet in Scotland.

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  Justyna Konowrocka

  Google · 5 February 2026

  I’ve used Riverside Vets multiple times over the past year and a half for my three cats. While no single incident was extreme, there is a recurring pattern of unprofessional behaviour, poor communication, and unexpected charges that left me consistently uncomfortable and anxious about attending, even for routine check-ups. One of my cats is very skittish and has a history of eye issues. During a visit, the eye specialist made judgmental comments about prior treatment, including eye-rolling and sighing. When my cat struggled, the vet refused to proceed and repeatedly said, “I can’t do it!” leaving me to restrain the cat alone. I was sent home with medication and asked to return, but due to the lack of professionalism, I chose not to. I have also experienced dismissive and impractical advice,for example, when asking how to safely wash a flea-infested kitten, I was told “you don’t wash cats” and advised to cut soiled fur, which was unhelpful and left me feeling dismissed. Conflicting guidance has also been an issue: one vet advised monthly deworming for a year, while another said it was unnecessary, which left me unsure which treatment plan was correct. Cost discussions often felt fear-based rather than informative. After a kitten’s castration, I was warned that urinary issues could cost “over £4,000,” contradicting our experience at another practice. Billing has also been inconsistent and publicly handled, including being told I owed money I had already prepaid. Even visits advertised as free, like a six-month check for a cat with urinary history, ended up being charged with no explanation. Taken together, these repeated issues with handling, communication, and billing made me uncomfortable and ultimately led us to change practices.

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  Eleanor Young

  Google · 4 February 2026

  Highly recommend. Caring vets, nurses, and staff who go over and above to help. Always prompt and efficient service. Thank you.

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  Simon Whyte

  Google · 10 January 2026

  My friend took his rabbit to get it's nails clipped. Only cost £13. Friendly and polite staff.

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  Mallory Heart

  Google · 3 November 2025

  After paying nearly £800 for an x-ray, ultrasound and some medication, we were told to bring our dog back to get checked. They then had the cheek to charge another £45 for visit we didn't ask for. I think they were overcharging for their services even though the vets were pleasant enough. I am not happy as they still couldn't tell us what the problem was.

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  Nora

  Google · 20 July 2025

  We have been taking our cats here for years and are always happy with the service and medical care they receive. Our cats are very stressed when we have to bring them in and the receptionist goes above and beyond to provide a safe-space for them. On our last appointment we were able to wait in an empty doctor’s office so we could take the cats out of the carrier, let them walk around and give them cuddles, which helped them a lot. Thank you ☺️

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