Blackness Veterinary Surgery

82 Brook St, Dundee, DD1 5BP, tel. 01382 225422, fax 01382 322078

Appointments

At Blackness Surgery we believe it is important to offer continuity of care. We work on an appointment-only basis which means that you are able to request to be seen by a vet who is familiar with your pet and that your waiting time is kept to a minimum. Obviously we are aware that emergencies do happen and in these cases we will attempt to see your pet as soon as we are able, however if at all possible we would ask that you phone us before you come down so we can make the necessary preparations to give immediate first aid.

Consultation times

Reception is open from 8.30am to 7pm Monday to Friday and from 8.30am to 1pm Saturdays for making appointments, ordering and collecting repeat prescriptions or general queries.

We offer a limited appointment service on Bank Holidays, usually ending late afternoon, but we recommend you phone the surgery to check as times may vary.

Out of Hours Service: There is always a vet and a nurse available 24 hours a day if your pet should have an accident or fall ill outside of normal opening hours. Telephone the normal surgery number on 01382 225422 and an answering machine message will give you the mobile number for the duty vet. This will either be one of the vets from the Blackness Veterinary Surgery or from Tay Veterinary Centre in Clepington road as we operate a joint emergency service. The vet will be happy to offer you advice or give you an emergency appointment for your pet to be seen if that is necessary.

Free telephone advice: If your pet is registered with us we are happy to discuss any problem on the phone . In most cases the receptionist will be able to advise you whether an appointment would be the best option but if in any doubt, and if a vet is not available to speak to you at the time of the call, one of the vets will be able to call you back at a mutually convenient time. It is always best to seek professional advice if you are unsure about the health of your pet.

Repeat Prescriptions: If your pet is on long term medication please phone the surgery on 01382 225422 during reception hours to order your repeat prescription.

We have now got an online prescription service. Please email your name, address, pet's name, drug name, dosage and frequency to blacknessprescriptions@gmail.com

All our repeat prescriptions are checked by a vet before you collect them to  so we would ask you allow 48 hours between ordering your repeat prescription and collection.  To comply with Veterinary Medicines Legislation we can only prescribe medication to animals under our care. This usually means that the animal must have been seen by one of our vets within the previous 3 to 6 months depending on the condition being treated. By requesting regular check ups we can ensure that your pet is receiving the correct medication at the optimum dosage.

Payment and Insurance Claims:

We respectfully ask that payment is made at the time of treatment so that we can keep our costs down. Estimates are provided on request for larger procedures. Some of our clients prefer to make regular payments by standing order for long-term problems.

We recommend that you consider Insurance for your pet. There are many cost-effective policies around which will give you peace of mind so that you know you can always afford the best treatment for your pet. When looking for a policy you should check whether you would prefer one which gives lifetime cover for any illness your pet may develop or just cover for 1 year. Lifetime cover is naturally more expensive but can be better value in the long term. A yearly cover policy will be adequate for most accidents and emergencies but will not cover chronic conditions (such as allergic skin disease or arthritis) for any more than 12 months usually from the first signs of the condition. We are not allowed to recommend any particular policy but have a range of leaflets available or you may be able to add your pet to your house insurance or search on-line for a suitable policy.

If your pet is insured we would ask that your account is settled at the time of treatment in the normal way. You will need to contact your insurance provider for a claim form, and some companies will ask to be notified within a certain time of treatment starting. We will fill in the relevant part of the insurance form and supply invoices and you will then receive payment from the insurance company for the majority of the outlay. There will usually be an excess deducted by the insurance company although this is usually only done once per condition per year.

Insurance will not usually cover routine preventative procedure such as neutering, prophylactic dentistry (scale and polishes), worming, flea treatment and vaccinations, although some policies may include a voucher towards the cost of vaccination.

More about us...

At Blackness surgery we believe that prevention of disease is just as important as treatment and we offer a range of services for the well pet. For more details click on the link to "Prevention". Topics covered  include vaccination and  worming, neutering, free puppy checks, nurses' clinics, behaviour clinics and acupuncture.

If unfortunately your pet is ill or needs surgery we will do our best to make his or her stay as comfortable and stress free as possible. For more information on what is involved in being admitted for an op or being hospitalised for medical treatment click on these links or see under "Facilities"