Great Western Exotics

- Several recent reviewers are very positive about the staff, describing them as caring, thoughtful and friendly, with clear explanations and support during treatment. - Parrot owners are especially positive, including one review about a very ill bird kept in for several days over Christmas and later reported to be doing well. - Recent complaints focus on customer service and administration, including concerns about a rude or patronising manner at reception, unanswered emails, and difficulties with insurance paperwork.

Great Western Exotics is a Swindon veterinary clinic with recent feedback centred mainly on exotic pet cases, especially parrots and rabbits. Recent reviews show mixed experiences: several owners praise the team for caring treatment and clear explanations, while complaints focus on reception manner, communication around admin and insurance, and one rabbit case involving serious concerns about care.

Services

•Parrot and bird care: Recent reviews describe treatment for a very ill parrot, including keeping the bird in for several days over Christmas before discharge, with the owner reporting the parrot later doing well.
•Rabbit care: Recent feedback mentions treatment for rabbits with weight loss and not eating, including inpatient monitoring over more than one stay and feeding tube placement.
•Inpatient support for complex cases: Reviews suggest the practice manages cases that need ongoing observation rather than a single consultation.
•Companion-animal accommodation in rabbit care: One owner says the clinic recommended bringing in a healthy bonded rabbit alongside the unwell rabbit during treatment.

Pricing

No published pricing information is currently available for this clinic.

People

No individual clinicians are named in the recent feedback. Reviews describe the team in mixed terms: some owners call them caring, thoughtful, friendly and good at explaining things, while others report problems with reception manner and communication.

Reviews

Google rating: 4.5/5 from 97 reviews.

•Several recent reviewers are very positive about the staff, describing them as caring, thoughtful and friendly, with clear explanations and support during treatment.
•Parrot owners are especially positive, including one review about a very ill bird kept in for several days over Christmas and later reported to be doing well.
•Recent complaints focus on customer service and administration, including concerns about a rude or patronising manner at reception, unanswered emails, and difficulties with insurance paperwork.
•One detailed negative review about rabbit care raises concerns about monitoring, discharge decisions, a feeding tube that fell out, and high overall costs, creating a clear contrast with the more positive bird-care feedback.

Reviews for Great Western Exotics

Note: Showing the 9 most recent Google reviews out of 97 we track in total. Recent reviews may not be representative of overall sentiment.

Oli Cram

1 month ago

Joanna Bedykowska

2 months ago

On multiple occasions, I have experienced communication that was rude and patronising, particularly in the way she speaks to customers on the phone. The big lady at the reception. The tone used is condescending rather than helpful, which creates an uncomfortable and unwelcoming experience. I have previously addressed this directly with her, after which her tone briefly improved. Unfortunately, this change was not sustained. Each subsequent interaction has again been marked by dismissiveness and a lack of basic customer service skills. She also lacks empathy and compassion.

Jeanette Gale

These are absolutely amazing people I am so happy I take my pet there .there so nice and nothing is any trouble they explain everything thank you again for taken care of my animal ❤️

Abbie Weston

Doesn't awnser emails. Demands payment when going through insurance, but won't supply the evidence the insurance needs to make the claim.

Ruffrider87

3 months ago

Fantastic caring and thoughtful staff wouldn't take my parrots anywhere else thank you

David Avery

Helped my very ill parrot out over Xmas. Keeper him in for some days. But out now and doing well they have a great friendly team thanks agin for all your help

Dileka Katugampala

E MV

I have waited a few months before giving this review to gain some perspective and ensure the review is objective. Bottom line is that with hindsight I would not have used this vet. I now know that they are owed by IVC (Private Equity) and that as with so many such vets they rack up charges at an alarming rate and the standard of care doesn't match the prices they charge. Firstly I had a poorly rabbit that was losing weight steadily through not eating. I was referred to GWE by my local vet who said he needed special care. After a few days of treatment he was discharged on the basis that he was on the mend but it was clear this wasn't the case as he still wasn't eating. The practice recommend bringing another healthy rabbit "friend" which I did (at extra cost). I was surprised that the vets would report that the unwell rabbit was eating well and hadn't checked if the healthy rabbit was eating the food. They simply assumed that because the food was gone it was eaten by both rabbits. On one call they also told me how well and entertaining the healthy rabbit was, apparently more focused on the healthy one than the ill one. I had to take the ill one back a second time and they fitted a feeding tube (that fell out after a couple days) and then discharged him again saying he was recovering. He got home and lost weight even more rapidly. Eventually I took him to the original local vet who said he would not survive and we had to let him go. At the time one tries to focus on giving GWE the benefit of the doubt as one wants the "experts" to help one's pet. But with hindsight I think the standard of care was poor, they discharged him in a poorly state to let him get worse at home, and were more than happy to charge a very large amount (£5000) to prolong suffering of a rabbit that was terminally unwell. I would never use GWE or any IVC owned vet again after this experience and will only use locally owned vets henceforth. The sooner the private equity backed vets like GWE go out of business and are transferred back to businesses that are run by partners who care more about animals than profits the better.

Chris Monks

4 months ago