Ark Veterinary Clinics Ltd – Vets in Coatbridge
Clinic Overview
Ark Veterinary Clinics Ltd (founded 1994) treats dogs and cats as well as a wide range of exotic pets (the website specifically mentions reptiles, birds and small mammals, and says two vets have extensive experience with exotic species). It’s also described as a veterinary nurse training facility—reviews mention “students” being involved.
Based on recent reviews, the clinic is commonly used for
- •Exotic-pet care and referrals, with owners describing thorough examinations and time spent discussing next steps.
- •Chronic pain/mobility support, including acupuncture mentioned for a sore back.
- •Planned dental work, including phased dental treatment with follow-up communication.
Feedback is mostly very positive, but there are also sharp complaints about costs, front-desk attitude, and one allegation of neglect involving a guinea pig—so experiences appear mixed for at least some owners.
Services
- •Small animal care (dogs and cats are referenced in reviews).
- •Exotic pet care (website lists reptiles, birds, small mammals; reviews mention rabbits, guinea pigs, and a budgie).
- •Acupuncture (described as regular acupuncture helping a pet’s sore back).
- •Dental treatment (one owner describes “phased dental treatment” for a dog).
- •Euthanasia (a budgie was put to sleep; the owner described a “dignified passing”).
- •Hospitalisation/overnight stay is referenced in a complaint about pricing (“£150 to keep your pet in for one night”).
- •Emergency veterinary services are listed in the provided clinic data; the website summary provided doesn’t describe how emergency/out-of-hours is handled.
Pricing
- •One reviewer reports “£150 to keep your pet in for one night” (complaint about rising costs).
- •Another reviewer states “Prices are very reasonable.” (This conflicts with the complaint above.)
People
- •Laura: mentioned for significantly improving a pet’s quality of life (“a new lease of life”) and for making time to answer questions.
- •Katherine: credited with regular acupuncture that “really helped” a pet’s sore back.
- •Shannon (Vet Nurse): praised for handling an anxious dog during phased dental treatment, explaining the plan, and keeping “consistent communication” through treatment and recovery.
- •Madonna: described very positively by one owner for empathy during a budgie’s euthanasia (“dignified passing”) and for working with students; another owner names Madonna in a complaint about payment flexibility and not being seen by the “guinea pig specialist,” so comments about her are conflicting.
Reviews
4.7 stars from 523 reviews.
- •Exotic-pet knowledge and thorough exams: owners mention referrals for exotics, gentle handling, detailed examinations, and time spent explaining next steps; others cite rabbit expertise and catching an issue missed elsewhere.
- •Good communication during treatment: one dental case highlights clear explanations and follow-up communication from a named vet nurse.
- •Support for longer-term issues: acupuncture is credited with improving back pain in an ongoing way.
- •End-of-life care: one owner describes compassionate euthanasia for a bird.
- •Conflicting experiences on cost and standards: one reviewer complains about rising fees (including £150 for an overnight stay), an unfriendly receptionist, and alleges negligence leading to a guinea pig’s death; other reviews in the same period describe good outcomes and reasonable prices.
Special Services
Animals Treated at Ark Veterinary Clinics Ltd
Animals We Treat
Companion Animals
Farm Animals
Opening Hours – Ark Veterinary Clinics Ltd
Opening Hours
Hours
Reviews for Ark Veterinary Clinics Ltd
Note: Showing the 5 most recent Google reviews out of 523 we track in total. Recent reviews may not be representative of overall sentiment.
April Mackenzie
3 weeks ago
Everyone we've seen at Ark have been amazing, but a special mention has to go to Laura. She's so incredible and gave our Tinsel a new lease of life, always has time to ask as many questions as we need and give Tinsel lots of love. Katherine and her regular acupuncture has really helped Tinsel with her sore back as well. Also taken good care of our cats, foster rabbits and the rest of our bunny gang!
Michael Palmer
a month ago
Staff are amazing. The car they show for our animals is superb.
Jane Turner
a month ago
Jamie Williams
a month ago
I used to think this place was great and trustworthy, but I was wrong. Here are some of the issues: It's becoming increasingly costly (£150 to keep your pet in for one night); bad attitude from one receptionist, in particular; they automatically assume that people can afford their prices; no guarantee of seeing an exotic vet, even when you take an exotic animal in; and finally, sheer neglect, which resulted in me losing one of my guinea pigs. Also, although I have no issue with Krissie and Laura, I absolutely do not like Madonna. She refused to let us pay the bulk of the cost there and then, and the rest another day. It's blatantly obvious that she, her husband and the partners only see pound signs in their eyes. They also neglected to consider the fact that my guinea pig, Lady, whom they saw, might develop a URI (she passed away the next morning). And why did the vet who saw her not prescribe Critical Care food or the necessary medicine, instead of giving her injections?
Brian Mc
a month ago
Laura Nickel
in the last week
Couldn't have been more thorough and helpful when we had to take our little exotic girly in due to referral. They were gentle and helpful, giving my girl a thorough examination and discussing the next steps. Appreciate the extra time taken.
Jamie Williams
a month ago
I used to think this place was great and trustworthy, but I was wrong. Some issues include: their fees and prices becoming increasingly costly (£150 to keep your pet in for one night); bad attitude from one receptionist, in particular; they automatically assume that people can afford their prices; no guarantee of seeing an exotic vet, even when you take an exotic animal in. And finally, sheer neglect, which resulted in me losing one of my guinea pigs. Also, although I have no issue with Krissie and Laura, I absolutely do not like Madonna. She refused to let us pay the bulk of the cost there and then, and the rest another day. She and the partners only see pound signs in their eyes. They also neglected to consider the fact that my guinea pig, Lady, whom they saw, might develop a URI (she passed away the next morning). And why did the nurse who saw her not give her Critical Care food, or even give her the proper mixture of paste? And, more importantly, why did Madonna, the guinea pig specialist, not see Lady?
Ashleigh Craig
a month ago
My dog Riley recently came in for phased dental treatment and was cared for very well. I’d like to thank Vet Nurse Shannon for her care with Riley and her explanations of the treatment and follow up with myself. Riley is a very anxious dog and Shannon was amazing with him. I had consistent communication from Shannon and the team, and Riley has made a great recovery. Thanks again!
Glammy licious
2 months ago
Thank you to Madonna and her students. I took my little budgie today who unfortunately had to be put to sleep. Madonna showed true empathy and compassion giving our wee belle a dignified passing. Can tell Madonna has great love and passion for animals as well as care for their family. She IS thee Doctor Doolittle Thank you again for your care today Patricia
martin fantozzi
5 months ago
Very helpful and friendly. They have specialist knowledge of rabbits that the big chain vets do not, and diagnosed an issue with our lop rabbit that had been missed by previous vets. Prices are very reasonable.
