Brought our Minature Jack Russell in with embedded fish hooks in her tummy .
Finton & his staff took great care of her .
We couldn't be happier with the level of care she got . Exceptionally clean
The cost was satisfactory too , €108 for labour, Tranquiliser , Antibiotics & Pain Killers for 5 days.
Highly recommended Finton O'connor
Impressive
Brought our Minature Jack Russell in with embedded fish hooks in her tummy .
Finton & his staff took great care of her .
We couldn't be happier with the level of care she got . Exceptionally clean
The cost was satisfactory too , €108 for labour, Tranquiliser , Antibiotics & Pain Killers for 5 days.
Highly recommended Finton O'connor
Impressive
I brought my dog here to have an ultrasound done for my regular vet. Although I was told it was 150 euro for the ultrasound and they'd need to see her first I was shocked when I collected her and the bill came to 460 euro. I didn't have the amount so they said they'd be keeping her until it was paid in full to which I even more shocked. They eventually released her after a partial payment. Just a typical vet that takes you to the cleaners for anything they can think of presuming you can afford it. I won't use them again and have had plenty of other people warm me away from them too
I brought my dog here to have an ultrasound done for my regular vet. Although I was told it was 150 euro for the ultrasound and they'd need to see her first I was shocked when I collected her and the bill came to 460 euro. I didn't have the amount so they said they'd be keeping her until it was paid in full to which I even more shocked. They eventually released her after a partial payment. Just a typical vet that takes you to the cleaners for anything they can think of presuming you can afford it. I won't use them again and have had plenty of other people warm me away from them too
Disponibilità e cortesia.
Professional service and top class vets.
Would highly recommend.
Private parking outside front door.
I have given this review only 1 star, however there is an exception - Sercan Kaya. His clear love of animals, gentle and professional manner and kindness to Felix was so appreciated. In the last days of Felix’s life nothing was too much trouble. Thank you Sercan. Whilst I understand the need for several vets in a busy practice, I think that with long term patients having the same vet is essential.
I tried to coordinate Felix’s monthly appointments for when Sercan was on duty so that there would be continuity but sadly this wasn’t always possible.
Why then only 1 star – firstly when I took Felix for his monthly injection on the 17th June, the Vet on duty was Agne. I told her that Felix had been better during the last month but that the last week he had been a little stressed with house guests which included a 2-year-old. More importantly, the weekend before the Solensia he had bad diarrhoea and had vomited green bile the day before his appointment. Surely this should have raised concern? She tried to take bloods unsuccessfully and said he was mildly dehydrated. Two days later he was back and needed to be dripped and rehydrated. Thankfully Sercan was on duty and was able to take the bloods easily along with Claire. I spent both Friday and Saturday with Felix to care for him. Agne was on duty on the Friday. She never once came up to check on him or to speak to me, I found this strange. Both Isabelle and Sercan came up on the Saturday. The 2nd reason for a 1 star is the facilities for cats. I was appalled – small steel cages which were too small to house bedding, food and a litter tray – so far from the needs of a cat & in what seems to be a storeroom with little ventilation. No Vet, nurse or even CCTV cameras to check on them overnight. I felt traumatised to leave him in such awful conditions. Thirdly, a few months ago there was no Solensia when we arrived for his appointment. Unacceptable and stressful for Felix. As I received a reminder every month for his appointment, surely having the medication is the least one can expect. When mentioned to Fintan that I wasn’t happy about it, his reply was …. These things happen… Really? What a sad attitude. I was further saddened when my sister collected Felix’s ashes… little bottles of hair and prints…. I never gave permission for Felix’s dead body to be treated like that. Whilst this seems to be standard practice, perhaps in future you should get permission first.
Bottom line – overall, did Felix have the best care at Ballina Veterinary Clinic? ….sadly NO.
There were some kind people at the clinic for which I am grateful but in conclusion, whilst there is so much more that I could say, suffice for now to ask a question…. Should we hold Vets, like Doctors, Priests, teachers etc to a higher standard…. YES, you deal with the fragility of life. If only you could have the attitude of, how may I serve…. What more can I do for this life … animals are a precious gift to be treated and considered with more care.
We’ve been bringing our cat to Ballina Veterinary Clinic for about two years and had been really pleased with the service—until recently. What we experienced has left me questioning not just the professionalism, but the ethicality of how this clinic operates.
About two months ago, we brought our cat in because he was constantly licking his private parts, meowing in distress, and showing signs of discomfort in his back legs. He was diagnosed with arthritis, we were charged over €300, sent home with medication that didn’t really help.
Two weeks ago, we returned with more concerns—he had started urinating in strange places around the house and at times seemed unable to pass urine altogether. This time, they diagnosed a urethral blockage—again over €300, sent home with medication and special food. We were told this is quite common in cats, that a full blockage might eventually happen, and that a flush of the urethra might be required. What we weren’t given was any clear explanation of what that would actually involve or how much it might cost if it did happen. What we were only told that it does happen it would be considered an emergency.
Four days ago, that emergency came—our cat could no longer pass urine at all. We were told that a procedure to flush the urethra was now necessary. Having never been charged more than around €300 before—and with the clinic knowing we always paid upfront and that we didn’t have insurance—we trusted that we’d be kept informed.
Instead, we were presented with a €1,100+ bill after the procedure was done, which turned out to be major surgery requiring four days of hospitalization. At no point were we given an estimate or informed about how serious—or how expensive—this was going to be.
When we asked if we could pay in installments to manage this sudden, unexpected bill, we were flatly refused. And when we raised concerns about the poor communication and lack of transparency, the dismissive response from the vet nurse was: “Yes, but did you ask?”
That attitude said it all. No responsibility, no empathy, and no sense of duty to the loyal clients who had trusted them for years.
I fully understand that veterinary care is expensive. I’m not questioning the necessity of the procedure—but I absolutely am questioning how ethical it is to withhold essential information about costs until after the fact, and then offer no flexibility to people blindsided by an emergency. I’ve also started to question whether the two initial visits were even necessary—if handled by truly competent vets, could the real issue not have been identified earlier, potentially saving us €600 and a lot of distress?
Ballina Veterinary Clinic, under Fintan O’Donnell, has shown itself to be a profit-driven practice with little regard for fairness or transparency. If you choose to use their services, ask very specific questions about potential costs before agreeing to anything—even in an emergency.
