University College Dublin Veterinary Hospital
#1 Vet in Belfield, Dublin
University College Dublin Veterinary Hospital – Vets in Belfield
Clinic Overview
University College Dublin Veterinary Hospital is a university veterinary hospital offering both primary-care appointments and referral-level work-ups, with services spanning small animals and large animals. The website states it provides 24-hour hospital care for all patients, and recent reviews frequently describe emergency presentations at night/weekends, including surgery and inpatient care.
Concrete details mentioned by owners include
- •Emergency surgery for a swallowed stone, with discharge within about 24 hours and post-op paperwork/advice provided (review).
- •Follow-up contact (calls/emails) after investigations and tests for a long-term medical case (review).
- •A stated ability to manage inpatient/overnight care (website + reviews), which some reviewers value in emergencies while at least one alleges it was used unnecessarily (conflicting accounts in reviews).
- •Pricing experiences vary widely, with examples ranging from a €604 emergency bill to multi-thousand-euro surgery costs (reviews).
Services
Based on the website summary and what owners describe in recent reviews, the hospital offers
- •Small animal medicine and surgery (website), including emergency surgery (e.g., foreign body/stone ingestion requiring surgery, post-op recovery — review).
- •Large animal and farm animal services: large animal surgery, farm animal clinic, herd health, reproduction (website).
- •Equine medicine/services (website).
- •Anaesthesia (website).
- •Diagnostic imaging and diagnostic laboratories (website).
- •Rehabilitation & physiotherapy (website).
- •Blood donor clinic (website).
- •Species coverage listed by the hospital includes dogs, cats, horses, cattle, sheep, plus exotic and zoo animals (website).
- •The hospital states it provides 24-hour hospital care for all patients (website).
Pricing
Only amounts explicitly mentioned by reviewers
- •€604 total bill for an emergency presentation for a dog with a broken leg (review).
- •Over €3,000 for an initial surgery/treatment, with a further surgery quoted at around €2,000 (review).
People
- •Dr Katie: mentioned by name in relation to a cat undergoing investigations for ongoing medical issues; the owner highlights regular follow-up calls/emails, sharing test results, and planning next steps (review).
- •Reviews also reference nurses, receptionists, and doctors as a group, with one owner describing extensive time and support provided during an overnight/end-of-life situation (review), while others report serious dissatisfaction with care and communication (conflicting reviews).
Reviews
Google rating: 4.5 stars from 1,150 reviews. “”
- •Emergency care is a frequent use case, including night/weekend visits; several reviewers describe urgent situations being handled promptly, including surgery and discharge planning (e.g., swallowed stone requiring surgery; broken leg care).
- •Follow-up and communication: one owner reports proactive calls and emails to discuss test results and ongoing plans; another reviewer alleges poor post-op follow-up after surgery, saying the pet’s condition worsened and a second surgery was needed.
- •Cost and value are mixed: some describe the service as expensive or note long waits, while others still recommend it for emergencies; one reviewer alleges fees drove decisions (including overnight stays), which conflicts with other accounts of appropriate emergency admission and recovery monitoring.
- •Quality of inpatient/post-operative care is contested: multiple positive accounts describe supportive staff during difficult nights, but there are also severe negative claims (e.g., inadequate post-op care; unnecessary sedation/overnight stays).
Animals Treated at University College Dublin Veterinary Hospital
Animals We Treat
Companion Animals
Farm Animals
Opening Hours – University College Dublin Veterinary Hospital
Opening Hours
Hours
Reviews for University College Dublin Veterinary Hospital
Note: Showing the 5 most recent Google reviews out of 1150 we track in total. Recent reviews may not be representative of overall sentiment.
Thamires Gondim Brito
in the last week
I am extremely disappointed with the treatment and care for my friends dog received at this hospital. Giorgio underwent surgery a few weeks ago, and unfortunately the procedure was not successful due to poor post-operative care and lack of proper follow-up. As a result, his condition worsened and he now needs a second surgery to correct what went wrong in the first one. I trusted this hospital with my dog’s life and spent over €3,000 on the initial treatment, only to be told that another surgery is required, costing around €2,000, because the first one failed. This situation could have been avoided with adequate care, monitoring, and responsibility from the medical team. Beyond the financial burden, this experience has caused enormous emotional stress. Seeing my dog in pain and suffering due to negligence is heartbreaking. I hope this review serves as a warning to other pet owners and encourages the hospital to take responsibility and improve their standards of care, communication, and accountability.
Iz Khan
a week ago
Accommodating
Soraya McMahon
a week ago
Had to come here on Christmas Eve and they were great all around.
Linda O’Connor
a week ago
Nal
3 weeks ago
Absolutely awful. I'm sorry, I understand some do care, but I would never reccomend to bring a pet here for anything, not even a checkup. My cat was not cared for, prices always being the main priority, my baby could of died at home with us but they kept her instead. Not everyone there is awful, but I can never look at the place again without feeling awful. I do not want to go into detail, but I do not reccomend, and I hope that others don't have similar experiences. They kept her overnight for nights not needed as they got money for it. The person caring for my baby treated her as a thing, to be sedated CONSTANTLY for no need and kept in a tiny cage. She was incredibly dirty like there was no bathroom for her, when we did manage to see her, she looked like hell. She died suffering because of the place she was sent too, and I wish I could of given her a better passing. They did not need to do everything that was done to her, it was clear that fees were the main priority. We went on the weekend, where it is managed by a private veterinary organisation, I am unsure how the week works with students.
Indra Dallas
a month ago
Great Emergency Vet, my dog got a broken leg and took all the necessary care and steps to ensure everything is all good Came to a total bill of 604€. Would recommend if its an urgent emergency Thanks for everyone at the vets 🤍
Maeve Sheridan
a month ago
Expensive and hard to find in the campus but the vets were very caring and helpful. Expect waiting time of up to a few hours!! Bring some snacks if going at night, but a gift in an emergency!!
ogunga
2 months ago
Thank you to all the nurses, receptionists, and doctors for your empathy and professionalism during this difficult time, which I found myself in the middle of the night with my beloved Hopi. Your approach is absolutely exceptional, and I thank you again for the unlimited time you dedicated to us. Hopi my love rest in peace. You are not suffering anymore...a part of me died with your passing💔
Dana Matei
5 months ago
Fast enough service during emergency hours (night and weekend). Our puppy had swallowed a stone and the staff here did everything they could for him to get back home safe and sound in 24 hours. He wasn’t able to vomit it, so surgery was needed and everything was handled well and smooth. Wound is recovering well, and all advice, paperwork, and support was provided, very helpful. Thank you to all the staff
Shauna Kerin
5 months ago
My cat Moose has been attending UCD for investigations of long term medical mysteries and thanks to their help, particularly Dr Katie, we are finally starting to piece together his puzzle. All the staff we’ve met along the way have been nothing but lovely, and I’ve been particularly impressed with the follow up care with calls and emails to see how he is getting on and to report all of the tests coming back as well as planning the next stages of everything for my boy. While I know his condition isn’t going to be curable, I feel super supported and assured from all the work that’s going into looking after my boy. Thank you from all of us, and from the Moose man 🤎
