Chestergates Veterinary Specialists

Extremely professional staff and the building is exceptionally clean. They were very understanding of what myself and my pet were going through and always explained things well so I felt informed and knew of next steps. If I was to pick a bad point it would be the out of hours number they told me to use to check on my pet whilst she was there for two nights didn't really work the way it was intended. It sounded very simple to call to check on my pets progress but after phoning twice I was told to call back as no one was available in the kennels! It would have been nice for a message to be taken and the call returned. There must be a disconnect between the service provided by Chester Gates and the vets next door that look after the little ones over night. I never saw the other premises but without being too harsh they must have been extremely busy. If I wasn't left overnight with some concerns this would have been a 5 star establishment. Read Less

A very thorough and professional animal hospital which we were referred to by our usual vets after our cat was involved in a very serious car accident. His hips were shattered to pieces and both hind legs were broken along with some nerve damage. After several weeks of treatment including 2 surgeries you almost wouldn't notice anything wrong with our cat even with his occasionally slightly wonky "drunk" walk. They're certainly not cheap but thankfully insurance covered the costs, otherwise we would have lost our beloved (but PITA) cat. Overall an excellent and thorough professional service that I would highly recommend in the unfortunate circumstances of needing them. Read Less

Excellent service. So welcoming and attentive as you deal with a poorly animal. The ladies on reception were delightful! Ben our vet was wonderful. Calm, reassuring, very professional and obviously cares. Thank you Chester Gates for your help Read Less

Nice and clean. Staff very informative, and also extremely pleasant and helpful. They kept us informed of the condition and treatment our dog required throughout his stay. If you need your pet seeing to, both out of hours or during normal working hours I highly recommend this small animals hospital. Read Less

Nice and clean. Staff very informative, and also extremely pleasant and helpful. They kept us informed of the condition and treatment our dog required throughout his stay. If you need your pet seeing to, both out of hours or during normal working hours I highly recommend this small animals hospital. Read Less

I am not very happy. Chester gates say they care about animals .... ha ha what a joke . My bulldog had taken a fall on Friday in which I got emergency care for through my local vet whom then transferred me to Chester gates for the care my puppy needed. My puppy had fractured his upper right leg and needed in their eyes an opeation which would cost £6000 to do. I was sent to Chester gates for the help only to get there and to be told the appointment had been cancelled and wasn't booked in and had no after care by the receptionist fay whom was very rude to my fiancee and looked down her nose at us . So I had travelled over 50 miles there to be told this. I was not happy and my fiancee was very upset too as we now had to take our injured puppy home 50 miles with no treatment from them . Once home I received a call from Chester gates vet saying he was sorry for the communication breakdown and that my puppy was in actuall fact booked in and that his co worker vet would see him . So me and my fiancee had to then take our puppy all the way back to Chester again 50 miles for the care needed . My puppy was in pain an was put through a great deal of stress because of their communication breakdown. I left my puppy in there care only to be told that it would cost £6000 they could not do any treatment until they had received payment of £750 that day . I did not have the money there n then to pay so was refused further treatment . Also they wanted payment for the very minimal care that they had given to my puppy. I am disgusted at there approach to this. My puppy clearly needed help and they wernt willing to do it unless they received the money..... call them self animal carers ha ha never seen any one treat an animal so cruelly. To let my dog come away from there in pain and untreated is cruel. I got a second opinion from a local vet of mine and he gave the care required for my puppy . The vet whom I took my puppy too because Chester gates refused further treatment did not ask for any money and saw my bulldog straight away and told me that an operation was not required and put a bandage on my pup and gave me pain relief too give my dog to help with pain. It only cost £126 to do this and would take payment when I've got the cash to give him on my payday . Chester gates are not in this for the animal they are in it for the cash..... it's just an animal to them ..... but this is my dog and i feel they are cruel money grabbing specialists. So unless you are loaded with money then do not bring your animal here..... but even if you are get a second opinion as the damage to your animal may not be as bad as they are trying to say. I am disgusted and disappointed that my puppy has been treated this way . Also I am the fiancee of Mark mcbreeze so you can see his opinion too on this place. Read Less

Was given this number as an emergency as my cat had kittens and one was seriously poorly. Just for a checkvover the consultation fee was 147. I thought vets cared but not this one, wanted fee upfront before any treatment. Talk about putting a price on an animals head. If the fee were double normal price I could understand but there is no way they can candone that type of fee I could not get the cash as I was a week away from getting paid, needless to say, the kitten died the same night. Thanks very much Chestergates Read Less

Just like to say a big thank you to Luca and his team for helping Zippy get back to his normal ways. Zippy aged 6 was a very active Boston terrier but all of a sudden kept loosing his balance and the function of his legs. Following an MRI scan Luca found the problem with Zippy's spine and in the nicest way possible gave us the options. After some serious thought and research we decided that surgery was the only option and put our trust and Zippy's life in Luca's hands. The surgery went well and within no time at all Luca and the staff could see the real Zippy for the 1st time as he bounced around the customer waiting area when we arrived to collect him. It was one of the hardest decisions we've ever had to make but the genuine caring support Luca and the staff showed helped us believe we were doing the right thing. Zippy is back to normal and enjoying life to the max. Thank you Luca and your team.. Zippy Macdonald xRead Less

We were referred to Chester Gates when our dog developed a limp in her front leg that our local vets couldn't treat. We couldn't recommend them more. The staff are very friendly and helpful and supported us lots during the process. The vet we saw was very informative and explained everything to us in a way we could understand. We had to leave our dog in for an operation and we're very nervous about it, but they kept us informed at all times. They really helped us feel better about the whole experience and our dog is now doing great. Read Less

My Bichon Dennis was referred to Chestergates when it was discovered he had meningitis. From the reception staff to the vet nurses to Luca, i felt my pup was in the very best hands at all times! Luca has been amazing throughout Dennis' journey and i truly believe he saved his life and for this i am eternally thankful. Thanks to the amazing staff i get to spend many years with my little boyRead Less

We have had to bring our dog to the out of hours service twice when he has gotten really poorly and I honestly believe the fantastic staff saved our pooches life both times. Their expert care is second to none and we cannot thank them enough for the way they cared for our boy, he is home today and on the mend but the vet is still looking into what caused him to become so poorly which is something no other vet has done for us. From Robin the vet who was outstanding to the veterinary nurses who were happy to update us at any time day or night and Clare on reception was lovely to us when we were worried sick. We would highly recommend Chester gates to anyone, Thank you x Read Less

Just wanted to express our gratitude to Laura and Natalie from the physiotherapy team. Thanks to your patience, expertise and wonderful good humour, our dog Bertie is now walking properly on all four legs following all his nasty operations. We are less happy about the new layout of the physio area - the treadmill room is too small without any seating for the owners, the pool room has a severe trip hazard where the stairs are located under the air conditioner, and frankly, having to take our dog through an area where another dog was already having therapy felt rather risky for all concerned. The area doesn't feel as though it was actually planned, just a space-saving exercise which has resulted in too little space for the physio to see a how a dog is walking without going outside. Please note, these comments in no way reflect on either Laura or Nat - we can't recommend them too highly, and we have been happy with the service we received, even when we had to go to the alternative location.Read Less

Couldn't have asked for a better service from all the staff here today. Absolutely unbelievable vet, I think it her name was Alexandra. The best experience we have had with a vet so far, she was so loving with our dog and answered all the questions before we could ask, she knew everything. Very lovely person. I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to take care of our little man. Thank you so much to everyone for looking after our Caesar today. Let's now hope for positive resultsRead Less

My dog Harry has received a lot of treatment this year at Chestegates. The care he has received had been fantastic. I am a qualified veterinary nurse myself and wouldn't take him anywhere else. From the reception staff,through to the nursing staff that I called at 11pm for an update on Harry and also advice middle of the night once he had returned home to the orthopaedic vet Ben all I can say is Thank you. Harry visited again yesterday with other problems and nothing was a problem to admit him and perform much needed X-rays straight away! Great service keep it up and thanks againRead Less

I unfortunately came home yesterday from work to see that my nearly 19 year old collie had deteriorated and her little face was telling me she had had enough. Unprepared for this and like many I never had the funds to do anything I phoned my own vets to ask for advice...he was so cruel...saying that it was my fault that she was like this as I never had her spade... Considering she wasn't spade she'd got to 19 with only one visit for actual treatment in those years! I then phoned Chestergate for advice and couldn't have asked for a more compassionate and caring response...Unfortunately Sky was let free to doggy heaven but I am so glad I took her here for this to happen...thank you so much for all your help yesterday...I would recommend anyone to take their animals here x Read Less

I am shocked to see some bad reviews regarding this facility and it's staff. My cat has been there since Friday after being rushed in after calapsing at home in the early hours and not being able to breath. I truly thought we had lost her. The staff from reception, nurses to the fantastic vets, are all just so lovely. They are thoughtful, compassionate, informative and honestly treat your pet as if it were there own. I was there again this evening and just showed up without ringing as I really needed to talk and check up on Bella and even without an appointment they saw me straight away, talked with me and reassured me. I would recommend this place to anyone. Amazing service. Thank you to all the fantastic team of people that work here. Bella's mum Read Less

This place is amazing we had a really poorly spaniel and it was touch and go with him. From the moment we stepped through the doors they couldn't do enough for us. They rang when they said they would and they didn't mind how many times I rang them. The care that our spaniel chewy got was second to none and without them we wouldn't have our beloved chewy now. We would highly recommend chestergates to anyone with a sick pet. We can't thank them enough they are truly fantastic each and everyone of the fantastic staff. Read Less

My whole heart goes out to the staff here. Our lovely pouch became very poorly in the middle of the night and I had to ring around for a vet to see use Asap as our own vet was not on call. I called a vet on call at the time in ellsmeport and he huffed and puffed because we had woken him up, when we told him it was time to put our dog to rest he told me and my family that we had 10 minutes to get to him or he wouldn't do it. Me and my family were devastated at how this man had spoken to us and we refused for this man to be a part of one of the most heart felt moments of our life's. I rang a Chester out of hours vet and we were sent to these lovely people. They were caring, compassionate and made sure all my dogs and family's needs were met in a dignified manor. The one thing I was most grateful for was knowing my dog past away in the company of loving people. Thank you very much we can't thank you enough.Read Less

Our GSD has had two operations now, one for his knees and one for a left THR. The knee operations were a great success, the THR is still ongoing until he is signed off. The reason for writing this review is to let fellow dog owners know that Chestergates is a fabulous specialist surgery. Prof John Innes and his 2IC Ben Walton are very experienced and skilled surgeons. Five stars...without a doubt The nurses and reception staff are superb too, nothing is too much trouble. First class service ***** Read Less

In May 2015 we lost our diabetic cat Malone, who after being treated for ketone acidosis developed a megaesophagus. Throughout the practice provided excellent care and information to allow us to make the best choices for Malone. Caroline, the specialist dealing with his case was amazing. She kept us up to date on everything and didn't mind us calling to check in or ask questions. She treated Malone as if he were her own cat and I will never be able to thank her enough for that kindness and knowing that even when he was away from us he was cared for. I can't recommend them enough, they don't just do this as a way to earn money but truly care for the animals in their care. Read Less

My dog slipped a disc, which put pressure on his spinal cord. He therefore temporarily lost the use of his back legs. As any vet (as well as google!) will tell you, this is an urgent problem which requires immediate attention. Any delay risks permanent damage to the spinal cord which can result in dysfunctional back legs. My local vet booked an urgent appointment with the Chester Gates as soon as I brought him in, as it was the closest place that the operation could be done urgently. I drove the 1.5hrs to get there (which chester gates were aware of) only to be told that someone else had bought in a dog while I was driving there, and they had taken my place. This resulted in my dog not being seen for 4 hours, despite the fact he was in severe pain. Finally, when he was seen, I was told that it was too late to operate that day, and he would have to be kept in overnight. The operation took place the following afternoon, well over 24hrs after he originally slipped his disc. Given the 6000 the operation cost me, I was quite upset that he was not treated better. I could and would have driven anywhere else in England for an operation if they had been clear with me when I arrived. The physiotherapy that my dog received here was excellent. However, despite 10 months having passed, my dog is still a bit wobbly on his legs. I don't know for sure that it was because his operation was delayed, but it would be nice if it weren't a possibility. Despite the large delay, I received no apology from Chester Gates, and no real explanation as to why it happened. Although this might have been a one-off, I would definitely not recommend bringing a pet to Chester Gates for emergency surgery. Read Less

5 stars aint the word id say more if I can.. the staff are very polite and they go above and beyond for any owner.. my dog George has bin there for a few leg operations and the staff are helpful. a big thanks to ben Walton for everything he has done within surgery and after it.. and Francois Saulnier-Troff for seeing my dog for a emergency appointment. another big thanks to Natalie Steen and Suzanne Cottriall for all there help with the hydrotherapy.. and to all of the reception team, and walk round team who check the dogs at night... VERY VERY recommended people.. ( they do like chocolate cakes at the end tho lol ) Read Less