Specialist Vets in Oldham

## Summary This practice operates under the **Vets for Pets** brand and describes itself as a **family-run, locally owned** clinic. It’s set up as a **general small-animal practice with on-site diagnostics and inpatient facilities** (including an in-house lab, digital X-ray, ultrasound, a hospital ward and an isolation unit). It’s also listed as a **veterinary nurse training facility**. From the latest reviews, experiences are mixed: many owners describe **being able to get appointments when needed** and getting **clear pre-op and aftercare explanations** (spaying is specifically mentioned). Others report serious concerns including **missed deterioration/misdiagnosis** and **feeling rushed toward major decisions** (surgery or euthanasia) without enough discussion of options. ## Services Services and facilities mentioned on the clinic website include: - **Diagnostics & monitoring:** in-house laboratory (biochemistry, haematology), blood pressure monitoring, digital X-ray, ultrasound - **Surgery & anaesthesia:** anaesthesia, operating theatre, soft tissue procedures - **Dentistry** - **Inpatient care:** hospital ward and **isolation unit** - **Preventive care & support clinics:** microchipping, nurse clinic, weight clinic, nutritional advice - **Medication & prescriptions** - **Pet travel paperwork:** pet passport / animal health certificate - **Health plans** (details/prices not provided in the available info) **Emergency/out-of-hours:** the website states emergency cover is provided via **Vets Now** and **Armac Vets** when the clinic is closed. ## People - **Barbara Hambley (practice manager)** – mentioned in multiple reviews. One owner describes her as “excellent” and reassuring; another alleges she did not take blood tests/check electrolytes for a dog with Addison’s disease and felt their complaint was ignored. - **Patrick** – singled out positively alongside Barbara for being “excellent,” “caring and reassuring.” - **Miriam (vet)** – praised in a review about euthanasia for being **patient, calm and kind**, and for offering **privacy in a consultation room**. - **John (vet)** – one reviewer calls him “the only nice vet they ever had there.” - **Reception team** – one long-term client describes staff as **friendly and courteous**, including being respectful toward them as a neurodivergent owner; a separate reviewer alleges an unpleasant phone call with a receptionist (named as Greg in their account). ## Reviews **Google rating:** 4.5 stars from 269 reviews. **The basis below is limited:** “Themes below are drawn from the latest written reviews available to us.” - **Access and communication:** several owners say they can **get appointments when needed** and receive **good advice**, including **clear explanations and thorough aftercare instructions** for spaying. - **End-of-life care (conflicting reports):** one review describes being **fit in at short notice**, given **privacy**, and supported by a **patient** vet; another describes feeling **rushed**, with **no condolence/response** after a pet died and dissatisfaction with how euthanasia was handled. - **Concerns about clinical thoroughness:** multiple negative reviews allege **insufficient examination or testing** (examples given include not running blood tests/electrolytes in a dog with Addison’s; minimal assessment for sudden paralysis; ongoing eye issues preceding blindness). - **Perceived pressure and cost concerns:** one reviewer felt tests were being recommended “just to extract as much money as possible,” while another positive review says the clinic is **“not just after money”**—a direct conflict in reported experiences. - **Bedside manner varies:** some describe staff as friendly and reassuring; others describe a vet as **cold/rough** and not compassionate.

## Summary Shaw Vets promotes a **Pet Health Club® Plus** plan that includes **consultations** and provides an **Out of Hours** web page with guidance on what to do in an emergency outside normal hours. Recent reviews most often describe a clean, well-run practice and vets who take time with appointments—examples include being **patient and gentle with an elderly, nervous dog**, and an end-of-life cat visit where the vet **checked everything**, **didn’t rush the owner**, and arranged for **payment to be handled privately** rather than at a busy front desk. One of the latest reviews appears to reference a **different practice name (“Crown Vets”)**, so not every review can be confidently matched to Shaw Vets. ## Services - **Pet Health Club® Plus** membership mentioned on the website, with **consultations included** (no pricing details provided). - **Out-of-hours emergency guidance** is provided via an “Out of Hours” page (the website summary does not specify the provider or process beyond guidance). - Review examples suggest routine companion-animal care, including: - Handling **nervous/elderly dogs** with a gentle approach. - Support for **very unwell cats**, including end-of-life decision support and allowing time to grieve. ## People - **Vets (unnamed)** are described as: - **Informative** and willing to answer concerns (reviewers mention staff “take time to answer any concerns”). - **Gentle and patient** with anxious or elderly pets (specifically noted for “elderly, nervous collies”). - Supportive during difficult appointments: one owner describes a vet who **checked everything**, spoke compassionately to their cat, and **did not rush** them when saying goodbye. - **Reception team (unnamed)**: one review highlights a receptionist accommodating privacy by **processing payment away from a busy reception area**. ## Reviews **Google rating: 4.8 stars from 129 reviews.** “Themes below are drawn from the latest written reviews available to us.” - Multiple reviewers describe **friendly staff** and **excellent service**. - Cleanliness/comfort is mentioned: a **spotless reception area**. - Communication and time taken: staff **answer concerns**, give advice, and are described as **informative**. - Handling of sensitive situations: one detailed account describes **compassionate end-of-life care** with extra steps taken to reduce stress (not feeling rushed; private payment handling). - A potential mismatch exists: one recent review praises **“Crown Vets”**, which may indicate an attribution or naming error in the review data.

## Summary Briar Dawn Veterinary Centre Ltd is a small-animal practice (established in 2004) treating dogs, cats and several small pets (including rabbits, ferrets and guinea pigs). No corporate group ownership is mentioned in the available information. The clinic lists in-house diagnostics (including an on-site lab, X‑ray and ultrasound) and offers both routine care and surgery, including an orthopaedic surgery referral service. It also states Cat Friendly Clinic (Silver) status and RCVS Core Standards accreditation, and is noted as a veterinary nurse training facility. Review experiences are mixed: several owners describe compassionate support during difficult times and thorough, explanatory consults (including being shown how to give ear drops), while a few recent reviews allege being pushed toward costly options (notably dentistry) or feeling dismissed in diet/allergy discussions. ## Services Services and capabilities mentioned by the clinic website and/or reviews include: - Consultations and six‑month health checks - Vaccinations, parasite control and microchipping - Neutering and other surgery - Dentistry (raised in reviews as a major discussion point during a consult) - Diagnostic tests and imaging (in-house lab, X‑ray, ultrasound) - Nurse clinics, including: - Blood pressure checks - Anal sac expression - Grooming & nail clipping - Home visits - Orthopaedic surgery referral service - Emergencies: the clinic states emergencies are supported during normal hours; out-of-hours emergencies are referred to PetMedics Veterinary Surgeons (as named on the website) ## Pricing Only prices mentioned in reviews: - Consultation reported as **£62** (another reviewer reported paying **£60**). - Dentistry estimate reported as **£600**, with a suggestion that joining a “pet plan” could reduce it to **£300** (as described by the reviewer; no plan details were provided). ## People No staff members are named in the information provided. What reviewers describe about the clinical team includes: - One owner of a cat reported a vet being “professional, thorough, patient,” offering “various levels of treatment” and demonstrating how to administer ear drops. - Multiple reviewers mention compassion around end-of-life situations and difficult periods. - A few reviewers report negative communication: feeling spoken down to or dismissed (including during an allergy/diet discussion), and feeling pressured toward higher-cost treatments. ## Reviews **Google rating: 4.7 stars from 210 reviews.** “Themes below are drawn from the latest written reviews available to us.” - Owners repeatedly mention kind handling of pets and compassion during bereavement or difficult health situations. - Some reviews describe consults as detailed and practical (e.g., explaining treatment options and showing how to give medication such as ear drops). - A minority of reviewers raise concerns about money focus or pressure to proceed with costly dentistry; one review also objects to advice given about spaying a pregnant dog (as described by that owner). - One reviewer reports an unsatisfactory first visit involving disagreement over allergy management and diet choices, and feeling dismissed.

## Summary Manchester Street Veterinary Surgery is a veterinary practice with **emergency veterinary services (24/7 or extended hours)** and is listed as a **veterinary nurse training facility**. From reviews, it appears set up for routine preventative care (vaccinations, flea/worm treatment) as well as more involved work-ups and procedures (blood tests, antibiotics, planned dental extractions). Owners also describe being able to get **appointments reasonably quickly when worried**, including use of **telephone consultations** (mentioned during social distancing). Feedback about front-desk interactions is mixed: several reviews praise helpful receptionists, but one recent reviewer describes a receptionist as unhelpful and upsetting when asking questions as a new kitten owner. ## Services Services and situations explicitly mentioned include: - **Emergency veterinary services (24/7 or extended hours)** (listed capability) - **Veterinary nurse training facility** (listed capability) - **Vaccinations/boosters** (annual vaccination; booster vaccination; first kitten vaccinations) - **Parasite control**: flea and worm treatments - **Diagnostics and pre-op work**: blood tests mentioned before surgery - **Medication**: antibiotics mentioned ahead of planned procedure - **Dental work**: teeth removal (“having teeth out soon”) discussed as an upcoming plan - **Telephone consultations** (mentioned during social distancing arrangements) ## People - **Reception team**: Multiple reviewers describe receptionists as “helpful and kind” and registration as straightforward. One reviewer reports the opposite experience, saying they “didn’t get past the receptionist” due to an “attitude” and felt worse after asking questions as a new kitten owner. - **Veterinary team (unnamed)**: Reviews describe vets being “gentle” with a dog on a first visit, and efficient with kitten vaccination visits. ## Reviews **4.5 stars from 385 reviews.** Themes below are drawn from the latest written reviews available to us. - **Routine care experiences**: vaccinations and boosters are frequently mentioned, including first kitten vaccinations and annual boosters. - **Work-up and treatment planning**: one owner describes a plan involving antibiotics and blood tests ahead of a dental procedure (teeth removal). - **Access and organisation**: one review mentions being able to get an appointment “reasonably fast” when worried; another notes organised processes during social distancing, including telephone consultation. - **Front-desk experience is inconsistent**: several reviews praise helpful receptionists, while one recent review reports an unhelpful interaction that put them off registering their kitten.

## Summary Animal Trust Vets CIC Failsworth is part of the Animal Trust Vets CIC group and describes itself as a general practice seeing a high volume of pets each year, with on-site diagnostics (including imaging and lab testing) and surgical capability beyond routine care (orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery are listed). The website also states **free consultations**, and that when the practice is closed it **partners with Bolton Pet A&E Hospital** for overnight hospitalisation and emergency A&E (with CT scanning available there if required). From the latest reviews, owners most often describe: - **Same-day appointments** being offered for urgent problems (e.g., a cat with a painful shoulder injury). - **Active management of complications under sedation**, including a report of a dog being resuscitated when breathing stopped. - **Follow-ups after surgery and ongoing monitoring**, including updates on test results and recovery. - **Support around euthanasia**, including help to make the process calm and provision of pawprints. The clinic is listed as accredited by the **RCVS Practice Standards Scheme**, and the practice is also noted as a **veterinary nurse training facility**. ## Services Services and capabilities mentioned by the clinic website and/or reviews include: - **Free consultations** (stated on the website). - **Preventive healthcare** (website). - **Dentistry** (website). - **Diagnostics** - **X-rays** (website) - **Ultrasound** (website) - **On-site laboratory testing** (website) - **Endoscopy** (website) - Skin workups mentioned in reviews: **swabs, blood tests, and samples sent to a lab** as part of investigating a skin condition. - **Surgery** - **Orthopaedic surgery** and **soft tissue surgery** (website). - Reviews describe a dog being taken for **urgent surgery** for a severe skin condition, with later follow-up appointments. - **Common clinical treatments noted in reviews** - Treatment for **aural yeast infection** (ear drops lasting several weeks were mentioned). - **Anal gland unblocking**. - **Steroids prescribed** for skin inflammation/sensitivity. - **End-of-life care** - Owners describe pets being **put to sleep** at the clinic, with staff helping to keep the process calm and arranging **pawprints**. - **Out-of-hours / emergency arrangement (as stated)** - When the practice is closed, it partners with **Bolton Pet A&E Hospital** for **overnight hospitalisation and emergency A&E**, and CT scanning “when required” (website). ## Pricing - **Free consultations** (stated on the clinic website). No other specific prices were provided in the available information. ## People Named team members mentioned in recent reviews: - **Ciara (vet)** – mentioned for giving detailed advice and picking up issues owners “didn’t even realise,” and for handling a same-day appointment for a cat’s painful shoulder injury. - **Giulia (team member; role not stated in the review)** – specifically thanked in a review describing successful **resuscitation during sedation**. - **Georgina (vet)** – repeatedly mentioned in reviews about complex skin/ear issues and urgent escalation to surgery; owners describe her explaining what to monitor, arranging tests (swabs/blood/lab samples), and scheduling **follow-up appointments**. - **Tina and Becky (receptionists)** – mentioned for helping anxious/nervous cats stay calm during visits; Becky is also described as providing significant support during euthanasia and arranging pawprints. ## Reviews **Google rating: 4.7 stars from 1842 reviews.** **Themes below are drawn from the latest written reviews available to us.** - **Urgent access and fast decisions:** owners mention being offered **same-day** or next-morning appointments, and one account of a vet quickly deciding a dog needed surgery “ASAP.” - **Handling of higher-risk situations:** one review describes a dog **stopping breathing under sedation** and the team resuscitating him successfully. - **Clear plans and follow-through:** owners describe being asked to monitor conditions and report changes, then receiving testing (swabs/blood/lab samples), treatment, and **follow-ups** after surgery. - **Reception experience varies:** several reviews praise reception staff for accommodating issues (including a check-in system error) and helping nervous cats feel safe, but one review describes staff as “nasty” and “stuck up,” which conflicts with the more positive accounts.