Specialist Vets in Kendal

## Summary Highgate Vets at Beezon Road provides general veterinary care for pets and states that it offers **emergency care**. The clinic is also listed as a **Veterinary Nurse Training facility**. Recent reviewers most often mention **rapid access for urgent problems** (including being seen within an hour) and vets who **listen, examine thoroughly, and explain the treatment plan step by step**. Multiple reviews also say the team **avoids unnecessary medications or procedures**, focusing on what the pet actually needs. ## Services - **Emergency care** (stated on the clinic website). - **Urgent/same-day appointments** mentioned in reviews (e.g., being seen within an hour for a dog). - **Medication support for urgent needs** (e.g., urgent medication provided for a whippet, per a review). - **Proactive healthcare plans** via a “Pet Health Club” (mentioned on the clinic website; no plan details provided). - **Veterinary Nurse Training facility** (listed in provided clinic data). ## People - **Reception team**: repeatedly mentioned as “lovely,” “helpful,” and accommodating—particularly when owners needed urgent help. - **Vets (not named in the available info)**: reviewers describe vets who listen carefully, perform thorough examinations, and talk owners through each stage and the treatment plan. One reviewer specifically notes the practice doesn’t push “unnecessary medications or procedures.” ## Reviews **Google rating: 4.8 stars from 144 reviews.** “Themes below are drawn from the latest written reviews available to us.” - **Fast help when it matters**: urgent appointments and urgent medication needs handled quickly (including being seen within an hour). - **Clear, detailed communication**: owners describe being talked through the exam and treatment plan “every stage.” - **Conservative, needs-led care**: more than one reviewer says the clinic avoids unnecessary medications/procedures. - **Consistent experiences over time**: one reviewer mentions attending for many years and not wanting to change.

## Summary Forrest Home Vets is a general veterinary practice with facilities owners describe as clean, and appointments that some reviewers say run quickly with a not-crowded waiting room. Reviews include specific examples of handling anxious pets (e.g., giving a booster vaccine to a nervous cat while still in the carrier) and support during very sick/end‑of‑life cases (one family mentions staff doing what they could for a critically ill chihuahua). Feedback is mixed on front-desk and some clinical interactions: several recent reviews praise friendliness and patience, while a small number describe a particular receptionist as rude and one review describes inconsistent instructions and a poor experience with a vet identified as a clinical director. ## Services - Vaccinations/boosters (including adapting the approach for a nervous cat by administering the booster in the cat’s crate). - Treatment for ear infections (consultation, medication discussed, and an ear swab test mentioned in one review). - Care for serious/critical illness and end-of-life situations is referenced (a family reports the clinic could not save their chihuahua but supported them through the process). ## Pricing - Consultation fee mentioned: **£66** for a **15-minute** appointment (from one reviewer). - Ear swab test mentioned: **£17** additional cost (the reviewer says they weren’t told beforehand). - One ear-infection visit total mentioned: **£168** (including consultation, test, and/or medication per the reviewer). ## People - **Dr. Chris (vet)**: mentioned positively for helping a family through a very sad, serious case involving their chihuahua. - **Rebecca Wiper (identified by a reviewer as a clinical director)**: one reviewer describes her manner as “cold” and “snippy,” and says they received contradictory instructions for an ear infection and needed to call back for clarity. - **Emma (practice manager, per a reviewer)**: one reviewer says they were removed from the practice after making a complaint, and felt the response lacked empathy. - **Sarah (reception, named in a review)**: one reviewer describes her as “rude, officious and condescending,” while also noting other reception staff were helpful. - Broader team feedback is split: multiple reviewers describe receptionists and vets as friendly/helpful and good with anxious pets, while a small number focus on negative front-desk interactions. ## Reviews **Google rating: 4.8 stars from 180 reviews.** Themes below are drawn from the latest written reviews available to us. - Owners often mention a **friendly, helpful team**, including reception through to vets, and **patience with anxious pets** (e.g., booster given in-carrier for a nervous cat). - **Practical experience of the visit** is described positively by some (clean facilities, seen quickly, quiet waiting room). - A minority report **poor communication and manner** from specific individuals (rude reception experience; one vet interaction described as scaremongering and giving contradictory guidance). - One detailed negative review raises issues around **cost transparency** (an additional swab fee not explained in advance) and says a **formal complaint led to being removed from the practice**.

## Summary Vets Now Kendal is part of the Vets Now network (60+ clinics) and focuses on pet emergency care, including out-of-hours and holiday cover when other practices are closed, plus video consultations. Based on reviews, the clinic often runs as a controlled-entry service (one reviewer described being asked screening questions by phone and then being buzzed in on arrival). Cases mentioned include urgent illness in a rabbit (suspected GI stasis), dogs needing emergency assessment with diagnostics, and end-of-life support where owners were given time and clear options. Experiences are mixed: many reviews describe thorough explanations and reassuring diagnostics (blood tests and a scan), while a minority describe problems at reception and a rushed, low-empathy consultation, plus billing/insurance paperwork delays. ## Services - Emergency veterinary consultations (out-of-hours/holiday cover stated on the clinic website). - Video consultations (“Speak to a Vet Now” via video is listed on the website). - Diagnostics mentioned in reviews: - Blood tests (used to help assess both a rabbit and a dog). - Scan (type not specified) used alongside blood tests to rule out serious illness in a dog. - Treatments mentioned in reviews: - Pain relief prescribed for a rabbit. - Medication given to help gut movement in a rabbit (for suspected GI stasis). - End-of-life care support discussed in reviews (options explained; time given to say goodbye). ## People - **Tracy (reception)**: described as “efficient and sympathetic,” helping owners feel more at ease during an emergency visit. - **Jo, Chantal, and Scott**: specifically thanked for advice that “helped improve the quality” of a dog’s final days. - **Amanda**: praised for end-of-life support—being professional, giving time for goodbyes, and clearly explaining options when the owner was ready. - **Jack & Lucy**: described as friendly and efficient; carried out tests (blood tests and a scan) and reassured an owner quickly. - **Unnamed vet (rabbit case)**: one owner felt the appointment was rushed and unsympathetic, and raised concerns about weighing a rabbit on dog scales in the waiting area near dogs. ## Reviews **Google rating: 4.4 stars from 61 reviews.** **“Themes below are drawn from the latest written reviews available to us.”** - **Clear explanations and thoroughness**: multiple owners describe vets explaining findings in an easy-to-understand way and being “thorough,” including using blood tests and a scan to assess seriousness. - **Support during difficult decisions**: several reviews focus on end-of-life care, with staff giving time to say goodbye and providing options and advice for a pet’s final days. - **Reception experience varies**: some report very supportive, efficient reception; another review describes difficulty getting past reception and concerns about details being taken incorrectly. - **Waiting/process concerns in at least one case**: one reviewer described a long wait to see the only vet on shift and felt the consult lacked empathy; they also reported an unexpected extra invoice after leaving and slow responses for insurance confirmation.