About Veterinary Care in Durham
This guide helps pet owners compare vets in Durham using county-wide data on services, animal coverage, and availability. It summarises how care is distributed across the county and highlights the highest-rated providers so you can shortlist clinics that match your needs. Durham is in England.
Top-rated veterinary clinics in Durham
- •Wilson Veterinary Group
- •Medivet Chester-Le-Street (Cestria Vets)
- •Medivet Darlington - Stanhope Road
There are 42 veterinary clinics in Durham, with an average Google rating of 4.6★. 36 clinics treat dogs and cats. 6 clinics offer farm or large-animal services. 13 clinics offer emergency or out-of-hours care. 24-hour veterinary cover is explicitly stated by at least one provider in the county (onsite 24-hour emergency care is stated for Wilson Veterinary Group).
Durham has 18 towns. A sample of towns with clinics includes Durham, Darlington, Bishop Auckland, Consett, Seaham, Peterlee, Stanley, and Barnard Castle. Availability and the service mix vary by town, so emergency access, specialist options, and appointment lead times can differ depending on where you live.
Across the county, provision is weighted toward companion-animal care: 36 clinics are dog-and-cat/small-animal practices, alongside 6 farm animal clinics and 5 equine clinics. Specialist or exotic capability is listed for 17 clinics, indicating that referral-style or advanced species coverage exists but is not universal. County-wide engagement is substantial, with 9,284 total reviews across clinics, and 40 clinics listing a website, which supports checking opening hours, out-of-hours arrangements, and service scope before booking.
Routine care is widely available and evidenced by documented services such as vaccinations and annual health checks (for example, these are specifically mentioned in the Wilson Veterinary Group summary). Diagnostics and medical treatment are also evidenced in the county data through documented cases such as eye-ulcer diagnosis with follow-up care and urinary-tract/struvite management (described for Medivet Chester-Le-Street). Dentistry is present in local provision, with dental extractions explicitly described in reviews for Medivet Chester-Le-Street, and emergency treatment is represented within the subset of clinics that offer out-of-hours cover.
Emergency/out-of-hours clinics vs routine-only clinics: 13 clinics offer emergency or out-of-hours care, while 29 clinics do not. For pet owners, this split matters because urgent access (for example, sudden illness or injury) depends on whether your chosen practice provides its own emergency cover or relies on alternative arrangements. It can also affect continuity of care: clinics offering emergency cover are more likely to be involved in stabilisation and immediate treatment decisions, while routine-only clinics may focus on follow-up and planned care during normal hours.
Veterinary nurse (VN) training clinics vs non-training clinics: 24 clinics offer VN training and 18 do not. For owners, VN training status can be a practical indicator of staffing structure, because training sites typically maintain a clinical environment that supports supervised nursing skills and formal processes. It may also relate to appointment capacity for nurse-led work (such as routine checks and advice), which can help keep veterinary appointments focused on diagnosis and treatment.
Mid-ranked and routine-focused clinics remain central to county coverage because the largest share of provision is everyday companion-animal practice. These clinics typically underpin ongoing preventive care (such as vaccinations and scheduled checks) and management of non-urgent conditions, which is where most owner–clinic contact happens over a pet’s lifetime. In a county with 42 clinics across 18 towns, they also contribute to local convenience and ongoing relationship-based care, even where emergency or specialist capacity is limited to fewer providers.
Overall clinic depth is strong for routine companion-animal care, while key services such as emergency/out-of-hours coverage (13 clinics) and specialist/exotic provision (17 clinics) are concentrated among a smaller subset of providers.
In summary, Durham offers broad access to small-animal veterinary care with defined pockets of emergency cover, farm/equine services, and specialist capability—use the ranked clinic list above to choose the best fit for your pet and your access needs.
Freshness: January 2026 — using publicly available review and service data.
Top Vets in Durham
Highly rated veterinary clinics across Durham, ranked by service quality and reviews
Wilson Veterinary Group offers onsite 24-hour emergency care and appears set up for both routine appointments and urgent/same-day cases, based on multiple recent reviews describing emergency treatment and quick clinical support. Owners repeatedly mention unrushed consultations where vets explain options clearly, and practical follow-through like fast advice over the phone about medication side effects. Several reviews also describe small-but-specific touches around stressful or end-of-life situations, including providing a private cat waiting area space to set up a litter tray and sending a sympathy card and “Forget Me Not” seeds after a rabbit’s death. The clinic is also listed as a veterinary nurse training facility.
Wilson Veterinary Group offers onsite 24-hour emergency care and appears set up for both routine appointments and urgent/same-day cases, based on multiple recent reviews describing emergency treatment and quick clinical support. Owners repeatedly mention unrushed consultations where vets explain options clearly, and practical follow-through like fast advice over the phone about medication side effects. Several reviews also describe small-but-specific touches around stressful or end-of-life situations, including providing a private cat waiting area space to set up a litter tray and sending a sympathy card and “Forget Me Not” seeds after a rabbit’s death. The clinic is also listed as a veterinary nurse training facility.
Medivet Chester-Le-Street (Cestria Vets) is part of the Medivet group and appears set up for both routine care and more complex medical/surgical cases. Recent reviews repeatedly mention vets taking time to explain treatment plans, handling anxious animals gently, and managing urgent urinary emergencies (including repeated catheterisations for a blocked cat). Owners also describe dental work (full tooth removal) and sensitive, owner-led euthanasia where they could cuddle their pet throughout.
Medivet Chester-Le-Street (Cestria Vets) is part of the Medivet group and appears set up for both routine care and more complex medical/surgical cases. Recent reviews repeatedly mention vets taking time to explain treatment plans, handling anxious animals gently, and managing urgent urinary emergencies (including repeated catheterisations for a blocked cat). Owners also describe dental work (full tooth removal) and sensitive, owner-led euthanasia where they could cuddle their pet throughout.
Medivet Darlington – Stanhope Road is part of the Medivet group. Based on the information available, the practice is set up for routine care (including vaccinations and check-ups) as well as ongoing management of complex, multi-condition cases—one owner describes detailed support for a dog with IBD, diabetes and IVDD, including medication balancing and quick call-backs for advice. The clinic is also listed as a veterinary nurse training facility, and Medivet states it provides access to 24‑hour emergency care via one of its emergency centres (with a stated out‑of‑hours consultation fee).
Concrete specifics owners mention include: pets being kept calm during visits, consultations where vets “take the time to listen” and answer questions, and prompt follow-up phone calls with advice when owners leave messages.
Medivet Darlington – Stanhope Road is part of the Medivet group. Based on the information available, the practice is set up for routine care (including vaccinations and check-ups) as well as ongoing management of complex, multi-condition cases—one owner describes detailed support for a dog with IBD, diabetes and IVDD, including medication balancing and quick call-backs for advice. The clinic is also listed as a veterinary nurse training facility, and Medivet states it provides access to 24‑hour emergency care via one of its emergency centres (with a stated out‑of‑hours consultation fee).
Concrete specifics owners mention include: pets being kept calm during visits, consultations where vets “take the time to listen” and answer questions, and prompt follow-up phone calls with advice when owners leave messages.
Grange Vets
Darlington
Our Score (87/100)
Grange Vets treats dogs, cats, rabbits and other small pets, and is an Approved Veterinary Nurse Training Centre (as stated on its website). For emergencies outside normal hours, the practice says care is provided by Wear Referrals.
From the latest reviews, owners most often describe a clinic that takes time with nervous dogs (one owner says a dog that previously needed sedation elsewhere did not need it here) and where vets set clear treatment plans that can work quickly (one report of improvement “in days”). A minority of recent reviews report a very different experience, including conflicting diagnoses and being advised an MRI when the owner wanted an X‑ray, plus complaints about a particular staff member’s manner.
Grange Vets treats dogs, cats, rabbits and other small pets, and is an Approved Veterinary Nurse Training Centre (as stated on its website). For emergencies outside normal hours, the practice says care is provided by Wear Referrals.
From the latest reviews, owners most often describe a clinic that takes time with nervous dogs (one owner says a dog that previously needed sedation elsewhere did not need it here) and where vets set clear treatment plans that can work quickly (one report of improvement “in days”). A minority of recent reviews report a very different experience, including conflicting diagnoses and being advised an MRI when the owner wanted an X‑ray, plus complaints about a particular staff member’s manner.
Prince Bishop Vets
Consett
Our Score (86/100)
Prince Bishop Vets is a long-established practice (supporting pets since 1984) operating from purpose-built premises, with onsite facilities such as an in-house laboratory and laparoscopy. The website also states they provide their own out-of-hours service until 10pm Monday–Friday, and clinic data lists it as a veterinary nurse training facility.
Recent reviews describe a mix of routine and urgent care: one owner highlights support after their dog was attacked, while another describes a critically unwell puppy that was treated and survived. Cost and clinical decision-making come up too—one reviewer calls the practice “expensive,” and another alleges a serious misdiagnosis (oral cancer) that led to sedation and dental extractions but “no sign of cancer” afterwards.
Prince Bishop Vets is a long-established practice (supporting pets since 1984) operating from purpose-built premises, with onsite facilities such as an in-house laboratory and laparoscopy. The website also states they provide their own out-of-hours service until 10pm Monday–Friday, and clinic data lists it as a veterinary nurse training facility.
Recent reviews describe a mix of routine and urgent care: one owner highlights support after their dog was attacked, while another describes a critically unwell puppy that was treated and survived. Cost and clinical decision-making come up too—one reviewer calls the practice “expensive,” and another alleges a serious misdiagnosis (oral cancer) that led to sedation and dental extractions but “no sign of cancer” afterwards.
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