About Veterinary Care in Durham
This guide helps pet owners compare veterinary clinics in Durham based on services, animal coverage, and availability. Explore this comprehensive overview to find the best vets in Durham for your pet's needs.
Top-rated veterinary clinics in Durham
- •Durham Vets4Pets Ltd
- •Gilmoor Vets
- •Dunelm Veterinary Group
There are 5 veterinary clinics in Durham, with an average Google rating of 4.6★. All 5 clinics treat both dogs and cats, ensuring that pet owners have a range of choices for their companion animals. One clinic offers farm or large-animal services, catering to the needs of larger animals within the area. Two clinics provide emergency or out-of-hours care; however, there is no 24-hour veterinary cover available locally.
Durham’s veterinary services include routine care, surgery, diagnostics, and emergency treatment, ensuring pet owners have access to comprehensive care for their animals. Collectively, these clinics have garnered a total of 2,127 reviews, showcasing their presence in the community and the trust placed in them by local pet owners. Four of the clinics also offer veterinary nurse training, highlighting a commitment to education and quality care. Additionally, every clinic maintains an online presence with a website.
For those times when urgent care is needed, two clinics offering emergency or out-of-hours care ensure that pet owners have options for immediate medical attention. These clinics are vital for handling sudden health issues that require prompt attention and can provide peace of mind for local residents. In contrast, clinics focused on routine care are ideal for maintaining overall animal health through regular check-ups, vaccinations, and treatment of non-urgent issues.
Mid-ranked clinics in Durham, such as Dunelm Veterinary Group and Abbey Veterinary Centre, provide valuable routine-focused services. These clinics typically manage everyday care and vaccinations, which are essential for pet wellness. They are a significant part of the local veterinary landscape, providing access to preventative and planned healthcare, which helps ensure the long-term well-being of pets.
The veterinary landscape in Durham shows strong clinic depth, with comprehensive services spread across multiple providers. The focus on companion animals is evident, with all clinics catering primarily to dogs and cats, ensuring a wide range of services are available to meet the needs of these pets.
Visit Durham's dog and cat vets page
Durham’s veterinary provision is diverse, with a mix of emergency services and routine care facilities, enabling pet owners to choose the most suitable option from the ranked clinic list.
Update as of January 2026: Information reflects current publicly available review and service data.
Data accurate as of January 2026.
Best Rated Veterinary Clinics in Durham, Durham
Top-ranked veterinary practices based on quality, service, and customer reviews

Durham Vets4Pets Ltd is described on its website as a locally owned practice, operating from a modern, “state-of-the-art” clinic with in‑house diagnostics and an operating theatre. Based on the website and recent reviews, it appears set up for routine care plus investigations and surgery (for example, tail amputation with frequent rechecks is described in a recent review, and the site lists an in‑house lab and X‑ray).
Owners often mention continuity with named clinicians (especially Richard; also Kevin and Aitor), and examples include making time to discuss worries, shared decision-making, and adapting handling for anxious cats (including, in one case, offering follow‑up decisions by phone due to a cat’s anxiety). Reviews also show a clear split in experiences around end‑of‑life care, with two recent 1‑star accounts describing distressing cannulation/euthanasia-related situations, contrasting with multiple long-term clients describing supportive care (including bereavement/ashes handling).
Durham Vets4Pets Ltd is described on its website as a locally owned practice, operating from a modern, “state-of-the-art” clinic with in‑house diagnostics and an operating theatre. Based on the website and recent reviews, it appears set up for routine care plus investigations and surgery (for example, tail amputation with frequent rechecks is described in a recent review, and the site lists an in‑house lab and X‑ray).
Owners often mention continuity with named clinicians (especially Richard; also Kevin and Aitor), and examples include making time to discuss worries, shared decision-making, and adapting handling for anxious cats (including, in one case, offering follow‑up decisions by phone due to a cat’s anxiety). Reviews also show a clear split in experiences around end‑of‑life care, with two recent 1‑star accounts describing distressing cannulation/euthanasia-related situations, contrasting with multiple long-term clients describing supportive care (including bereavement/ashes handling).

Gilmoor Vets is a multi-site veterinary practice (three branches are mentioned on its website). Based on owner reports, it appears set up for routine preventive care (vaccinations, boosters and check-ups), planned surgery (spaying is described in detail), weight management support (regular weigh-ins and body condition scoring), and at least some out-of-hours appointments. Reviews strongly disagree on experience: many describe friendly, informative staff and good handling of nervous/anxious pets, while a small number report feeling rushed, facing high costs, or being unhappy with how a sick pet was assessed.
Concrete specifics mentioned by owners include: out-of-hours care for a dog with “extreme anxiety”; calming medication offered for a nervous dog’s next visit; a spay plan for a Labrador with false pregnancy plus medication beforehand; and ongoing weight-loss support with a personalised diet plan and repeat weigh-ins/body condition scoring.
Gilmoor Vets is a multi-site veterinary practice (three branches are mentioned on its website). Based on owner reports, it appears set up for routine preventive care (vaccinations, boosters and check-ups), planned surgery (spaying is described in detail), weight management support (regular weigh-ins and body condition scoring), and at least some out-of-hours appointments. Reviews strongly disagree on experience: many describe friendly, informative staff and good handling of nervous/anxious pets, while a small number report feeling rushed, facing high costs, or being unhappy with how a sick pet was assessed.
Concrete specifics mentioned by owners include: out-of-hours care for a dog with “extreme anxiety”; calming medication offered for a nervous dog’s next visit; a spay plan for a Labrador with false pregnancy plus medication beforehand; and ongoing weight-loss support with a personalised diet plan and repeat weigh-ins/body condition scoring.

Dunelm Veterinary Group treats a wide range of pets, including cats, dogs, horses and small pets such as rabbits and hamsters, and states that emergency care is available. Recent reviews describe frequent, ongoing case management (including chronic disease), major procedures (a cat limb amputation for an aggressive cancer), and end-of-life care (euthanasia), with owners repeatedly mentioning that appointments didn’t feel rushed and that staff took time to explain options. A minority of feedback raises a safety concern about an incorrect weight being recorded and the pet then being given the wrong worming dose, with the owner reporting the follow-up response felt dismissive.
Dunelm Veterinary Group treats a wide range of pets, including cats, dogs, horses and small pets such as rabbits and hamsters, and states that emergency care is available. Recent reviews describe frequent, ongoing case management (including chronic disease), major procedures (a cat limb amputation for an aggressive cancer), and end-of-life care (euthanasia), with owners repeatedly mentioning that appointments didn’t feel rushed and that staff took time to explain options. A minority of feedback raises a safety concern about an incorrect weight being recorded and the pet then being given the wrong worming dose, with the owner reporting the follow-up response felt dismissive.
Our Score (79/100)
Abbey Veterinary Centre is presented on its website as part of “Abbey Vets” and offers emergency care (the website mentions it but doesn’t give specifics). It also promotes a proactive healthcare plan called “Pet Health Club,” and the clinic is listed in the provided data as a veterinary nurse training facility. No corporate parent group is named in the provided information.
In recent reviews, owners most often describe a reception team that helps them feel settled on arrival, and clinical staff who explain options and costs clearly. Specific situations mentioned include a spay with pre-op reassurance from a nurse, an emergency appointment that was arranged quickly, and a dog assessed for a suspected infection where a scan was recommended and the possible complications were discussed. One review raises a concern that the business is “looking after” itself rather than sick pets, which conflicts with the many strongly positive experiences reported by other reviewers.
Abbey Veterinary Centre is presented on its website as part of “Abbey Vets” and offers emergency care (the website mentions it but doesn’t give specifics). It also promotes a proactive healthcare plan called “Pet Health Club,” and the clinic is listed in the provided data as a veterinary nurse training facility. No corporate parent group is named in the provided information.
In recent reviews, owners most often describe a reception team that helps them feel settled on arrival, and clinical staff who explain options and costs clearly. Specific situations mentioned include a spay with pre-op reassurance from a nurse, an emergency appointment that was arranged quickly, and a dog assessed for a suspected infection where a scan was recommended and the possible complications were discussed. One review raises a concern that the business is “looking after” itself rather than sick pets, which conflicts with the many strongly positive experiences reported by other reviewers.
Grange Vets provides routine and ongoing care for dogs, cats, rabbits and other small pets, and is listed on its website as an Approved Veterinary Nurse Training Centre. The site highlights check-ups, long-term care and general treatment, plus practical owner services like repeat prescriptions and pet travel (“pet-passport”) guidance. Reviews most often point to getting appointments quickly and a feeling that the team focuses on the animal rather than “money” (several owners explicitly say they’re “trustworthy” and “won’t take your eyes out”).
Grange Vets provides routine and ongoing care for dogs, cats, rabbits and other small pets, and is listed on its website as an Approved Veterinary Nurse Training Centre. The site highlights check-ups, long-term care and general treatment, plus practical owner services like repeat prescriptions and pet travel (“pet-passport”) guidance. Reviews most often point to getting appointments quickly and a feeling that the team focuses on the animal rather than “money” (several owners explicitly say they’re “trustworthy” and “won’t take your eyes out”).
Browse by Speciality
Find vets by category in Durham, Durham

Best Emergency Vets
2 clinics
24-hour and emergency veterinary care in the local area.

Best Dog & Cat Vets
5 clinics
Small animal vets for dogs, cats and companion vets

Best Specialist Vets
4 clinics
Advanced care, referral centres and specialised services

Best Farm Vets
1 clinic
Large animal vets for livestock, horses and farm animals
More Veterinary Practices in Durham
Additional veterinary clinics serving the area
Gilmoor Vets
Our Score (83/100)
Hare & Hounds Veterinary Centre

