ChesterGates Veterinary Specialists / MiNightVet Chester

ChesterGates Veterinary Specialists / MiNightVet Chester is part of CVS and operates as a specialist-led, multi-disciplinary referral hospital in Chester, with out-of-hours emergency cover under the MiNightVet service. Website information points to a hospital set up for more complex cases, including referrals, surgery and advanced imaging such as high-field MRI and CT. Recent feedback is mixed: many owners praise the speed of emergency triage, clear communication and overnight updates, while some serious complaints focus on clinical decision-making, costs and compassion around poor outcomes.

Services

•Referral and specialist services: The hospital lists referral disciplines including cardiology, internal medicine, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, neurology, anaesthesia, oncology, soft tissue surgery and diagnostic imaging.
•Advanced imaging and complex work-ups: High-field MRI and CT are specifically listed. Reviews also mention scans being carried out during urgent assessment, and one owner describes being quoted £4,500 for a CT in a complex pain case.
•Emergency and out-of-hours care: Under the MiNightVet service, reviews describe phone triage, advice to come in immediately, rapid assessment on arrival, overnight monitoring and updates through the evening and night.
•Examples owners mention in reviews: Treatment after chocolate ingestion, a parvovirus test during an overnight visit, emergency surgery to remove a ruptured spleen, and a resuscitation attempt after a pet deteriorated.
•Other support noted: One owner says the team helped with insurance administration after emergency surgery. Structured clinic information also notes that the site is a veterinary nurse training facility.
•Occasional supportive care outside usual experience: One review says the clinic made clear they were not experienced with birds, but still provided pain relief and antibiotics for an injured cockatiel before transfer to an exotic vet.

Pricing

Published prices suggest the clinic sits around average, based on a partial sample of comparable services. Pricing is not a dominant theme in reviews, but one recent reviewer was unhappy with the cost and handling of a proposed CT scan, while most other feedback focuses more on emergency care, communication and outcomes than on routine prices.

People

Recent reviews particularly mention

•Craig McCarthy, praised for calm communication, clear explanations and supportive handling during an emergency visit.
•Faye, repeatedly mentioned as a reassuring first point of contact both on the phone and in person.
•Louise, thanked for seeing a very unwell puppy quickly and helping keep owners updated.
•Mel, mentioned positively for attentive handling during a Saturday night visit.
•The wider nursing and reception team, who are described in positive reviews as gentle, attentive and supportive.

Reviews

Google rating: 3.8/5 from 30 reviews. Written feedback gives a mixed picture.

•Fast emergency access is a consistent positive: owners describe being triaged by phone, told to come straight in, and seen quickly on arrival for urgent problems such as breathing distress or toxin ingestion.
•Communication and reassurance are often praised: several reviewers highlight calm explanations, friendly reception, regular updates through the night, and compassionate handling during stressful visits.
•Reviews include examples of substantial emergency treatment: scans, medication after chocolate ingestion, a parvovirus test, emergency surgery for a ruptured spleen, and short-term support for an injured cockatiel pending exotic follow-up.
•There are also serious negative accounts: some owners describe suspected misdiagnosis, pets being sent home before deteriorating, dissatisfaction with end-of-life communication, and concerns about cost and empathy.

Reviews for ChesterGates Veterinary Specialists / MiNightVet Chester

Note: Showing the 10 most recent Google reviews out of 30 we track in total. Recent reviews may not be representative of overall sentiment.

Larna Davies

1 month ago

Sadly a terrible experience at this practice. Had to take our family dog here as he was lame with extreme pain. Following extensive treatment and cost, we were advised to have a CT for him costing £4500 and that we would need to decide by 11:30am as the scanning technician would be leaving site. I asked what the CT was looking for and the vet advised it was neurological deficits. I asked for time to think about this and used this as an opportunity to get other quotes. The practice then called back at 4:30pm to strongly advise a CT scan and that “luckily” the technician was still on site. We were abroad having these difficult conversations so flew home immediately to make a care plan for our little one. When we arrived, we could see he was in terrible shape and I asked the vet if his pain could be managed at home to which they said no. His pain could only be managed in the inpatient area with heavy sedation. I asked the vet what our options were and was told it was time to say goodbye. The vet couldn’t answer my question as to why, if his pain was so bad I was pressured into a CT scan at huge sums of money for the only option to be euthanasia. We were given 15 minutes to say goodbye and passed a leaflet on cremation. His eyes hadn’t been cleaned whilst he was in the inpatient area and he hadn’t been brushed, so upsetting to see him like that. The lack of empathy at the point of goodbye was palpable and can only recommend you avoid this practice entirely if you ever need a vet. They’re not caring and pets are not their priority, money is. This experience remains devastating and the guilt of our lovely dog spending his final days here is devastating. We found a local guy to support us with private cremation without mass animals in too. 5* service. Shockingly, 2 months later, I received an email hoping our pet had fully recovered….no words! Avoid MiNighvet at all costs. Money mad and lacking basic compassion and kindness for animals and their families.

Liz Caton

3 months ago

This weekend for the first time we attended Chester-gates Veterinary Specialist Team with our gorgeous boy Tobi, working cocker spaniel. We would like to give a huge shout out for the outstanding care we received. From the moment we arrived, we were treated with such compassion, professionalism, and reassurance during an extremely stressful time. A special thank you to Craig McCarthy, who was so calm and kind, took the time to explain everything clearly, and made sure we felt supported throughout. Craig went above and beyond with his care and empathy, and his dedication and skills gave us lots of reassurance. We would also like to acknowledge Mel who we met with Tobi the Saturday night and the wider nursing and reception team, who were attentive, gentle, and truly caring. It was clear that everyone involved genuinely cared about both Tobi and us as owners. We are incredibly grateful for the expertise, kindness, and professionalism shown, and I would not hesitate to recommend this service to anyone needing emergency veterinary care. Thank you once again Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas 🎄 Liz Tobi and family

Erin Kelly

7 months ago

i wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. i took my bunny is at 5:45pm on 24/08/2025 and said i think she may have gi stasis because she isn’t eating very much but i said she’s completely different from the last time she had it so im not sure if that’s what it is. after only checking her temp and stomach sounds and telling em her stomach seems to be moving fine, the vet injected her with 3 injections without further examination. i’m not a vet so what i thought was wrong with her was just a guess. i took her home and 2 hours later i noticed she was very lethargic and shaky so i rang up and asked if that was anything to do with her injections, and the phone was passed to the vet so i could ask her. she said it wasn’t but that she would just be exhausted from being in pain and not sleeping. my baby died at 10:47 that night. 41 minutes after ringing for advice. if they knew what they were doing and told me to bring her down my sweet girl would probably still be with me right now. to make things worse when i was on my way to the vet i noticed she had gone and when i got there they said they tried to resuscitate her and were unsuccessful and gave me a room to sit with her, they said i can stay as long as i need. 15 minutes later i was sent on my way. i got to take her with my but i got no further support and im horrified with how they handled everything. the vet had no clue what she’s doing. i hope you know how much heartbreak you have caused me. a seriously awful place do not take ur pets here. rest easy my sweet girl ☹️❤️

Emma Green

9 months ago

We contacted MiNight Vets after our 10 week old puppy was struggling to breathe. They asked us to bring him in where we were rapidly seen by Faye and Louise who were absolutely lovely. He was really poorly but the team looked after him so well and kept us updated throughout the evening and night. After some fast treatment, scans and nurse cuddles, little Brian is now back home and well with his big sister! Thank you :)

Callum Douglas

1 year ago

Had to bring our cocker here after he ate chocolate cake. Called up and was triaged on the phone, advised us to come straight away which we did. Was greeted by Faye who we’d spoken to on the phone who was fantastic - she really made us feel at ease, offered us a hot drink and was just so friendly and professional. Vet came out shortly and explained what they’d need to do and took Ralph to administer medicine. When he came back the vet put us at ease and was very friendly, as we left again Faye wished us well. Would really recommend MiNightVet Chester in an emergency - the team were extremely efficient, friendly and really helped us to relax in a stressful situation.

Imogen Quirk

Stephen Roberts

2 years ago

We came on Tuesday night as an emergency admission with Halo who had an operation to remove her Ruptured spleen. we were met on arrival by the friendly vet's who could not do enough for myself and Halo who was in a bad way we are so grateful for all the staff who helped her in her hour of need and she is now on the road to recovery. Thank you so much 💓 also they have took the time to do all the admin work with the insurance company which was a relief to take the stress ourselves with dealing with. Many Many thanks xx

Jason Dutton

I can only give my own experience and fully accept that others will differ, I will only be factual in my review. So my dog didn’t seem quite himself in the evening and started vomiting with watery diarrhoea which had a pink tinge to it which gradually got redder, fearing some kind of haemorrhage I first had a video consultation via FirstPet who due to his symptoms suggested I take him to an out of hours vet and gave me the number of my practice’s recommended one. We arrived 02:35am the vet examined him, did a Parva test (negative) told us he just had an upset tummy and would be off for a few days, gave him an anti sickness injection and meds and sent us home. We got home around 4.00am (50 mile round trip) when we got home he appeared to be a lot worse, couldn’t stand properly, walk or drink. We then had to watch are beloved dog basically bleed to death through his backside while we did our best to comfort him and make him comfortable, he died 50 mins after returning from the vets. This was after telling us he’d be off for a few days then back to his normal self, he was 5yrs old. Could he have been saved? We’ll never know but clearly misdiagnosed.