Irby Veterinary Surgery

Irby Veterinary Surgery is an RCVS “General Practice” small-animal clinic with an in-house lab plus X-ray and ultrasound, and it’s also listed as a veterinary nurse training facility. The service mix suggests it’s set up for both routine care (vaccinations, parasite control, nurse clinics, six‑month health checks) and more complex work (surgery plus orthopaedic and soft-tissue referral services), with exotic-pet care also stated on the website.

In the latest reviews available to us, owners repeatedly mention vets taking time to explain options and keep them updated—one family described daily progress updates during a 3‑day hospital stay (including IV drip care) and being told about “mounting bills” as they went. Several reviews also highlight supportive end‑of‑life care, including being given as much time as needed and receiving a handwritten condolence card with a pawprint.

Services

From the clinic website

•Consultations and routine preventive care: vaccinations, parasite control, microchipping, six‑month health checks
•Nurse clinics
•Dentistry
•Diagnostic tests & imaging: in‑house lab, X‑ray, ultrasound
•Surgery, including neutering
•Referral services (as stated on the website): orthopaedic surgery referral service; soft tissue surgery referral service
•Exotic animals care (website lists species including rabbits, ferrets, reptiles/tortoises, a range of birds, and aquarium fish)
•Blood pressure checks
•Grooming & nail clipping; anal sac expression
•Pet travel documentation
•Home visits
•Emergency arrangements (as stated): emergency support during normal opening hours via the practice; out-of-hours emergencies are provided by MiNightVet (named on the website)

From reviews (examples of care mentioned)

•Hospitalisation for a seriously ill dog over several days, including IV drip care and a long surgery
•End-of-life support for an elderly dog, focused on comfort and a peaceful passing

People

•Laura (vet, per reviews): mentioned for end-of-life care—one owner says Laura made their dog’s passing “very peaceful,” allowed them as much time as they wanted, and later sent a handwritten condolence card with the dog’s pawprint and date of passing.
•Tom (vet, explicitly called “vet” in a review): described as examining and treating a dog while “explaining all options” and what was needed; also named (with Laura) as giving advice to keep an elderly dog comfortable.
•Rob Forrester (role not explicitly stated): named in a review alongside “his staff,” with the clinic described as “clean, efficient and professional.”

Reviews

Google rating: 4.7 stars from 91 reviews.

•Clear explanations and shared decision-making: owners mention being talked through options and advice, particularly around treatment choices.
•Communication during ongoing care: one review describes being kept up to date at each step during a multi-day hospital stay, including being told about costs as they increased.
•Support in difficult moments: multiple comments describe compassionate end-of-life care, with one family mentioning a pawprint keepsake and condolence card afterwards.
•A few operational negatives alongside otherwise positive experiences: one reviewer wanted an itemised invoice offered without having to ask, and noted that calls were not always answered as promptly as expected.

Reviews for Irby Veterinary Surgery

Note: Showing the 5 most recent Google reviews out of 91 we track in total. Recent reviews may not be representative of overall sentiment.

Gary Blacker

a month ago

Wonderful staff, they care, and it makes a big difference. My cats will never like the vets, but at least I know they are cared for here

Jeantte Miller

7 months ago

Always helpful and. Careing of your 🐶.thank you

Patti Goulborn

a year ago

When our elderly dog became sick, the vets, particularly Laura and Tom, tried everything they could to ease his discomfort and gave us a lot of advice on how to help him. In the end it became too much for him and we had to let him go. Laura made his passing very peaceful and gave us as much time as we wanted with him. Afterwards she even sent us a handwritten condolence card with his pawprint and the date of his passing. Cannot recommend this practice highly enough

Lauraine Radcliffe

Absolutely excellent service from the first time I walked into the practice. The team are so lovely and really looked after our little dog when he went in for surgery today. Although I was worried about my little pal, they all made me feel confident that he was getting the best care. Thank you so much . Highly recommended

2 years ago

Lord Sexy

Maria Bevan

3 years ago

Brilliant veterinary service. Tom (vet) couldn't have done more in both examining my dog and treating her. He spent time explaining all options and advice on what was needed for her. He was kind, empathetic and knowledgeable.

Deryk Copeland

6 years ago

All the staff at Irby Vets provided exceptional care to our seriously ill dog for 3 days. They undoubtedly saved his life. We were kept up to date each step of the way of his progression and given options which were fully explained to us so we were able to make decisions without any guess work. We were also updated each day on the mounting bills which is obviously very important. We were allowed to visit our boy everyday and not once were we made to feel unwelcome or in the way even though they're a fairly busy surgery. Each member of staff from the receptionists to the vets were very personable, patient, and caring. We felt like they all genuinely cared about our dog and we were confident he was being taken great care of 24 hours a day. Taking into consideration he had a long surgery, stayed on an IV drip for 3 days which included 24 hour care, we were pleasantly surprised at the final bill and it was worth every penny. We took our dog to them on a Tuesday morning and he was most definitely at deaths door. Next Friday evening we were able to take him home. Almost 3 weeks on and he's back to his normal self. Our whole family will be forever grateful to the team for giving our beloved family dog a second chance of life.

Ann Holden

Clean, efficient and professional surgery. Dog very happy to visit. Rob Forrester and his staff are doing a good job for which I'm grateful. I'd appreciate being offered an itemised invoice without having to ask and sometimes the phone is not answered as promptly as it might (thus 4/5 stars) but these are minor quibbles.