Best Vets in Canterbury – Complete Local Guide

Canterbury Veterinary Surgery is independently owned by DNA Vetcare. The practice presents itself as a general veterinary clinic offering “Surgery & Medicine”, preventative care, health checks/clinics, hospitalisation, and pet travel advice, and it is also listed as a veterinary nurse training facility. From the latest reviews available, owners most often describe unhurried consultations with clear explanations and follow-up, including one account of a vet phoning personally in the evening to give updates during a two‑week period of tests and treatment. Reviews mention care for cats (including a fractured foot and long-term illness support), dogs (including eye ulcer treatment in French Bulldogs), and small pets (a guinea pig), as well as same‑day attention for a dog that “wasn’t quite right” on a Saturday morning.

Bourne Veterinary Practice provides care for cats, dogs and small pets, with in-house options that go beyond routine appointments (hydrotherapy and acupuncture are both listed on its website). Reviews repeatedly mention practical, pet-specific handling and follow-through—such as making special arrangements for a fearful dog (including giving an injection while the owner sat outside with the dog on their lap) and ongoing hydrotherapy support after a dog’s leg amputation to rebuild strength and confidence. Owners also mention the practice proactively booking appointments when needed and being “usually running on time”.

The Barton Veterinary Hospital / MiNightVet Canterbury is a small-animal hospital (established 1890) that provides both routine care and on-site 24-hour emergency support via its dedicated MiNightVet service. It appears to be part of CVS Group (cvsvets.com email domain). Based on the clinic’s stated facilities and recent reviews, it’s set up for complex medical work as well as urgent care—owners mention rapid emergency triage, clear explanations with time to make decisions, and ongoing management for serious conditions (including heart failure supported by ultrasound expertise). The clinic also offers home visits, which one family used for euthanasia at home.

Elham Valley Referrals is an independent practice focused on veterinary ophthalmology (animal eye conditions), with a stated 24-hour emergency and out-of-hours service for eye cases. Based on the website and reviews, it’s set up for specialist diagnostics and eye surgery rather than routine primary-care work: examples mentioned include cataract surgery and corneal graft procedures. Reviewers repeatedly describe very thorough examinations, and several give outcome-focused updates (for example, an ulcer treated with eye debridement healing fully; cataract surgery leading to improved vision).

Canterbury Sturry Road Vets4Pets Ltd is part of the Vets4Pets group, and the practice is owned and run by vet Craig Mitchell and registered veterinary nurse Shelly Thorne. The website describes a modern, well‑equipped clinic with in‑house diagnostics (including an in‑house lab, digital X‑ray and ultrasound) and a hospital ward with separated dog and cat wards. Based on the clinic’s stated capabilities, it appears set up for more than routine consults: endoscopy is offered for minimally invasive diagnostics/procedures, and the practice lists advanced areas including ophthalmology and orthopaedic surgery, plus chemotherapy/cancer treatment and blood transfusions. In the latest reviews available to us, owners repeatedly mention clear explanations from the vet, and there’s also a complaint about a nail-clipping charge not being explained upfront (quoted as £25).