Lagan Valley Vets

First class vets wouldn't go anywhere else

We were with this practice for the whole of our dog Alfie's life — fourteen and a half years — and I can honestly say they earned every bit of our trust along the way. When Alfie was six, he split two discs in his neck. One of their vets was strict with us about crate rest, more than we expected at the time, but she gave us the shock we needed to take it seriously. That firmness gave us eight more years with him. In his last year, things became more complicated. He started having blood discharge, and a scan found a mass in his stomach as well as severe cystitis. He also had a lump on his chin that came back almost certainly cancerous — though it later disappeared on its own, which surprised everyone. Through all of this, he stayed a happy dog, and whenever we chose to keep treating him rather than stop, the practice respected that and supported us in it. One of their vets, Ruth, gave us advice we still think about: pick three of his favourite things, and when he loses interest in two of them, it's time to let him go. It sounds simple, but it helped us more than we can say. The lumps he'd always had eventually affected one of his eyes, so he was in every so often for eye surgery with Ruth or Amber, and he was always well looked after. Later, when he developed lip fold dermatitis, they talked us through cleaning routines and diet changes that kept him comfortable and eating properly for a good while longer. When we finally made the decision to let him go, it was a Sunday. Sarah offered to come to us, and when we chose to go to the surgery instead, she gave us as much time as we needed with him, with no pressure at all — she only came in to give the injections, then left us in peace. When Ruth came back to work after the weekend and learned Alfie had died, she phoned us straightaway, just to comfort us and tell us how much she'd loved him too. Then, a week later, when we went to collect his ashes, a sympathy card was waiting for us at home. Inside was a handwritten note running to several paragraphs, a paw print, and a lock of his hair. I had always wanted a lock of his hair but never had the courage to ask for one. A paw print hadn't even crossed my mind. And we certainly weren't expecting anyone to take the time to write so much, let alone post it out to us. We both broke down reading it. Alfie, our golden cocker spaniel, was impossible not to love, and it was clear this whole practice loved him too. We couldn't have asked for better care, for him or for us. We can't stress enough how special Lagan Valley Vets and its current team are, for both dog parents and their cherished little ones.

The best

We've been using Lagan Valley Vets in Dromore for 15 years, one of the few vets that is still independent and will keep your pet overnight on the premises in Moira. However, over the course of time there have been a few changes of vet so you lose the continuity of care if your pet has a history but you can't expect them to stay forever! You get medical attention when you need it, face to face contact and always good advice. Hope to keep using them for many years to come.

We've been using Lagan Valley Vets in Dromore for 15 years, one of the few vets that is still independent and will keep your pet overnight on the premises in Moira. However, over the course of time there have been a few changes of vet so you lose the continuity of care if your pet has a history but you can't expect them to stay forever! You get medical attention when you need it, face to face contact and always good advice. Hope to keep using them for many years to come.