About Veterinary Care in Essex
This guide to veterinary clinics in Essex, England helps pet owners compare county-wide veterinary options based on services, animal coverage, and availability. It summarises how provision differs between towns and highlights the highest-rated providers for owners who want to shortlist quickly.
Top-rated veterinary clinics in Essex
There are 146 veterinary clinics in Essex, with an average Google rating of 4.6★. 123 clinics treat dogs and cats. 24 clinics offer farm or large-animal services (12 farm animal clinics and 12 equine clinics). 44 clinics offer emergency or out-of-hours care. The data provided does not explicitly confirm any 24-hour veterinary cover anywhere in the county.
Essex has 45 towns covered in the directory. Examples include Chelmsford, Colchester, Southend-On-Sea, Harlow, Basildon, Brentwood, Braintree, and Saffron Walden. Availability, opening patterns, and service mix can vary by town, so comparing local options matters even within the same county.
Across vets in Essex, routine companion-animal care is the dominant offering, supported by a substantial volume of public feedback (28,395 total reviews across the county) and broad online access (144 clinics have websites). Service mix includes routine consultations and preventative care, surgery, diagnostics, dental care, and emergency treatment, but these are not evenly distributed by provider type. The county also has 38 specialist/exotic clinics, indicating a meaningful secondary tier beyond general small-animal practices.
Linkswood Veterinary Centre (Halstead), All Paws Vets (Harlow), and ASL Vets (Billericay) sit at the top of the county rankings and illustrate the range of higher-demand provision owners look for when comparing providers. Linkswood Veterinary Centre is described as an independent small-animal practice with owner-reviewed experience in orthopaedic surgery and longer-term case management. All Paws Vets advertises broader in-house capabilities (including laboratory testing and imaging) and states that it sees exotics, alongside routine care and surgery.
Emergency and out-of-hours clinics vs routine-only clinics: 44 clinics offer emergency or out-of-hours care, while 102 do not. In practice, this affects how quickly a clinic can see urgent cases and whether your pet can be stabilised locally versus being referred elsewhere at short notice. Because emergency availability is not the same as continuous cover, owners should check each clinic’s emergency pathway and handover arrangements if continuity of care is important for complex or rapidly changing conditions.
Veterinary nurse (VN) training clinics vs non-training clinics: 85 clinics offer VN training, while 61 do not. Training involvement often correlates with a structured nursing team and planned clinical workflows, which can matter for inpatient care, peri-operative support, and nurse-led services. For pet owners, the practical difference is usually felt in appointment capacity for routine procedures and in the level of nursing support available before and after treatment.
Mid-ranked and routine-focused clinics make up most of the county’s coverage and are central to day-to-day access. These providers typically handle ongoing preventive care, monitoring of stable long-term conditions, and non-urgent illness or injury close to home, reducing travel time and supporting continuity. They also act as the main entry point for escalation into emergency-enabled practices or more specialist/exotic providers when a case requires advanced diagnostics or treatment.
Overall, Essex shows strong depth in general provision, but key services are concentrated among a smaller subset—most clearly seen in emergency/out-of-hours availability.
Animal focus: the county is primarily companion-animal (dogs and cats) focused, with additional but smaller farm and equine provision and a notable specialist/exotic segment.
Essex offers broad access to routine veterinary care with selective coverage for emergency/out-of-hours, farm/equine work, and specialist or exotic cases—use the ranked clinic list above to choose the most suitable option for your pet.
Freshness: January 2026 (publicly available review and service data).
Top Vets in Essex
Highly rated veterinary clinics across Essex, ranked by service quality and reviews
Linkswood Veterinary Centre describes itself as an independent small-animal practice. Recent reviews suggest the team handles a mix of orthopaedic surgery and long-term case management, alongside day-to-day consultations. Owners repeatedly mention being fitted in at short notice, getting clear explanations during consults, and receiving support before, during and after major procedures—one owner specifically thanks the team for months of care around a dog’s TPLO surgery. Several reviews also highlight help during end-of-life appointments and the return of ashes being handled quickly.
Linkswood Veterinary Centre describes itself as an independent small-animal practice. Recent reviews suggest the team handles a mix of orthopaedic surgery and long-term case management, alongside day-to-day consultations. Owners repeatedly mention being fitted in at short notice, getting clear explanations during consults, and receiving support before, during and after major procedures—one owner specifically thanks the team for months of care around a dog’s TPLO surgery. Several reviews also highlight help during end-of-life appointments and the return of ashes being handled quickly.
All Paws Vets describes itself as an independent clinic and a cashless practice, with a “state of the art hospital” setup including in-house lab testing, digital X‑rays, ultrasound and echocardiography. The website also states the team is comfortable seeing exotics (small mammals, reptiles and birds) and holds certificates in advanced surgery.
From the latest reviews available, owners repeatedly mention vets who take time to listen and explain options/costs, and several describe active follow-up (including a vet checking in over weeks). Specific recent cases mentioned include being seen as an emergency even before registration, and surgery to remove an eye growth (with spaying done at the same time). Owners of anxious or fearful dogs also describe not being rushed and feeling supported during appointments.
All Paws Vets describes itself as an independent clinic and a cashless practice, with a “state of the art hospital” setup including in-house lab testing, digital X‑rays, ultrasound and echocardiography. The website also states the team is comfortable seeing exotics (small mammals, reptiles and birds) and holds certificates in advanced surgery.
From the latest reviews available, owners repeatedly mention vets who take time to listen and explain options/costs, and several describe active follow-up (including a vet checking in over weeks). Specific recent cases mentioned include being seen as an emergency even before registration, and surgery to remove an eye growth (with spaying done at the same time). Owners of anxious or fearful dogs also describe not being rushed and feeling supported during appointments.
ASL Vets is described on its website as a general veterinary clinic offering core diagnostics and preventive care, including dental procedures, ultrasound, blood tests, and vaccinations. It is also listed as a veterinary nurse training facility. In the latest reviews available to us, owners repeatedly mention being seen promptly, being able to get advice and medication for injuries, and having access to out-of-hours support (including a case where the vet talked through options and agreed home monitoring rather than pushing an emergency consult). Several reviewers also highlight practical communication tools, including a WhatsApp chat function.
ASL Vets is described on its website as a general veterinary clinic offering core diagnostics and preventive care, including dental procedures, ultrasound, blood tests, and vaccinations. It is also listed as a veterinary nurse training facility. In the latest reviews available to us, owners repeatedly mention being seen promptly, being able to get advice and medication for injuries, and having access to out-of-hours support (including a case where the vet talked through options and agreed home monitoring rather than pushing an emergency consult). Several reviewers also highlight practical communication tools, including a WhatsApp chat function.
Medivet Hockley is part of the Medivet group and is led (per the clinic website) by veterinary surgeon Nik Kwint. The practice advertises a broad in‑house setup (including an in‑house laboratory, X‑rays, ultrasound, and an orthopaedic theatre) alongside routine and referral-style diagnostics such as ECG and endoscopy. In recent reviews, owners repeatedly mention being seen at short notice for illness worries, getting reassurance after an exam, and staff showing empathy during difficult visits (one reviewer references having a pet “sent upstairs”).
Medivet Hockley is part of the Medivet group and is led (per the clinic website) by veterinary surgeon Nik Kwint. The practice advertises a broad in‑house setup (including an in‑house laboratory, X‑rays, ultrasound, and an orthopaedic theatre) alongside routine and referral-style diagnostics such as ECG and endoscopy. In recent reviews, owners repeatedly mention being seen at short notice for illness worries, getting reassurance after an exam, and staff showing empathy during difficult visits (one reviewer references having a pet “sent upstairs”).
Medivet Danbury is part of the Medivet group and is led by partner and Veterinary Surgeon Koot Kruger. The practice appears set up for both routine care and more involved diagnostics on-site, with equipment and services listed such as X-rays, ultrasound, ECG and an in-house laboratory. Reviews also point to breadth beyond cats and dogs: one owner describes seeing a vet “specialising in exotics” for a gecko, with clear explanations and options given (home nursing vs hospitalisation). Another recent review describes the team stabilising an injured baby badger, providing pain relief and not charging.
Medivet Danbury is part of the Medivet group and is led by partner and Veterinary Surgeon Koot Kruger. The practice appears set up for both routine care and more involved diagnostics on-site, with equipment and services listed such as X-rays, ultrasound, ECG and an in-house laboratory. Reviews also point to breadth beyond cats and dogs: one owner describes seeing a vet “specialising in exotics” for a gecko, with clear explanations and options given (home nursing vs hospitalisation). Another recent review describes the team stabilising an injured baby badger, providing pain relief and not charging.
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Welcome to Our Veterinary Directory
Our comprehensive directory connects pet owners with trusted local veterinary practices across Essex, England.
Our geo-targeted network makes it easy to find quality veterinary care in your area, whether you're looking for routine check-ups, emergency services, or specialist treatment.
