Your vet should tell you
what it will cost
An independent small animal practice on Fernhill Road. Dogs, cats and small mammals, with our fee guide published on this website and a clear answer about who sees your animal at three in the morning.
Who sees your animal at three in the morning
We do not staff our own overnight service, and we would rather say so plainly than let you find out in an emergency.
Where you would go
Severnside Emergency Veterinary Service
Units 3–4, Lancaster Road, Shrewsbury SY1 3NG
2.4 miles from our practice
- Mon – Fri, 08:30 – 18:30
- Our own vets, here
- Sat, 09:00 – 13:00
- Our own vets, here
- All other hours
- Severnside, 2.4 miles away
Calling our normal number at any hour gives you a recorded message with the out-of-hours number and address. Out-of-hours consultations are charged by the provider, not by us, and are considerably more expensive than a daytime appointment — typically £180 to £250 before any treatment. This is normal across the profession and worth knowing before you need it.
What we treat, and what we do not
We are a small animal practice. Being honest about the edges of that is more useful than implying we can see anything.
-
Dogs
Full consultation, surgical, dental and diagnostic services including in-house bloods and digital radiography.
Routine care Annual booster, 6-monthly check
-
Cats
Separate cat waiting area and cat-only consulting hours on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, which lowers stress considerably.
Routine care Annual booster, 6-monthly check
-
Rabbits
Vaccination, dental work and neutering. Rabbits are prey animals and deteriorate quietly, so we ask you to bring them in earlier than feels necessary.
Routine care Annual RVHD & myxomatosis
-
Small mammals
Guinea pigs, ferrets, rats and hamsters. Consultations and routine surgery; complex cases referred.
Routine care Health check, 6-monthly
- Referred on
Reptiles and birds
We do not have the husbandry expertise or housing to do this properly. Referred to Telford Exotics, who are genuinely good at it.
Routine care Referred at registration
- Referred on
Horses and livestock
An entirely different practice discipline requiring different equipment and out-of-hours cover. Referred to Baschurch Equine.
Routine care Referred at registration
We are not an exotics or equine practice, and we will not attempt work we are not properly equipped for. For reptiles, birds and horses we refer to practices in Telford and Baschurch, and we will make the call for you rather than handing over a phone number.
Preventive care, spread monthly
Routine care paid by direct debit rather than in lumps. It works out cheaper than paying as you go and it means the boosters actually happen.
- Saves £64
Puppy & Kitten
First year, dogs and cats
£17 a month
- Full primary vaccination course
- Monthly parasite treatment, first year
- Microchipping
- Two health checks
- 10% off neutering
- Saves £96
Adult
Dogs and cats, 1–8 years
£21 a month
- Annual booster vaccination
- Year-round flea, tick and worm treatment
- Two health checks a year
- Annual nail clip and anal gland check
- 10% off dental work and neutering
- Saves £140
Senior
Dogs and cats over 8
£29 a month
- Everything in Adult
- Twice-yearly senior blood screen
- Blood pressure check
- Urine screen
- Arthritis assessment
Plans cover preventive care only — vaccinations, parasite treatment and health checks. They are not insurance and do not cover illness, injury or surgery. Anyone telling you a health plan replaces insurance is doing you a disservice; you want both.
What common things cost
Published because the first question everyone wants to ask is the one they feel awkward asking on the phone.
| Item | Standard | On a plan |
|---|---|---|
| Consultation 15 minutes with a vet, including a full clinical exam | £46 | Included |
| Annual booster, dog DHP and leptospirosis, with a health check | £62 | Included |
| Annual booster, cat Flu, enteritis and leukaemia, with a health check | £58 | Included |
| Cat neutering, female Day procedure, including pre-anaesthetic checks and pain relief | £145 | £131 |
| Dog neutering, male Under 20 kg, day procedure with post-operative check | £265 | £239 |
| Dental scale and polish Under anaesthetic, excluding extractions | £310 | £279 |
| Microchipping Implant and lifetime registration | £22 | Included |
| Euthanasia, in practice Including sedation and a private room with as much time as you need | £95 | — |
These are the fees for straightforward cases. Anything complicated is quoted before we proceed, and we will always ring you with a revised estimate rather than carrying on and presenting a larger bill afterwards. If cost is a concern, say so — there is very often more than one reasonable option and we would rather discuss them.
What people say
Mostly about being told the price first.
“They rang me mid-procedure to say it was going to cost more than quoted and asked whether to continue. I have never had that call from a vet before.”
“The cat-only mornings made a genuine difference. He stopped being a shaking wreck in the waiting room.”
“When our old dog reached the end they gave us a room and did not hurry us once. I will not forget how that was handled.”
The awkward ones
Mostly about money and about the end of a pet's life.
Yes. A health plan covers routine preventive care — vaccinations, parasite treatment, health checks. It does not cover illness, injury or surgery. Insurance covers the unexpected and expensive. They do different jobs and most clients sensibly have both.
Because a full clinical team is awake and on site overnight for whatever arrives, which is expensive to staff whether or not anyone comes in. Typical out-of-hours consultation fees are £180 to £250 before treatment. That is charged by Severnside rather than by us.
For routine things, yes, and they are on this page. For an unwell animal we can rarely quote accurately without examining them, but we will give you an estimate before doing anything beyond the consultation, and we will ring you if the picture changes.
We give you a private room with a separate entrance and no time limit, and you can stay as long as you want afterwards. Home visits are possible and often kinder — please ring and ask. We will talk you through the options for afterwards without rushing.
Yes. Fernhill has been independently owned since 2009 and is not part of a corporate group. That is increasingly unusual and it is the main reason we can publish our own fees rather than following a national price list.
Register before you need us
Registration takes five minutes and means we already have your pet's history when something goes wrong.