St Elmo Veterinary Clinic

- Many reviewers describe the team as caring, helpful and professional, with some saying the clinic has supported their pets well over a number of years. - Calm handling is a repeated positive theme, especially for nervous dogs during vaccinations and examinations; one owner said their dog had its least traumatic visit in years. - A standout emergency review praises vet Ciara for compassionate care, thorough testing and clear communication during an out-of-hours visit.

St Elmo Veterinary Clinic is a small-animal practice in Derry City, established in 2010 and part of CVS. It offers routine care alongside surgery and in-house diagnostics, including an in-house lab, ultrasound and X-ray, and provides out-of-hours support through a shared on-call rota with five practices, with free telephone advice and emergency consultations if needed. Reviews often highlight calm handling, caring staff and clear explanations, though some owners have raised concerns about cost and communication.

Services

•Routine and preventive care: consultations, vaccinations, parasite control, microchipping, nurse clinics, blood pressure checks and six-month health checks. Reviews also mention vaccination visits that included a thorough check-up, with particular praise for helping anxious dogs stay calm during injections and exams.
•Surgery and dentistry: neutering, dentistry, general surgery, and a soft-tissue surgery referral service.
•Diagnostics and imaging: in-house diagnostic testing, an in-house lab, ultrasound and X-ray. One emergency review describes extensive testing being carried out to check for serious problems.
•Additional pet care: grooming and nail clipping, anal sac expression, home visits, and GB pet travel documentation.
•Species treated: dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs and ferrets.
•Emergency care: out-of-hours cover is available through a shared rota between five practices, with free telephone advice and emergency consultations if needed.

Pricing

Available published prices indicate the clinic sits above average relative to similar practices. Review comments on cost are mixed, but the clearest theme is that some owners have found treatment and medicines expensive, including one complaint about antibiotic pricing and an earlier complaint about a high out-of-hours surgery estimate.

People

•Ciara (vet): praised in an emergency visit for being compassionate, knowledgeable, patient and reassuring, while explaining tests and findings clearly during a stressful situation.
•Agnes (vet): named by one owner for helping an anxious dog stay calm during a vaccination and thorough check-up.
•Reception team: reviews mention helpful guidance on insurance and health-cover options, and describe front-desk staff as pleasant and welcoming.

Reviews

St Elmo Veterinary Clinic has a 4.4-star Google rating from 184 reviews.

•Many reviewers describe the team as caring, helpful and professional, with some saying the clinic has supported their pets well over a number of years.
•Calm handling is a repeated positive theme, especially for nervous dogs during vaccinations and examinations; one owner said their dog had its least traumatic visit in years.
•A standout emergency review praises vet Ciara for compassionate care, thorough testing and clear communication during an out-of-hours visit.
•Negative feedback is mainly about cost and communication, including one review describing antibiotics as very expensive, another reporting a dismissive consultation, and an earlier out-of-hours complaint about a very high surgery estimate.

Reviews for St Elmo Veterinary Clinic

Note: Showing the 10 most recent Google reviews out of 184 we track in total. Recent reviews may not be representative of overall sentiment.

Ftree

2 months ago

We had to take our dog to St Elmos last night as they were the emergency vets. Although they’re not our registered vets, we couldn’t have asked for better care. Vet Ciara was absolutely amazing, so compassionate, knowledgeable, kind and genuinely caring during what was an incredibly stressful and worrying time for me and my partner. Our dog suddenly became very sick, and she ran every test possible to make sure nothing major was missed. Despite how heightened and anxious we were, Ciara was so patient and reassuring, taking the time to explain everything clearly and doing her best to put our minds at ease. We’re so grateful for the care and kindness she showed us and our dog. Thank you so much.

treeshakertucker

The staff were professional and the place was well run. The problem was that they charge an arm and a leg for antibiotics and were unwilling to get to the heart of the matter. Found another vet clinic and they were willing to give treatment option that would potentially cure it for the same price that this place would charge for antibiotics.

Amanda McKenna

6 months ago

Fabulous wee vets. Helpful and caring staff.

Rosie White

1 year ago

Great experience wee dog is so confident to go here

Rachael Rodgers

If your looking for the perfect vet for your pet, then look no further. St Elmo's is the best place for your friend. Staff so wonderful, service amazing and they helped us so much with our pets throughout the years. I recommend this place to anyone. Your pets are in good hands. Staff will give you the best advice to help your little pet and would do all they can to help them.

Martin Boyle

2 years ago

Vet today seemed very cheeky and dismissive...made me feel uncomfortable 😭... every other time vets were 100% brilliant...

Sarah Mullan

Awful awful! If you care about your pet don't bring them here, was talking to them on the phone about my dog being swollen in her back passage and slightly prolapsed but only slightly (due to being in heat) was told by a receptionist over the phone because they were the designated out of hours (and not consulted by the vet) that she would need a very expensive emergency surgery costing near over £3000 and it had to be paid in full on the day or else put her down?! Heart was broke because her sister from the same litter died of an illness before Christmas and she actually got an emergency surgery and treatment that took all our nest egg. Took her to her actual vet at pets at home and they told me she was a very healthy pup and the swelling can be fixed with spaying. St.elmos vets shame on you trying to bleed all that money out of someone using that kinda emotional turmoil of possibly euthanasing a member of our family for 6+ years!!! Pets at home examined her and will spay her for £300! We almost considered putting down our baby girl because we had no money to give her emergency surgery!! Shame on you!!!! I dread to think what other pets have been put down because of your emotional blackmail! You should be investigated.