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Best Vets in Laois

Featured Clinic Overview

Updated January 2026
Independent Clinic

## Summary Highfield Veterinary Portlaoise is part of the Highfield Veterinary Group. Based on its own site, it positions itself for both routine check-ups and urgent/emergency situations, and it explicitly mentions seeing exotic pets. In the latest reviews available to us, owners repeatedly describe careful handling of cats and nervous dogs (including taking time to answer lots of questions), and one reviewer mentions a follow-up phone call a few days after a visit to check how their cat was doing. There is also a conflicting account from one reviewer who says the clinic refused to provide a prescription for ongoing medication and tried to charge substantially more than other sources. ## Services - Routine care and check-ups (mentioned on the clinic website). - Urgent and emergency care (the website says the team is available to handle emergencies with urgency and expertise). - Care for cats and dogs (multiple reviews describe cat and dog visits, including a nervous dog). - Exotic pet care (explicitly listed on the website summary). - Repeat prescriptions (appears in the clinic website navigation/content available to us). - Pet health plans / a “vet plan” (the website references “Pet Health Plans,” and one reviewer says they signed up for a vet plan). - Common problem consultations mentioned in reviews include ear problems and stomach problems in a dog. ## People - Staff are repeatedly described as patient and careful with cats—one owner says their cat was made as comfortable as possible and that questions were answered “politely and thoroughly.” - Multiple reviews highlight extra time spent with anxious pets; one owner with a “really nervous dog” says the team “went above and beyond” to put the dog at ease. - Follow-up is specifically mentioned by one reviewer: a vet called a few days later to check on a cat’s progress after the visit. ## Reviews Google rating: 4.7 stars from 170 reviews. Themes below are drawn from the latest written reviews available to us. - Gentle handling and reassurance during appointments, especially for cats and nervous dogs (taking time, being patient, helping pets settle). - Communication: owners mention staff answering many questions thoroughly. - Aftercare: one review mentions a follow-up call a few days after a cat visit to check how things were going. - A notable negative outlier: one reviewer alleges they were charged much more for regular medication than elsewhere and says the clinic refused to provide a prescription so they could buy it elsewhere.

Showing 1-10 of 21 clinics

#2 Ranking

Port Vet Clinic

Portarlington

Our Score (81/100)

4.8(144 reviews)
Independent Clinic
Treats:
dog
cat
bird

Port Vet Clinic offers routine care alongside in-house diagnostics (X‑rays, ultrasound, blood testing) and surgical work including neutering and orthopaedic surgery, with a 24‑hour emergency call service stated on its website. Recent reviews give concrete examples of the clinic handling difficult situations: support with euthanasia for a very unwell stray cat, a week-long hospital stay with IV fluids (“on a drip”) for a critically sick dog, and help with trapping and neutering a feral tomcat (a trap loan scheme is mentioned as having existed previously, but the reviewer notes it may no longer be available). Ownership/group affiliation isn’t stated in the information provided.

#3 Ranking

Our Score (79/100)

4.7(335 reviews)
Independent Clinic
Treats:
dog
cat
bird

Vetcare Portlaoise is part of the Vet Care group (described on its site as having four practices) and offers general veterinary care with vets, nurses, and reception/clerical support staff. From the information available, the clinic is set up for routine consultations and ongoing pet care (including a Pet Health Club® Plus plan where consultations are included), and it also supports end-of-life arrangements such as handling cremation and returning ashes in an urn. Reviews frequently mention staff explaining next steps clearly and sending reminders for vaccinations; one recent review conflicts with this, alleging a missed diagnosis in a dog with a swallowed bone that was later found lodged in the oesophagus after several days.

Our Score (72/100)

4.7(125 reviews)
Independent Clinic
Treats:
dog
cat
bird

The Veterinary Centre Mountmellick appears to provide routine small‑animal care (vaccines, neutering) as well as end‑of‑life support; one review also describes a vet attending a euthanasia at the owner’s home. Recent feedback is mostly positive about gentle, thorough handling (including with an anxious dog) and “reasonable” costs, but there are also two serious complaints: one about the handling of a home euthanasia, and another about being refused an over‑the‑counter product for a sheep because the person wasn’t an existing customer. Concrete specifics mentioned by reviewers include: - Neutering and vaccinations carried out for cats. - End‑of‑life care, including a home visit for euthanasia (described in detail in a negative review). - Efforts to make vet visits easier for a highly anxious dog (staff “went out of their way” to reduce stress). - A reported refusal to supply an over‑the‑counter magnesium product for a ewe to a non‑customer.

Our Score (78/100)

4.8(170 reviews)
Independent Clinic
Treats:
dog
cat
bird

Portarlington Veterinary Centre is an independently run small-animal clinic established in March 2018 by Anne Flanagan. The practice presents itself as focused on routine preventative care and in-house procedures, with “Surgery & X-Ray” listed on its site and grooming provided by an in-house dog groomer. The website also states a “24hrs a day 365 days a year” service. From the latest reviews available to us, owners most often describe day-to-day care such as neutering, vaccinations, parasite control, and treatment for wounds/illness in cats and dogs. Several reviews give concrete examples of how cases are handled (e.g., taking a very sick dog “right away,” making time for owners to say goodbye during euthanasia, and helping with neutering of a trapped feral cat). A small number of recent reviews report serious concerns, including refusal to see an acutely unwell cat because the owners were not existing clients, and a disputed account of complications and communication after a puppy’s neutering.

Our Score (76/100)

4.8(170 reviews)
Independent Clinic
Treats:

Independent small‑animal practice started by Anne Flanagan in March 2018. The website describes a team that has grown to include a receptionist, two nurses, a full‑time vet, a part‑time vet, and a full‑time dog groomer, with X‑ray available on site and a 24/7, 365‑day service stated. From reviews, the clinic is frequently used for neutering and routine preventive care (vaccinations, parasite control), as well as same‑day attention for unwell pets in some cases (one owner says their sick dog was “taken right away”). Feedback is mixed on access and problem‑handling: one recent reviewer alleges their very unwell cat was refused because they weren’t existing clients, and another describes a post‑procedure infection and a breakdown in communication around test results.

#7

P O'Hanlon

Abbeyleix

Our Score (73/100)

4.7(66 reviews)
Independent Clinic
Treats:

The information available here doesn’t describe veterinary facilities or pet-care services. Although the listing name suggests a clinic, the latest written Google reviews we have access to are about a general shop/fuel station experience (food items, customer service at the till, and parcel drop-off), so there isn’t enough reliable evidence in these sources to judge it as a veterinary practice (e.g., types of animals treated, clinical services, staffing, or care standards).

Our Score (75/100)

4.9(85 reviews)
Independent Clinic
Treats:
dog
cat
bird

Portrane Veterinary Clinic is a small-practice setting where owners frequently mention direct care from a vet named Megan. From the latest reviews, the clinic appears set up for routine consultations and surgical care, with examples including cat surgery with phone updates during the procedure, ultrasound/scan use in a post‑whelping check, and end‑of‑life euthanasia support for older dogs. Reviews are mostly strongly positive, but there is also a serious negative account alleging a missed retained/deceased puppy and subsequent sepsis, so experiences described are not fully consistent.

#9

Our Score (75/100)

5.0(69 reviews)
Independent Clinic
Treats:
dog
cat
bird

Erkina Veterinary is presented in reviews as a small practice centred around a named vet, Grainne, with Mary mentioned as the receptionist. Corporate-group ownership isn’t stated in the available information. Based on the latest reviews, the clinic is used for routine and illness care for dogs and cats, with owners describing: - “Different treatments” carried out for two dogs when needed (specific treatments aren’t detailed). - Staff being “obliging to facilitate when you need them”, suggesting flexibility around urgent needs. - A consistent emphasis on respectful handling of animals, with multiple reviewers saying their pets were looked after well and treated kindly. - Advice being described as “excellent” in one review.

Our Score (66/100)

5.0(3 reviews)
Independent Clinic
Treats:

Anthony Casserly Veterinary Practice is a small clinic with limited publicly available service detail, but the latest reviews consistently describe a straightforward, practical setup for routine care and medication needs. Owners specifically mention being able to call ahead and book prescription pick-up, getting quick, efficient service, and receiving free helpful advice. The premises are also described as having a flat entrance and parking.

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