Optivet Referrals Ltd

- Kind, well-organised care: owners frequently describe a smooth process from first enquiry onwards, with friendly reception staff, good communication, and appointments that do not feel rushed. - Strong specialist eye care: recent reviews mention help with retinal reattachment, chronic eye infections, perforated eyes, emergency surgery that saved vision, and compassionate support when eye removal was necessary. - Clear explanations and shared decision-making: several reviewers mention options being talked through carefully, rough cost estimates being given in advance, and practical aftercare advice including how to give medication at home.

Services

•Ophthalmology referrals: eye examinations and surgical procedures including cataract surgery. Recent cases mention treatment for continuous eye infections, retinal reattachment, perforated or ruptured eyes, vision-saving emergency surgery, and eye removal where needed.
•Orthopaedic referrals: an extensive range of orthopaedic procedures, led by two ECVS Specialists in small animal surgery.
•Internal medicine referrals.
•Soft tissue surgery: a full range of procedures, working closely with internal medicine; one owner specifically described successful removal of a challenging cancer.
•CT imaging: an outpatient CT service using a Toshiba 128-slice CT system.
•Cardiology referrals: the cardiology service started in January 2024, led by Alfredo Planelles, and also accepts outpatient echocardiogram cases. Reviews also mention detailed heart murmur consultations with clear explanations and future planning.
•Equine ophthalmology: a dedicated equine specialist team supports this service.
•Urgent and emergency eye care: owners describe being seen on a bank holiday and in the early hours of the morning for serious eye emergencies, with recent reviews also highlighting emergency surgery for sight-threatening eye injuries.
•Owner guidance and aftercare: reviews mention options and charges being discussed before treatment, along with practical help such as being shown how to give medication at home.

Pricing

No published pricing information is currently available for this clinic.

People

•Alfredo Planelles — leads the cardiology referral service; outpatient echocardiograms are also accepted.
•Andrew — named by owners for a thorough cardiology consultation and a clear plan for a dog with a heart murmur.
•Mirka Palenikova — praised for friendly, empathetic care and taking time to explain treatment options clearly.
•Charlotte — highlighted for listening carefully and explaining a dog's retinal treatment in detail.
•Libby — mentioned by one owner as a kind and caring member of the reception team.
•Barney — credited by one owner with removing a difficult cancer completely.
•Gisela Caliz and Emma Buffet — praised for handling an overnight emergency eye rupture with empathy, reassurance, and a thorough assessment.
•Chris — remembered by one owner for persisting with treatment when others had given up.
•Reception team — repeatedly praised for friendliness, organisation, and compassion, including during stressful visits and end-of-life care.

Reviews

Optivet Referrals has a 4.8-star Google rating from 414 reviews. Recent feedback highlights

•Kind, well-organised care: owners frequently describe a smooth process from first enquiry onwards, with friendly reception staff, good communication, and appointments that do not feel rushed.
•Strong specialist eye care: recent reviews mention help with retinal reattachment, chronic eye infections, perforated eyes, emergency surgery that saved vision, and compassionate support when eye removal was necessary.
•Clear explanations and shared decision-making: several reviewers mention options being talked through carefully, rough cost estimates being given in advance, and practical aftercare advice including how to give medication at home.
•Specialist expertise with a reassuring manner: cardiology consultations, surgery, and emergency cases are all described positively, with owners often saying the team was calm, knowledgeable, and supportive in stressful situations. A small number of comments describe the clinic as pricey, but these are still paired with very positive views of the care received.

Reviews for Optivet Referrals Ltd

Note: Showing the 10 most recent Google reviews out of 414 we track in total. Recent reviews may not be representative of overall sentiment.

Jessica Westcott

2 weeks ago

Suzi Harris

1 month ago

Exceptional staff starting from the reception team who were very attentive and came over to offer coffee whilst we were waiting. The vet I saw (Mirka Palenikova) was so very friendly and took lots of time to explain our options. Her clinical skills and knowledge were superb and the way she treated my Cairn Terrier was full of empathy. I’m more than impressed

Sally Tizzard

Emily Morris

The team at OptiVet were fantastic in helping my dog and his retinal reattachment. In particular Charlotte took the time to explain everything and heard all of our concerns and questions. The receptionist as well (I think Libby) is so kind and caring. Both are real credits to OptiVet

John Geden

2 months ago

Our 11 year old dog needed surgery and Optivet were amazing. Kind and caring professional staff and a great free coffee machine!!

Ceri B

7 months ago

Couldn't recommend more, from start to finish the whole process was stress free and well organised. We emailed an initial enquiry, and the response we received was thorough and explained what would happen at our appointment along with a rough estimate of costs. When we arrived on the day the reception team were really friendly. We saw the Cardiologist Andrew who is genuinely the best vet we've ever seen. He also had 2 students in with him who were very kind and knowledgeable. We went in with so many uncertainties about our dogs heart murmur and came out feeling much more positive about it all and to have a plan for the future.

Leon Carter

Lena Barton

From the first phone call, through surgery and post operatvely I cannot rate Optivet highly enough. They not only looked after my dog they looked after me! So very kind, friendly, professional and knowledgeable. All charges and options are discussed before treatment. Excellent, outstanding service. Thank you so much for looking after us and our dog x

Jo Macdonald

Our dogs have been patients of Optivet for several years now and the care has always been superb. I do not hesitate to recommend them to anyone who needs this specialist support for their pets. Appointments are never rushed, full explanations are provided and care plans are jointly made by us and the vet. We couldn't ask for better care.

Madeleine Furminger

Our 10 year old English Bulldog was referred to Optivet after having continuous eye infections. They diagnosed the problem and surgery was completed the a couple of weeks later. They looked after him so well, they were very caring and they went through all our options and explained everything very well. Thank you to all the staff for looking after our furbaby so well. He is so much better now.