Forest Lodge Veterinary Practice

- Routine and urgent appointments for cats and dogs, with recent reviews describing quick access for problems such as an injured paw, a damaged dew claw, stitch removal, and a cat’s issue being dealt with at the appointment. - Out-of-hours emergency care arrangements for nights, weekends, and bank holidays. - House calls and an ambulance service for sick animals, alongside in-practice consultations.

Forest Lodge Veterinary Practice in New Milton has been operating since 1987 and says it has been trusted by more than 23,000 clients. It is part of IVC Evidensia. The practice offers a broad mix of routine care and urgent help, including house calls, an ambulance service for sick animals, and out-of-hours emergency arrangements for nights, weekends, and bank holidays. It also states that injured wildlife can be examined free of charge.

Services

Forest Lodge Veterinary Practice offers a wide range of everyday and urgent veterinary care, including

•Routine and urgent appointments for cats and dogs, with recent reviews describing quick access for problems such as an injured paw, a damaged dew claw, stitch removal, and a cat’s issue being dealt with at the appointment.
•Out-of-hours emergency care arrangements for nights, weekends, and bank holidays.
•House calls and an ambulance service for sick animals, alongside in-practice consultations.
•Repeat prescriptions and dispensing of medicines.
•Wildlife emergencies, with the practice stating that injured wildlife is examined free of charge; reviews also mention wildlife being taken in during an emergency.
•Follow-up and ongoing care, with reviewers referring to long-term care for pets over many years as well as practical aftercare visits.

Pricing

No published pricing information is currently available for this clinic.

People

Named team members mentioned by clients include

•Susie (vet), repeatedly praised as knowledgeable, kind, caring, gentle, and reassuring.
•Lucy (reception), mentioned by a long-standing client as kind, helpful, and professional over many years.
•Amy, Jess and Hailey, thanked for going above and beyond during an emergency involving a collapsed dog.

Reviews

Google rating: 4.5/5 from 242 reviews. Recent feedback is mostly positive, with a strong emphasis on kindness and access to care, though there is also one detailed negative account from a long-term client.

•Fast access when pets need prompt attention: reviewers mention being fitted in quickly for urgent problems, including injuries while away on holiday.
•Caring, thorough handling by vets and nurses: several owners describe pets being treated gently and professionally, with visits feeling reassuring and efficient.
•Helpful support in stressful situations: one review highlights staff helping during a beach emergency involving a large dog, while another mentions the practice taking in wildlife as well as family pets.
•Some concerns are raised about continuity and costs: one long-standing client reports worries about overnight inpatient supervision, difficulty seeing the same vet for an ongoing condition, and higher-than-expected charges, while other reviewers describe prices as reasonable.

Reviews for Forest Lodge Veterinary Practice

Note: Showing the 10 most recent Google reviews out of 242 we track in total. Recent reviews may not be representative of overall sentiment.

Hannah Corcoran

2 months ago

Forest Lodge were so good when our greyhound managed to hurt his poor when we were on holiday. They fitted us in straight away and the vet was very thorough with his care for Merlin. Thank you!

Martina Allan

Amazing service from start to finish. I received an appointment for the following morning, was not kept waiting and my cat's issue was sorted there and then by a caring vet and nurse. I thought the cost was reasonable too and happy to pay.

jane lewis

3 months ago

Couldnt fault very polite and helpful.

Sian George

4 months ago

I was hesitant to write this review, but I feel these are important points for other pet owners to know when choosing where to take their much-loved animals. I used Forest Lodge Veterinary Practice for the best part of 10 years, and it hasn’t been an easy decision to move elsewhere. Unfortunately, over the past few years I’ve experienced several issues that ultimately led me to change practices. One of my biggest concerns is overnight care. If your pet is admitted, there is no one on site overnight. My dog had surgery on his side and then became very unwell with severe diarrhoea and blood as a reaction to pain relief. He was admitted, and I later found out he would be completely alone from around 7pm until 7am. This was extremely worrying and is something I believe owners should be made fully aware of. More recently, my cat developed a condition requiring frequent vet visits. Continuity of care is unfortunately lacking — rarely seeing the same vet made managing a long-term condition more difficult than it needed to be. The costs also became a major concern. My cat was having regular blood tests, which were around £85 every 3–4 weeks. I was then told I had been “undercharged” and that the correct price should be £115. I asked to speak to a manager but waited 2–3 weeks for a call back that never came, despite chasing it. Since moving to another practice — one with 24-hour on-site nurses and proper out-of-hours care — the exact same blood test now costs £45. The difference is huge. Another issue was how difficult blood tests were for my cat at Forest Lodge. Appointments often took over an hour, with multiple attempts to take blood. At my new practice, I’m in and out within 15 minutes, my cat is praised for being a “good boy,” and there are no issues at all. That difference speaks volumes to me. Sadly, since the practice was taken over by a larger corporate group, it feels like prices have risen sharply while personal care has declined. I do want to be fair and acknowledge the positives. Lucy on reception has dealt with me for the best part of 10 years and has always been kind, helpful, and professional. I also once received excellent care from the vet Susie, who was genuinely compassionate and thorough. This review isn’t written lightly — I was with Forest Lodge for many years — but my pets’ welfare must come first. I hope this helps other owners make an informed decision.

Fran Carpenter

Forest Lodge is a great vet practice. Have been with them for over 20 years. Not only look after our cats but also took wildlife and my mum’s dog in an emergency. Very caring. Highly recommend.

Kerry Vickery

6 months ago

S Spencer

Suki loves her visits to Forest Lodge Vets in New Milton; she is treated like a princess. Thank you for caring for her like you do - it makes such a difference 🐾💗

MAZ JAMES

I’ve had to visit more often than I would have liked but the staff are lovely and take really good care of our 2 cockapoos.

Nikki

Had to bring one of our greyhounds in to have some stitches removed whilst staying nearby on holiday. From start to finish the practice was friendly, knowledgeable and professional. We also found their prices very reasonable. Many thanks again 👍😊⭐️

Livia Gusman

8 months ago

I cannot recommend Susie highly enough. She is a wonderful vet — knowledgeable, kind, caring and gentle. Every visit is so reassuring, and I always know my little dog, Lola, is in the safest of hands with her.