Southdown Veterinary Group - Hove | Vets in Hove, East Sussex

- Positive reviewers often mention a friendly, knowledgeable and caring team, with praise for both reception staff and the clinical side of the practice. - There is specific praise for neutering aftercare, with one owner describing it as very good. - Several complaints focus on pet travel or export certificates, including cancelled appointments, disputed interpretation of travel requirements and stressful communication.

Southdown Veterinary Group - Hove is a CVS practice in Hove offering first-opinion care for dogs, cats, small mammals and birds, with routine veterinary treatment, surgery, diagnostics and preventive care. The practice also lists home visits and pet travel documentation, with out-of-hours emergency cover provided by Vetcall Emergency Clinic. Recent feedback is mixed: some owners praise the team’s friendliness, clear explanations and aftercare, while others report problems around travel paperwork, communication and fees.

Services

•General veterinary care: consultations, vaccinations, microchipping, parasite control, six-month health checks, blood pressure checks and nurse clinics.
•Procedures and treatment: surgery including neutering, dentistry, anal sac expression, grooming and nail clipping. Recent reviews specifically praise the aftercare following a neutering procedure.
•Diagnostics: X-ray, ultrasound and an on-site lab are listed.
•Travel and visits: GB pet travel documentation is offered, and the clinic also lists home visits.
•Species seen: the website lists dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, ferrets, and a range of birds including cage birds, backyard poultry, birds of prey and wild birds.
•Emergency care: during normal opening hours, emergencies are handled through the practice; out of hours, emergency care is provided by Vetcall Emergency Clinic.

Pricing

Published prices suggest the clinic sits above average, based on a partial sample of comparable services. Reviews give a mixed picture on value: one owner felt the team was fair about costs and said the Healthy Pets Club had paid for itself through discounts and included routine items, while others described a £60 consultation requirement to renew medication and higher-than-expected pricing for travel paperwork after an initial phone quote.

People

Recent reviews specifically mention Elena and Quinton positively. Eren Karakulak is named in reviews about pet export paperwork. More broadly, reviewers refer to the reception team and veterinary team as patient, informative, caring and helpful.

Reviews

Google rating: 4.4/5 from 91 reviews.

•Positive reviewers often mention a friendly, knowledgeable and caring team, with praise for both reception staff and the clinical side of the practice.
•There is specific praise for neutering aftercare, with one owner describing it as very good.
•Several complaints focus on pet travel or export certificates, including cancelled appointments, disputed interpretation of travel requirements and stressful communication.
•Pricing and admin are a recurring concern in some reviews, including reports of higher-than-expected quotes and a £60 visit fee being required for medication renewal.

Reviews for Southdown Veterinary Group - Hove

Note: Showing the 10 most recent Google reviews out of 91 we track in total. Recent reviews may not be representative of overall sentiment.

Jennifer Jordan

3 weeks ago

All the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable, especially Elena, Quinton, and the receptionist (sorry, I forget her name). It’s clear that they truly love working with pets and they’re always respectful of pricing things fairly (unprompted!) for the humans. The Healthy Pets Club has more than paid for itself in discounts on procedures and “free” necessities (like worm treatment) so I recommend it for peace of mind.

Kazım Çalışkan

4 weeks ago

DO NOT TRUST THIS CLINIC WITH PET EXPORTS! I witnessed firsthand the absolute arrogance and incompetence of Mr. Eren Karakulak at this practice. My pregnant wife and I provided every legal document required for our cat’s travel to Turkey, including the specific government clauses that proved our cat was compliant. Mr. Eren chose to ignore clear regulations, hiding behind a supposed "authority" to refuse signing just because he felt like it. His gatekeeping and dismissive attitude caused my wife immense, unnecessary stress during a vulnerable time.The most ridiculous part? He claimed the rules were "ambiguous" despite being a native Turkish speaker who could read the gov.tr website directly. We went to another vet who confirmed everything was perfect and issued the certificate immediately. Avoid this place if you value your time, money, and sanity.

Özüm Öztürk

1 month ago

AVOID AT ALL COSTS FOR PET TRAVEL/EHC! Our experience with Mr. Eren at Southdown Veterinary Centre was a nightmare that nearly cost us our international relocation. Despite providing a full, unbroken vaccination history and the specific legal clauses for Turkey’s entry requirements, Mr. Eren refused to process our cat’s Export Health Certificate (EHC). He displayed a shocking lack of knowledge regarding international regulations, choosing to hide behind "ambiguities" that did not exist. When we tried to show him official government documents, his attitude was dismissive and confrontational, stating he had the "authority" to refuse signing simply because he felt like it. As a pregnant woman with a critical medical appointment at our destination, the stress caused by his gatekeeping and unprofessionalism was unacceptable. The ultimate proof of his incompetence? Another local veterinary clinic (where we weren’t even registered) reviewed the exact same documents, confirmed they were 100% correct, and issued our EHC without a single issue.If you want to ensure your pet travels safely and you aren't treated with arrogance, go elsewhere. This clinic’s lack of diligence nearly ruined our lives. A formal complaint to the RCVS is being prepared.

angelina silva

7 months ago

Disappointing Experience with Health Certificate appointment for traveling abroad and poor communication about pricing . I am writing this review to express my dissatisfaction with my recent experience at your clinic regarding the appointment for a health certificate, which was cancelled just a day before my travel. The lack of professionalism displayed was incredibly frustrating, especially as I was not informed of any potential issues until the last moment. The uncertainty and stress caused during this time were unnecessary and could have been avoided with better communication. Furthermore, I had to take the initiative to demand an alternative clinic to address the issue, which added to my frustration. Also the pricing was incorrectly quoted over the phone , once I booked the appointment the vet gave me a much higher quote with no explanation. I expected a higher standard of service, especially considering the importance of obtaining this certificate in a timely manner. I hope that you will take this feedback seriously and make the necessary improvements to prevent future occurrences for other clients.

Peter Bartram

Having acquired a cat from his previous owner, I requested renewal supplies of two of his medications. After three days I got no response, and when I phoned again was told I would have to pay £60 for a visit to get that done. This seems exorbitant and unnecessary, and I am thinking of going to another vet practice.

Andree Hill

8 months ago

Brought our floppsie here for neutering, brilliant staff very helpful and very good aftercare thank you Mr &Mrs hill

Southdown Veterinary Group - Hove