Earlswood Veterinary

For pet owners throughout Northern Ireland, the health and well-being of their beloved animals are paramount. When faced with routine check-ups or complex medical challenges, having access to a veterinary practice that combines advanced medical capabilities with genuine compassion is essential. In Belfast, **Earlswood Veterinary** stands as a distinguished and long-established RCVS (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons) accredited small animal hospital, renowned for its comprehensive care and specialist services. This article aims to provide a clear, engaging, and informative overview of Earlswood Veterinary, highlighting its commitment to providing exceptional veterinary care from the perspective of local users in Northern Ireland.

Earlswood Veterinary has a rich history, tracing its origins back to a small practice in Chichester Street, Belfast, in the late 19th Century, before moving to its current home on Belmont Road in 1970 and upgrading to a veterinary hospital. Over the decades, it has evolved from primarily handling horses and farm work to becoming a pure small animal practice, continuously developing to meet modern standards without losing its personal touch. Today, Earlswood Veterinary operates as both a first-opinion practice for everyday pet needs and a leading referral centre for more complex cases across Northern Ireland. Their dedication to providing the highest standard of patient and client care, treating every pet as their own, is consistently reflected in client feedback.

Earlswood Veterinary is conveniently located at **193 Belmont Road, Belfast BT4 2AE, UK**. This prime location in East Belfast makes it highly accessible for pet owners across Belfast and the wider surrounding areas of Northern Ireland. Belmont Road is a well-known and relatively busy thoroughfare, ensuring ease of navigation for clients.

The hospital's position on Belmont Road offers straightforward access from various parts of the city and beyond. For those travelling by car, Earlswood Veterinary provides an on-site client car park, a significant advantage that reduces stress and inconvenience, especially when transporting ill or anxious pets. This dedicated parking makes visits much smoother. Furthermore, its location in an established part of Belfast means it is likely well-served by local public transport routes, enhancing accessibility for a broader range of pet owners. The ease of reaching a facility of this calibre, particularly one that also houses an out-of-hours emergency service, is a critical benefit for the local community, providing peace of mind knowing that expert help is readily available.

Earlswood Veterinary, as an RCVS accredited small animal hospital, offers a comprehensive and extensive range of veterinary services, catering to both general first-opinion care and highly specialised referral services. Their facilities and team are equipped to handle a wide spectrum of medical and surgical needs. Key services include:

• General Consultations and Preventative Care: Routine health checks, vaccinations, microchipping, parasite control, and general wellness advice for pets of all ages.

• Advanced Diagnostic Imaging: Featuring a 16-slice CT scanner on-site and a visiting high-field MRI unit (mobile MRI visits 3 days per week), along with radiography (X-rays), ultrasound, arthroscopy, fluoroscopy, endoscopy, and laparoscopy for accurate diagnosis of complex conditions.

• Internal Medicine Referrals: Specialised diagnosis and management of conditions affecting internal organs, including gastrointestinal, endocrine (e.g., diabetes, thyroid), respiratory, immune-mediated, liver, renal, urinary, and infectious diseases.

• Soft Tissue Surgery: A wide array of surgical procedures, from routine operations to complex reconstructions, including ear, nose, and throat surgery (e.g., BOAS surgery), cardiothoracic surgery, oral cavity surgery, gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary surgery, urogenital surgery, and extensive wound management. They have three operating theatres.

• Orthopaedics: Diagnosis and treatment of bone, joint, and muscle conditions, including intervertebral disc disease, vertebral luxations and fractures, and congenital spinal deformities.

• Ophthalmology: Specialist eye care, including cataract assessment and removal, glaucoma management, eyelid abnormality correction, and corneal surgery, with a Certified Veterinary Ophthalmologist.

• Cardiology: Diagnosis and management of heart murmurs, arrhythmias, investigation of collapse, and other heart conditions, including 24-hour ambulatory ECG/Holter monitoring.

• Neurology: Investigation and management of neurological conditions such as seizures, inflammatory brain/spinal diseases, vestibular disease, and syringomyelia, supported by advanced imaging (MRI, CT) and expertise from specialists like Phil Smyth.

• Oncology: Diagnosis, staging, surgical management (including advanced reconstruction), chemotherapy, and palliative care for various tumours.

• In-House Laboratory: Extensive laboratory capabilities for rapid blood, urine, and other sample analyses, aiding in quick and accurate diagnoses.

• Rehabilitation and Pain Management: Services like physiotherapy, acupuncture, and therapeutic laser (through Holistic PetNI, which operates from the premises) to aid recovery and manage chronic pain.

• 24/7 Emergency and Critical Care: Vets Now operates out of Earlswood's premises, providing dedicated out-of-hours emergency veterinary care, ensuring pets are looked after around the clock. This means pets are never left alone.

• Hospitalisation Facilities: Excellent facilities for pets requiring overnight stays or intensive care, with continuous veterinary and nursing supervision.

• Pet Health Club: A membership scheme to help manage and budget for preventative pet healthcare.

Earlswood Veterinary stands out as a premier veterinary facility in Northern Ireland due to several key features and highlights:

• RCVS Accredited Small Animal Hospital: This accreditation signifies the highest standard of facilities, equipment, and protocols for veterinary care, ensuring clients receive top-tier services.

• Comprehensive First-Opinion and Referral Services: Uniquely positioned to offer both routine veterinary care and highly specialised referral services (Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology, Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Neurology, Oncology), making it a truly one-stop solution for complex cases.

• 24/7 Emergency Care on Site: The presence of Vets Now operating from their premises means that veterinary surgeons and nurses are always on duty, providing continuous care and monitoring for hospitalised patients and immediate attention for emergencies, even outside of normal hours. This is an immense relief for pet owners.

• Highly Skilled and Compassionate Team: Consistently praised in reviews for their "love, kindness, and patient way" and "incredibly empathetic, caring" approach, particularly during difficult times like euthanasia. Staff, from receptionists to surgeons, are noted for making stressful experiences "much less stressful" and for taking "time to know your pet."

• Advanced Diagnostic Capabilities: Access to cutting-edge technology like 16-slice CT and visiting MRI scans, arthroscopy, fluoroscopy, endoscopy, and laparoscopy allows for precise and rapid diagnosis.

• Focus on Patient Comfort: With excellent hospitalisation facilities and a commitment to providing a "comfortable and caring environment," pets undergoing treatment or recovery are looked after with utmost attention.

• Continuity of Care: For first-opinion clients, having access to such advanced facilities means that if their pet requires specialist attention, they can often remain within the same trusted hospital environment.

• Transparency and Support: As demonstrated in a review, the hospital prioritises the pet's well-being and the owner's emotional state ("told me to focus on her rather than the money"), and provides thorough explanations and condolences, even after a pet's passing.

For appointments, general enquiries, or emergency veterinary assistance, you can contact Earlswood Veterinary using the following details:

• Address: 193 Belmont Road, Belfast BT4 2AE, UK

• Phone: 028 9047 1361

• Mobile Phone: +44 28 9047 1361 (This is typically the main landline number, also accessible internationally with the +44 prefix).

• For Out-of-Hours Emergencies (Vets Now): 02890 651 729 (Please note this specific emergency number for Vets Now, operating from Earlswood's premises).

It is always recommended to call the appropriate number directly to discuss your pet's needs and to ensure you receive the most immediate and relevant assistance.

For pet owners throughout Belfast and indeed across Northern Ireland, Earlswood Veterinary stands as an exceptionally suitable and highly recommended choice for comprehensive and compassionate animal healthcare. Its well-established presence as an RCVS accredited animal hospital on Belmont Road makes it conveniently accessible, an important factor for both routine visits and, crucially, during emergency situations.

The core strength of Earlswood Veterinary lies in its dual capacity as both a first-opinion practice and a leading referral hospital. This means that pets can receive everything from standard vaccinations and health checks to highly specialised diagnostics (like CT and MRI scans) and complex surgeries, all potentially within the same trusted facility. This seamless continuity of care, especially for pets requiring advanced medical attention, is invaluable.

Moreover, the consistent praise from clients for the staff's profound kindness, empathy, and professionalism—particularly during the most difficult moments such as end-of-life care—highlights the human-centric approach that complements their clinical excellence. The reassurance of having 24/7 emergency and critical care available on-site through Vets Now means that local pet owners have immediate access to expert help, offering immense peace of mind. While it is a private hospital and thus potentially "more expensive" as one reviewer noted, the consensus affirms that the "knowledge" and the "quality of care" provided justify the investment, particularly when it comes to making a pet's final weeks or moments as comfortable as possible. For those seeking a veterinary practice that combines cutting-edge medicine with a deeply caring ethos and unwavering availability, Earlswood Veterinary is undoubtedly a cornerstone of pet health in Northern Ireland.

Earlswood Veterinary

193 Belmont Rd, Belfast BT4 2AE, UK