C J Hall Veterinary Surgeons

C J Hall Veterinary Surgeons presents itself as an independent practice in Richmond upon Thames, with a strong focus on rabbits and exotic pets alongside cat and dog care. It offers first-opinion care for exotics and is also used by owners looking for more specialist exotic-pet expertise, with recent feedback again highlighting clear explanations, careful handling, and confidence with species such as rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, rats, chinchillas, reptiles, and tortoises. Recent experiences are mostly very positive, though there is also a detailed complaint about budgie care, urgency triage, and follow-up communication.

Services

•Rabbit, exotic, cat and dog care, with the clearest emphasis on rabbits and exotic pets.
•Species mentioned by owners and on the clinic website include rabbits, birds, reptiles, guinea pigs, chinchillas, rats, hedgehogs, parrots, and tortoises.
•Routine and surgical care includes examples such as a rabbit spay, with one owner praising the clinic’s care from initial examination through aftercare.
•Diagnostics and case work-ups are part of the service, including x-rays, with owners mentioning detailed explanations of findings and options.
•Urgent and complex exotic cases are a recurring theme in reviews, including treatment for bladder stones, swellings, infections, and other serious problems in small pets and birds.
•Inpatient and end-of-life care are also reflected in owner experiences, including admission for observation/treatment over multiple days and euthanasia when needed.
•Boarding is mentioned by a tortoise owner who says they use the clinic for annual stays.
•Reviews also mention the team being willing to offer advice by phone and to fit worried owners in quickly where possible.

Pricing

Published prices suggest the clinic sits above average, based on a partial sample of comparable services. In reviews, owners often focus more on the value of the clinic’s exotic expertise and say they did not feel pushed into unnecessary expensive treatment.

People

•Dr Matthew Fiddes (vet): praised for notably gentle handling of guinea pigs during treatment.
•Seems (role not stated): highlighted for handling difficult conversations sympathetically and showing genuine interest in both animals and their families.
•Louise (nurse, per review): mentioned in one negative account relating to appointment triage for an unwell budgie.
•More broadly, the team is frequently described as kind, attentive, thorough, and knowledgeable with exotic species.

Reviews

C J Hall Veterinary Surgeons has 4.7 stars from 360 Google reviews. Recent feedback is strongly positive overall, with most written reviews praising the clinic’s exotic-pet expertise and the way staff communicate.

•Exotic expertise stands out: owners of rabbits, budgies, guinea pigs, rats, chinchillas, and tortoises repeatedly describe the team as knowledgeable, confident, and more experienced with these species than many general practices.
•Clear explanations and thorough care: reviewers mention detailed discussions, realistic options, and careful explanations of investigations including x-rays.
•Kind, reassuring staff: several owners describe staff as attentive and compassionate, with examples including calming worried owners, accommodating appointments, and showing care during difficult outcomes.
•One notable negative review: a budgie owner described dissatisfaction with inpatient care, the seriousness communicated after a consultation, emergency triage, and a lack of response to a complaint.

Reviews for C J Hall Veterinary Surgeons

Note: Showing the 10 most recent Google reviews out of 360 we track in total. Recent reviews may not be representative of overall sentiment.

Sera Malèna Eravci

1 month ago

We had a wonderful experience having our bunny Jozi spayed. From the initial examination through to the aftercare, everything was handled with such care and professionalism. The entire team is incredibly kind, attentive, and clearly passionate about the wellbeing of their little patients. They truly go above and beyond. After a previous bad experience with another vet, it was such a relief to feel that Jozi was in such safe and capable hands. We’re very grateful for the excellent care—thank you!

Lucia Arrizabalaga

Our trusted veterinarian—after bad experiences with so-called 'exotic' vets who clearly lacked expertise—has become our go-to clinic. We’ve visited many times with different species, and their professionalism, deep knowledge, kind treatment, and the absolute trust they inspire have made them our top choice. They always try to accommodate us, even offering helpful advice and instructions over the phone. We couldn’t be happier.

Nilay Ozdil

2 months ago

tony mann

4 months ago

Very nice stuff very profesional. Recomend 🫡🫡

Cillian O Fathaigh

5 months ago

I've been here three times now with our two budgies, and every visit has been excellent. The care and attention are outstanding — very friendly, very thorough, and genuinely attentive. Explanations are always clear, and they really take the time to make sure everything is properly checked and understood. A fantastic vet, and I always feel confident our birds are in the best hands.

The smell of roses

I’ve been bringing my guinea pigs here for years and genuinely cannot recommend this clinic enough. The team’s expertise with exotic animals is outstanding, but what really sets them apart is how caring they are. They’ve saved my guinea pigs more times than I can count, from bladder stones to mysterious swellings to serious infections. Every time I’ve called in a panic, the nurses have been brilliant at calming me down and getting us seen quickly. When I lost one of my pigs despite their best efforts, they were so compassionate and fought for him right until the end. I never felt pressured into expensive treatments when the odds weren’t good, but they were also willing to try if I wanted to give it a go. Dr Matthew Fiddes recently treated my last two pigs and I was blown away by how gentle he was with them. You can tell he genuinely loves what he does. Oh, and they even let me wait inside after closing hours one freezing evening when my Uber was taking forever. That level of kindness goes beyond what any vet needs to do. Just brilliant all round. Thanks, Guinea pig 🐹 owner

Rachael Willis

Very friendly staff and felt like we were looked after.

Chris Russell

Susan S

7 months ago

Really knowledgeable staff who generally work collaboratively with pet owners. Unlike most vets, they actually know about chinchillas & I can have a sensible conversation about any issues and realistic options to deal with them. Special shout out for Seems, who is an asset to the practice. She deals with tricky conversations in a sympathetic manner, and has a genuine interest in the animals and human families. I don't have them myself, but they also treat birds and reptiles, as well as more common pets.

Kash money

9 months ago

I would generally not leave bad reviews because it will not bring my birds back however, I want the general population to deeply look into another practice (free will) before commiting to CJ Hall. I had 3 separate occasions/experiences with CJ Hall that should be exposed. My first pet budgie was admitted for 2 days and looked worse than when I left him. I got the call to say I needed to come down to say my goodbyes and I had no choice but to sadly put him down so he isn't suffering. The 2nd experience is where they had treated my bird and given me no indication that it was serious enough where I would be finding her at the bottom of her cage that same day of being seen! I emailed the vet ombudsman about my treatment on this case and was told to give CJ Hall time to respond to my complaint or posting anything. Lets just say its been almost a year and yet to receive an response to my complaint so I think im entitled to post. I have a budgie which is currently not well, I was told that its not an emergency because my bird is actively eating and drinking so Tuesday was the only appt available. The bump that has formed has grown significantly within days despite that my birds case as non urgent. I called on Monday hoping to be seen that day, the nurse Louise said she will speak to the vet due to my growing concern, she instead had me on hold for 6 minutes until I hung up and called again in which she answered promptly and told me that the lines were busy (despite getting straight through) She spoken to the vet and again was not deemed as an emergency and the best they can do is move my appointment earlier. When I voiced my anger all of a sudden that appointment was not available as whilst speaking to me it was offered to someone else. I have worked on reception before and this type of treatment is given to people that are seen as difficult when im trying to fight for my budgies life! To all budgie owners that love their feather babies as much as I do, I suggest you really consider travelling a bit further to have your budgies seen by people that have empathy for small birds!