Lawton & Stoakes

Called to ask if they had any advice for flea treatments and cleaning the house, first time dealing with this. Lady on the phone just said no didn’t offer a single bit of advice. Not a single bit of compassion towards animals lol. First impression always matters. Wouldn’t recommend. Continued with goodbye.

Friendly quick and local what more can you want from them, been very good experience since moving my cats to this vet

Martin’s practice has been treating our pets for close on 40 years now. Professional, so knowledgeable and very caring. Would give 10* if I could

Professional and caring.

Great vets. Exotic vets are becoming less and less and this place is reliable and experienced

I had a very upsetting experience with this veterinary practice. After paying upfront for a visit, I was told they couldn’t see my cat because I couldn’t provide previous vet records at that moment. I was then told I’d receive a refund, which took four days to reach my account. Because of this delay, I couldn’t take my cat to another vet right away due to lack of funds. Unfortunately, my cat’s condition worsened during that time, and I eventually had to go to an emergency service, where my cat’s eye had to be removed. To make things worse, when I tried to explain my frustration and asked for my refund urgently, I was later sent a letter saying I was being removed from their client list for being “rude.” I never swore or acted aggressively — I simply raised my voice out of stress and worry for my pet. Overall, this practice showed a lack of compassion and flexibility in an emergency situation. I would not recommend them to anyone who expects understanding and care during a stressful time.

Edit to reply : many people are aware the RCVS is not fit for purpose and there are calls for change so your comment is redundant. Also not professional to include people's surnames. This place does not deserve 1 star. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT TAKE YOUR ANIMALS HERE!!! My tortoise was misdiagnosed. I informed the so-called reptile specialist that I saw my tort struggling to use his leg, which was attributed to changing seasons, and frothing at the mouth was put down to eating bitter foods. In retrospect this is beyond uneducated but no one questions vets who are supposed to know what they are doing. Unfortunately when I took him back 4 days later he had septicaemia and kidney failure and treatment started too late. Grief took over and I didn't want to believe their negligence had killed my baby. They didn't stop at that. Our cat had been losing weight for ages with intermittent sickness. We kept getting fobbed off with 'he's older' etc or anti-sickness medicine, until eventually he was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. We were then told, from just the follow up blood test that he had kidney disease and prescribed medication. Something didn't feel right so I finally saw sense and changed to a different vets who also did the protocol urinalysis. We had our boy's thyroid removed as it was unmanageable with medicine and NO KIDNEY DISEASE WAS PRESENT! All 3 vets at this practice were involved in the incompetence. Breaking so many points in RCVS code of conduct I referred this to them yet this so-called regulatory body did nothing, even lying in the final response and always siding with vets. Anyone reading this please sign the petition online calling for an independent body to regulate vets. They are getting away with literal murder!

EDIT to Reply: Doctor says we refused him oreviously for investigation: Yes, that’s correct. Because, at that first visit the vet clearly told us they are going to give him something that can kill him with high risk. So, we (of course) naturally declined. In this visit, Lawton vet did NOT give any such verbal warning, only that we come back at 4-6pm, then shortly after phoning us of the death. Had the Vet here given us a verbal warning of the HIGH RISK; we would have, just like the first visit, denied it and proceeded with a less lethal checkup method. If we did this, our beloved Mango would still be alive today. Doctor’s careless actions directly caused the death of our beloved parrot today. No accountability whatsoever. Postmortem as well as other filings are due soon to reveal more info first before we decide what other actions are going to be necessary. Additionally, the doctor was trying to justify the death by the parrot’s condition/sickness; which in no universe justifies outright killing it, devastating our family as a result. Something as serious as an anaesthesia for a conure bird is *high risk*, when the bird is in *bad or worsening conditions*; had the doctor done any due diligence in this knowledge the tragedy may have been prevented, but they did not; Their written warning briefly mentioned the anasthesia as “low risk”; with no verbal mention of it either which is completely contradictory and dishonest. Furthermore, the doctor gave 0 verbal warning about this potential high risk, in the end they only pointed to the written warning on the waiver form where the text only briefly writes it as “low risk”; however there was no mention of it in any consultation. It is extremely saddening, and there seemed no remorse, accountability or care at all from this practice. We had a loving parrot who was sick, aside from that he exhibited normal parrot behaviour; flying, eating and playing as normal. We took him to the vet because he has been very shakey lately, after just 2 hours they called us and said the bird died from Anesthesia. Just like that, and that quickly. It is ridiculous.

I recently joined this practice and have seen all the vets at the surgery, as I have a dog who’s been quite unwell. Every single member of the team has been so lovely and compassionate. They’ve shown real care and gentleness towards my dog, especially considering how anxious she’s become about vet visits. They never push unnecessary or expensive treatments - only what she truly needs - and every time we leave, she’s calm and on the road to recovery. I highly recommend them. It’s such a relief to have found a practice that puts the animal’s wellbeing first.

Posting anonymously to share a critical experience that I hope encourages reflection and improvement. During a serious medical emergency involving my exotic pet (a bearded dragon), I contacted this veterinary practice. Despite calling during their stated opening hours, and their website clearly indicating out-of-hours emergency care, I was refused assistance. There was no triage, no attempt to understand the situation, and no offer of a referral — even though the condition was time-sensitive and potentially life-threatening. By contrast, other veterinary hospitals I contacted immediately afterwards acted with compassion and professionalism. Some offered immediate walk-in triage, others coordinated with exotic specialists over the phone. The difference in response was significant — and likely life-saving. I fully understand that not every vet is trained in exotic medicine. But at minimum, a pet owner in distress deserves a referral, basic triage, or sincere guidance — not dismissal. This isn’t about blame. It’s about responsibility. Emergency care is not a branding point — it’s a promise. And when lives are on the line, every moment and every answer matters. I have shared my experience with the appropriate bodies, not out of anger, but in the hope that future cases — and animals — are treated with more urgency and clarity. I hope this review helps improve practices for all patients, no matter their species.