Vets in Sunderland

Registering with a vet is worth doing as soon as a new pet comes home, rather than waiting until something goes wrong. It means your pet's records are in one place, vaccinations and parasite treatment stay on schedule, and you already know who to call if they become ill. This guide covers three veterinary practices in Sunderland and Washington whose details we have checked on their own websites in November 2026, one in the north of the city, one on the west side and one in Washington. Between them they offer routine care, surgery and diagnostic imaging, and all three refer out-of-hours emergencies to the same emergency service. Opening times can change, especially around bank holidays, so check before you travel.

Sunderland Vets for Pets

On Station Road in Fulwell, close to Seaburn and Roker, Sunderland Vets for Pets is part of the Vets4Pets network, and the practice describes itself as locally owned. Its team includes the practice owners, around seven vets and a dozen nurses.

Routine care covers vaccinations, microchipping, nurse clinics, a weight clinic and puppy parties for young dogs. For more involved treatment there is general anaesthesia, dentistry with dental X-ray, soft tissue surgery and orthopaedic work such as fracture repair and cruciate surgery, plus digital X-ray, heart scans, laser therapy and an in-house laboratory, so many test results do not need to be sent away.

The practice also offers home visits, and can issue pet passports and animal health certificates for travel. It opens from 8am to 7pm on weekdays and from 8.30am to 3.30pm on Saturdays, and is closed on Sundays. Weekday evening and Saturday opening make it practical for owners who work standard hours.

Best for: Pet owners in the north of the city who need Saturday or evening appointments.

Sunderland South Vets for Pets

On the west side of the city, Sunderland South Vets for Pets is at Broadway House on Chester Road. It is the sister practice of the Fulwell branch within the Vets4Pets network and also describes itself as locally owned.

Alongside vaccinations, microchipping, nurse clinics, a weight clinic and puppy parties, it offers health plans that spread the cost of preventive care into regular payments. The practice has an operating theatre, a hospital ward and an isolation unit, which matters for pets with infectious illnesses, as well as X-ray and ultrasound, dental X-ray, heart scans and an in-house laboratory. Orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery are carried out on site.

The practice lists care for exotic pets and small mammals, which is worth knowing if you keep rabbits, guinea pigs or other less common pets. Home visits and travel paperwork are also available. It opens from 8am to 7pm Monday to Friday and is closed at weekends.

Best for: Owners on the west side, including those with rabbits and other small pets.

Medivet Washington

In Washington, Medivet Washington is at Concord House on Speculation Place and is part of the national Medivet group. It serves pet owners across the Washington villages, including Usworth, Albany and Sulgrave.

Consultations are booked in 15-minute slots. Routine care covers vaccinations, flea, tick and worming treatment, neutering and microchipping, with nurse clinics and home visits available. For diagnosis and treatment, the practice offers dentistry, X-ray, ultrasound, ECG, endoscopy, laser surgery and an in-house laboratory.

The practice holds Cat Friendly Clinic status, an accreditation for practices that take steps to make visits less stressful for cats. It can also arrange animal health certificates for travel to the EU. It opens from 9am to 6pm on weekdays and from 9am to noon on Saturdays.

Best for: Washington cat and dog owners looking for a nearby practice.

Out-of-hours emergencies

All three practices refer emergencies outside their opening hours to Vets Now in Gateshead, on Stoneygate Lane in Felling. If your pet is injured, collapses, has trouble breathing or may have eaten something poisonous, phone your own practice first: its answerphone or website will give the current out-of-hours number. Keep that number saved in your phone so you are not searching for it in a hurry.

Choosing a practice

When you register, ask about health plans or vaccination packages, check which out-of-hours provider the practice uses and find out whether it sees the type of pet you keep. Pet insurance is worth considering before you need it, since many policies exclude conditions that started before cover began. For walks around the city, see our guide to Roker and Seaburn seafront, and browse the directory for other local services.

Know a vet we have missed? Get in touch.