About Us

At the end of 2004, Luke launched Pilgrims Veterinary Practice and ran it from his home, Pilgrims Cottage, in Martin. Originally, it was an ambulatory farm practice and whilst dogs, cats and horses were occasional customers, they were very much the pets of farmers or commoners who added them to the end of visits or rounds.

The practice grew and for a couple of years managed the veterinary routine work for some of the largest organic dairies in the South, one of the biggest organic pig producers in the UK and many local dairies and beef farms.

Digital Dental X-Ray

This mobile dental X-ray system can be used with a range of animals, allowing us to identify which teeth are causing discomfort, facilitating extraction with minimal complication.  

With 70% of dental disease found below the gum line, dental X-rays are an essential part of dental assessment so if your pet’s teeth have not been checked recently, we’d encourage you to book a free dental consultation with one of our nurses.

Endoscopy

Our endoscopes comprise a flexible (up to 1.8m long) fibre-optic tube with a light and camera at the end. They allow our vets to see directly inside and take samples of tissue from the throat, airways and stomachs of horses and large animals. A smaller version is used for pets.

These instruments complement the preventative healthcare services we offer for horses, farm animals and pets across the New Forest.

When the old village shop became available in Cranborne (2006), Luke took the plunge and together with his wife, Cordelia, they opened the surgery as a mixed practice. As the practice grew, so did the team and over the years it has evolved into a two site practice employing 5 full-time vets. None of this would have been possible without the dedication, compassion and commitment of the pilgrims team over the years and the practice strives to maintain a family feel for both staff and clients alike.

With the help of Richard and Valerie at Gorse Farm, Luke and Cordelia opened the Fordingbridge surgery in 2010 which was converted from one of Richard’s old cattle sheds. This was amazing fun and enabled the practice to develop a base in the Forest itself and strengthen our relationship with the fantastic community that resides in the North West corner of the New Forest.

Mobile Digital X-Ray

Our Eklin DR system is a fully mobile digital X-Ray facility for use in the field as well as for small animal patients at our Fordingbridge surgery.

The fact the system is mobile makes life much easier for animals that can’t travel. The instant projection of quality images allows us to work efficiently, minimising the time your animal needs to be sedated (if sedation is required at all).

Mobile Ultrasound

Compact, sturdy and versatile, our mobile ultrasound system produces high quality images that help our vets to make more accurate diagnosis in a more timely fashion.

A key application for this amazing piece of kit is for tendon scanning and pregnancy diagnosis, in the field, as part of our equine services. It’s also commonly used for abdominal and heart scans which are important services for dogs & cats.

James and Nikki joined the partnership in 2013 and the practice didn’t look back, going from strength to strength. Whilst our farm work reduced (along with many of the dairy farms in the area), our equine work flourished and the level of care we provided companion animals was one to be rivalled with the help of our growing dedicated team.

Equine Motorised Dental Equipment

In addition to the manual files, we use for equine rasping we also have a power float. This can either be used as part of a routine equine dental (for speed) OR they can be used to reduce larger dental overgrowths quickly and efficiently. 

Proper dental examinations form an important part of horses’ preventative healthcare regime so if you haven’t had your horse examined recently you might want us to pop in on our Rounds Visits.

It was time for Luke to relocate his family for a more coastal lifestyle. James and Nikki stayed on as Clinical Directors as the business was taken on by IVC, since which continued investment in training and equipment has kept it offering the best level of GP care available in a rapidly changing field.

Alex joined us along with his loyal farm client base which has seen the farm side expand to over 200 farms, just as family pulled James back to South Africa. We’ve since taken on two TB testers and attracted two amazing mixed vets in Niall and Emma-Louise, whose values and work ethic match Pilgrims perfectly. Meanwhile, equine and small animal stay strong as we find ourselves maintaining a traditional mixed practice vibe, unique to the area.

In House Laboratory

Our in house laboratory boasts a state of the art bloods machine, microscope and a host of other equipment. We invest heavily in this important area of the practice with significant benefits for all our patients.

Having veterinary laboratory facilities on site (rather than having to send samples to an external lab) means our farm, equine & small animal vets get rapid results – essential in emergency cases or when treating sick animals as part of our emergency and out of hours services.

Separate Cat Ward

We have dedicated cat ward for our feline friends, who benefit from being hospitalised in an area that is physically separated from dogs and other pets. This greatly reduces stress for the cat, contributing to a better quality of recovery.

Our cat ward is just one of a number of specialised facilities at our Fordingbridge & Cranborne surgeries.  If you’d like to see how the way Pilgrims Vets do things makes a difference to your pet’s health then why not

Free Parking

We do everything we can to make your pet’s visit to see our vet team as stress free as possible (and to make your life easier too). So…

Our Fordingbridge practice has a large car park which provides plenty of free parking for our clients.

Our Cranborne practice faces onto a quiet road with plenty of free on-street parking directly outside the surgery.