A VET’S practice could look the cat’s whiskers with a £400,000 revamp.

Pet owners will benefit from plans to double the size of Stockton’s Grange Vets to include a bigger waiting room, more consulting rooms and a new operating theatre and imaging suite.

Planning permission is now being sought over proposals to extend the practice into the neighbouring property and to expand further onto disused land at the back of the existing building on Norton Road.

If plans are approved, work on the expansion - to be funded by the practice’s owners VetPartners –is expected to begin in August.

The building work and the refit of the surgery could be completed by the end of November, with re-development plans also including new staff accommodation.

VetPartners North East Business Development Directors Jason Atherton and Paul Wilson are overseeing the project.

Mr Atherton said: “The re-development of Grange Vets is going to totally revolutionise the practice and the service it provides.

“It will be both modern and functional, creating a great place to work, and transforming facilities and services for clients and their pets.

“The surgery is growing all the time and there is potential to attract more clients to the practice.”