Alfold Veterinary Surgery

01/09/2024

Congratulations !

The winner of Septembers cover photo are brother and sister, Toffee and Tiger.

Keep your eyes peeled for next months competition for Septembers Facebook cover photo

30/08/2024

Just a polite reminder:

We ask for 24hrs notice for repeat prescriptions this includes:
-Collection of medication and
-Written prescriptions

Call us on 01403753500 to order medication.

23/08/2024

22/08/2024

This month’s wellness treat for our staff this morning at Alfold.

21/08/2024

This weeks fun fact !!!

-Bearded dragons have 3 eyes!

The third eye lid is on the top of their head, which detects changes in light.This helps with detection of predators.

20/08/2024

WE ARE LOOKING FOR SEPTEMBERS FACEBOOK MODEL!!!

We are looking for a new cover photo each month.

How to enter:
- Simply post a photo of your fur baby in the comments.

The winner will be picked on the 1st of September.

Share with your friends and family.

Good luck!

13/08/2024

Sign up to our Pet Health Care Plan today!

The Plan includes:
- Annual vaccinations with a full health check
- Flea and worm treatment for 12 months
- Six monthly health check with a nurse (nail clips, a**l glands, weight and dental clinics)
Along with other discounts

Please look at our website below or ask a member of the Alfold team for more information on the Health Care Plan.

https://alfoldvets.co.uk/pet-health-plan

07/08/2024

NATIONAL FRESH BREATHE DAY!!!!!

There are multiple ways to keep your pet's teeth squeaky clean and prevent smelly breath. These include teeth brushing, dental sticks or treats, specific dental diets, water additives, mouthwash, etc.

TEETH BRUSHING
Teeth brushing is important, and just like our teeth, they should be brushed every day. This helps prevent plaque from building up and causing a bad smell. Animal friendly toothpaste should be used as opposed to human toothpaste which can cause digestive upset and can contain xylitol which is toxic.

ALTERNATIVES TO BRUSHING
Alternatives to tooth brushing include additives that can go into your pet's water. This helps to freshen their breath and support teeth by controlling plaque. It should be added to drinking water and replaced daily.

There is also mouthwash which should be used to rinse their mouths after each meal to reduce formation of the plaque by inhibiting plaque building bacteria helping to prevent tooth and gum disease.

Enzyme gels cleaners to rub over their gums and teeth.

SPECIFIC DENTAL DIETS
These diets are designed to prevent a build up of plaque on their teeth. They are designed to be a specific shape to help break away plaque and tartar off their teeth when eating.

VOHC APPROVED PRODUCTS
Regular use of products awarded the Veterinary Oral Health Council Seal of Acceptance can reduce the severity of dental diseases. The VOHC review data on specific products and those demonstrating dental effectiveness are awarded the VOHC Acceptance.

In the photo below is a before photo of Molly an 18 year old Jack Russell teeth and after having a dental scale and polish with us.

03/08/2024

TOP 5 TIPS FOR KEEPING YOUR SENIOR DOG COOL !!!!!!

Elderly dogs are more susceptible to heatstroke.

Identifying overheating:
-Excessive panting
-Vomiting and diarrhoea
-Disorientation or become suddenly unbalanced

Seek medical attention if you suspect overheating.

01/08/2024

Congratulations !!

The winner of the Augusts Facebook cover photo competition is these two cheeky chappie’s.

Keep your eyes peeled for next months competition for Septembers Facebook cover photo

28/07/2024

Alfold vets are looking for a Facebook model !!

We are going to be looking for a new cover photo each month.

How to enter:
- Simply post a photo of your fur baby in the comments.

The winner will be picked on the 1st of August.

Share with your friends and family.

Good luck!

27/06/2024

Summer is here!

This is a little reminder to keep your pet cool.

26/06/2024

RABBIT AWARENESS WEEK DAY 2:

Heatstroke is an extremely dangerous condition that can develop if your rabbit’s body temperature gets above 40.5°C/104.9°F.

The longer a rabbit’s body temperature stays high, the more damage it causes, so the quicker they are cooled down and treated by a vet, the better their chance of a full recovery.

Signs of heatstroke in rabbits include:

-Red ears, which are hot to the touch
-Fast breathing (short, quick breaths)
-Open mouth breathing
-Lethargy (low energy)
-Blood from mouth and nose or a**s
-Blood in poo
-Shaking and tremors
-Wobbliness and confusion
-Seizures
-Weakness and collapse
-Unconsciousness

Preventing heat stroke:

Environment temperature of 18-20°C: Ideally your rabbits’ living space should stay between 18-20°C. If the air temperature is higher than this it’s important to provide them with a cool space that they can escape to.

Shade and ventilation: Make sure your rabbits’ living space and run has plenty of shade and ventilation. Shade should be created with natural materials such as branches, leaves, or wooden shelters. Try to avoid using plastic, as this is likely to trap heat.

Water: Make sure your rabbits have fresh, cold water available to them at all times. They should have at least one water bowl or bottle each, and these should always be placed out of direct sunlight.

Regular checks: Heatstroke can develop very rapidly, so it’s important to check your rabbits (and the temperature of their living space) regularly on warm days.

Never leave them in a car on a warm day: Not even for a few minutes, with the windows open, or in the shade.

Safe car travel: Car journeys can be very stressful for rabbits, so it’s best to avoid it as much as possible. If you need to make an essential trip, put them in a carrier with plenty of ventilation, keep the air-conditioning on, or open the windows, and check them regularly. Cooling mats can also be useful when travelling on warm days.

Keep them a healthy weight: Overweight rabbits find it much more difficult to stay cool.

Consider trimming their fur: If your rabbit is particularly long haired, it can help to trim their fur in the summer months. Brushing them regularly can also help to remove any excess fur.

Contact your veterinary practice immediately if you suspect your rabbit has heat stroke .

26/06/2024

We will be closed for staff training until 3pm today.

26/06/2024

25/06/2024

RABBIT AWARENESS WEEK!

Prevent Flystrike this summer:

Fly Strike is more common is the warmer months when flies are more active.

Dirty, damp fur, bedding or wounds are the perfect place for flies to lay their eggs, so if your pet has a mucky bottom, they are at high risk of flystrike.

Flies will lay their eggs on their fur and maggots then hatch and feed on the rabbits.

If your pet has a wound, always have it checked. We can show you how to keep it clean and protected.

Symptoms of flystrike include:
-Maggots in the fur/under the skin
-Patches of wet fur and fur loss (often around the back end)
-Open wounds or sores containing fly eggs or maggots
-Lethargy (low energy)
-Eating less
-A bad smell
-Collapsing

Over weight or elderly rabbits with other conditions causing them difficulty cleaning themselves are at greater risk of fly strike.

Flies are drawn to warm environments so ensuring you are checking your rabbits twice daily and keeping their bedding clean and dry to help prevent fly strike.

If you notice any of these signs of fly strike contact your practice immediately.

25/06/2024

We are so excited to share the news that this week is Rabbit Awareness Week 2024.

We'll be doing lots to highlight the importance of Rabbit Welfare with hints and tips on our page on how to keep your rabbits happy and healthy.

And if you've got a rabbit and are a registered client, you can bring in them in for a FREE nail clip and groom.

We'll have activity sheets and FREE food samples to give away too so do pop in.

15/06/2024

International Working Dog Day !

Today is the day we appriciate all working dogs.

Send us photo's of your Working Dog in action.

13/06/2024

Sign up to our Pet Health Care Plan today!

The Plan includes:
- Annual vaccinations with a full health check
- Flea and worm treatment for 12 months
- Six monthly health check with a nurse (nail clips, a**l glands, weight and dental clinics)
Along with other discounts

Please look at our website below or ask a member of the Alfold team for more information on the Health Care Plan.

https://alfoldvets.co.uk/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=VP0477

12/06/2024

CAT MICROCHIPPING LEGISLATION !!!!!

As of the 10th June all cats legally have to be microchipped and details have to be up to date.

Please see the government link below for more information:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cat-microchipping-now-mandatory

08/06/2024

CUTENESS ALERT TO BRIGHTEN YOUR SATURDAY MORNING!!!!!!!!

Yesterday we had the pleasure of Frank visiting us for his very 1st vaccination and health check.

Frank is an 11 week old German Shepherd puppy weighing a whopping 12.9 kg.

He was a very well behaved puppy and loved having cuddles with everyone.

05/06/2024

World Environmental Day!!

At Alfold Vets we try and recycle as much as possible to help protect the environment.

In practice we have recyling boxes for blister packs that you can use.

Drop in your used medication blister packs to help protect the environment.

27/05/2024

Today is May Bank Holiday but it is also National Suncream day !!!!

Protect your loved ones from the heat, this can include:
- Offering shade
- Providing cool water ad lib
- Not walking them during midday sun hours
- Applying suncream to delicate areas

Send us a photo of your pets enjoying the weather

22/05/2024

Celebrating Summer with our wellness theme this month- Growing our own sunflowers at Alfold 🌻

16/05/2024

We are excited to introduce to you, the newest member of the Alfold team. Kathryn has joined us as a permanent veterinary surgeon.

Kathryn has been a vet since 2019 and previously worked within practice in Bristol and briefly based in Austria.

Kathryn is interested in all aspects of veterinary medicine and when not at work, enjoys countryside walks with her young family.

14/05/2024

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A VETERINARY NURSE

General health checks are something that a Veterinary Nurse can do very easily. They can look over a pet and see if there are any areas of concern, and give advice on specific areas that may be needing to be addressed.

They will generally give a pet a full examination including their temperature, pulse and respiration and of course give them a weigh and a physical exam. They can also give advice on parasite treatments.

If at any point you just want to have your pet checked over to make sure they are doing okay, you can book yourself a general health check with a nurse. It will save you a few pennies and of course, if there is anything they feel needs to be referred to a vet, they can do that.

14/05/2024

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A VET NURSE

Today we focus a little bit on a role that some veterinary nurses choose to specialize in. Our own nurse Helen took an additional certificate in Physiotherapy and Canine Bodywork, and is happy to assess and help patients that require it.

Physiotherapy can greatly improve the outcome for an animal in the same way that it can for human beings, so it is great to have this resource available within the clinic as and when required.

13/05/2024

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A VETERINARY NURSE

As we continue to delve a little deeper into the role of the veterinary nurse, we today focus on Specialist Nurse Clinics.

Veterinary nurses often deliver their own specialist clinics covering a variety of subjects including:

🐾 dental health
🐾 weight management
🐾 breeding
🐾 puppies and kittens
🐾 senior wellness

We know that our nurses love to run their own clinics and chat to the clients, sharing their comprehensive knowledge across a variety of subjects.

And of course, they love to see patients when they are not necessarily unwell, but in a role where they are hoping to advise their owners on how to keep them well, and living the best lives they can.

Do keep a look out for our specialist nurse clinics, or make a nurse appointment any time to discuss any of the subjects above.

12/05/2024

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A VETERINARY NURSE

This week, we take a look at the role of the veterinary nurse in a little bit more detail while we continue to celebrate them and all that they do for our animals.

First of all we look at the role of a veterinary nurse as a Surgical Assistant.

The veterinary nurse is a vital part of the surgical team, not only preparing the animals for their surgery, but also monitoring them throughout their procedure. Sometimes they will help to plan the anaesthesia and may administer injections. They may have the opportunity to do simple suturing and also remove stitches. And of course, they will be caring for the animals after their surgery, making sure they recover well from any anaesthesia or sedation, and advising the owners of any after care requirements.

Becoming a veterinary nurse certainly affords you a wealth of different experiences. If you'd like to find out more, our team would be more than happy to tell you more about it.