Rochford Veterinary Surgery

09/07/2025

💚 PET OF THE MONTH 💚

Bonzo Dog is a 13 year old miniature pincsher. Along with his age, there have also come some ailments which over the years have required a lot of hard work from both Bonzo Dog's owners as well as our vet Catherine to resolve.

Now resolved, Bonzo Dog had one more problem to address: his teeth.

Bonzo Dog had very severe dental disease and plaque build up, so was well overdue this procedure.

The reason why Bonzo Dog is this month's pet is because despite all of his problems before, and despite them being resolved, the dental procedure is what made the most difference to him.

His owners say that after he had had the procedure he is now a whole new dog, and where he was aggressive with having his eye drops applied (to the point of being hospitalised for a week so the nurses could give him the much needed drops) he is now absolutely fine and so much happier!

We wanted to highlight the importance of dental health in pets, and how much of an effect dental disease can have on our pets and use Bonzo Dog as an example.

We are super happy that Bonzo Dog is feeling much much better, and wish him and his owners all the best!

18/06/2025

💚 PET OF THE MONTH 💚

Our new pet of the month is handsome Mando. Poor Mando has probably been through more in his four years of life than any other dog. He has recently overcome his newest hardship, following on from chronic sickness, allergies, eye problems and a trip up to the Royal Veterinary College!

Mando's owner spotted a strange lump on Mando's prepuce, although tiny it warranted investigation due to it's constant development. A fine needle aspirate sample of the lump showed lots of mast cells, indicating that this lump could be a mast cell tumour. A sample of cells was sent away to an external laboratory for more investigation, from which the results confirmed our suspicions.

Usually mast cell tumours are dealt with by being surgically removed. Due to the location of the tumour this would make surgical removal very difficult. After some research, another way of removing Mando's tumour was found.

A chemical route, whereby an injection was given into the tumour was elected as an option for Mando. Although it was a much riskier option due to the very high potential for breakdown of the skin in the area. It was unknown how successful we would be with this, but nevertheless Mando's owner wanted to try.

It's lucky we did try. After the injection, although Mando was feeling a little sore, it wasn't long before the tumour had necrosed (died) and began to slough off. Mando did not suffer any skin breakdown, and the area has healed over beautifully.

We think after all that Mando has been through, and how lucky he was that his treatment was a success he deserves to be celebrated for making it through. We wish Mando and his owner all the best and hope it's not too soon before we see them again!

12/06/2025

We're hiring!

Our practice will be in need of a full time veterinary surgeon to join our team this autumn.

To find out more, follow the link below ⬇

We will be looking for a veterinary-surgeon to join us this autumn. Click here for more details https://www.rochfordvets.co.uk/vet-jobs-essex/

13/05/2025

💚 PET OF THE MONTH 💚

Our pet this month is 19 week old italian greyhound Milan!

Milan's worried owners rushed her in to us after she had had an accident at home which resulted in a broken front leg.

We immediately administered strong pain relief for her, then it wasn't long before Milan and her pawrents were on their way to a specialist referral centre. Here, Milan was put under general anaesthetic for surgery to fix her leg by placing a metal plate, which held the bones together as they healed.

After this we saw Milan regularly to check on the surgical site, and replace her dressings. Our nursing team had great fun picking out so many bright colours (as pictured) but poor Milan began to get fed up as the dressings were causing small sores on her skin. Thankfully, she didn't need dressings for long, and she was all done and dusted in two weeks.

We can now confirm that after an extensive period of rest and limited exercise Milan is fully recovered and able to go about her normal life! She may need rechecks in the future as she grows but for now we're sure her owners are keeping an extra close eye on her whilst she is free to run and play again.

This was a big ordeal for such a young puppy to go through, so we think Milan definitely deserves this spotlight for being such a brave girl ⭐️

29/04/2025

You asked and we listened!🗣

Our latest blogpost tells you all about canine dementia, the signs and the treatments 💙

Check it out using the link below!

What is canine dementia? Canine dementia is also known as Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CCDS). It is a condition that is related to the aging of the brain and has been compared to dementia or Alzheimers in humans. The condition occurs in older dogs and signs will gradually progress over tim

20/04/2025

05/04/2025

💚PET OF THE MONTH💚

Our Pet of the Month for April is Harley!

Harley recently came in to have a dental procedure, which resulted in him having 5 teeth extracted under a general anaesthetic.

Although this sounds routine, Harley came with some complications which meant his anaesthetic required a higher level of attention.

Harley has hyperthyroidism, which means the thyroid gland produces too much of the thyroid hormone. This hormone affects primarily a patient's metabolism, along with other vital functions such as heart rate. Our nurses therefore had to very very closely monitor Harley to ensure he remained stable whilst he was asleep.

In addition to this, Harley is 16 years old, and not a fan of the vets! So not only did we have to consider his hyperthyroidism in his anaesthetic plan, but we had to factor his age and temperament in as well to make sure he got the best care possible.

As much as it would seem there was reason to simply not go ahead, Harley's teeth were causing him pain and it wouldn't have been fair to leave him this way. Harley came in for blood tests to make sure his thyroid was at a manageable level before going ahead and was very brave throughout the whole process. He pulled through his dental procedure without a hitch and made a very smooth recovery. He is now able to enjoy his life pain free, lounging by the window at home and buttering the neighbours up for his second breakfast!

Harley's character and his story won the hearts of the staff here and it was felt that he deserves to be this month's star pet.

Great job Harley!!

01/04/2025

At Rochford Vets we realise the importance of understanding your pet's needs, and there is no one better for the job than the animals themselves!

This is why we have decided to take on a new approach, and employ a dedicated PCT, or Patient Communications Team.

Team members such as Peggy pictured here, have undertaken rigorous training to become proficient in english, spanish, german and french in order to be able to communicate with our patients; from british shorthairs to french bulldogs!

We hope you will make them feel welcome when you next visit, and we look forward to working alongside them!

28/03/2025

☠️ANIMAL POISONS WEEK☠️

Answers are up!

🍇Monday: False- it could be as much as half a grape to cause toxicity. Some dogs could eat several and be unaffected, the dangerous aspect is that we just don't know how much your pet will be affected if they did eat them.

🍫Tuesday: Theobromine is the toxic component of chocolate, which causes increased heart rate and affects the central nervous system. Caffeine is also present in chocolate, which in itself is toxic too.

💊Wednesday: YES! Cats do not have the necessary metabolic pathways to process paracetamol, resulting in poisoning. If your cat gets hold of paracetamol, take them to a vet immediately.

🐰Thursday: Rhubarb is rich in oxalic acid which affects calcium absorption. If your bunny eats any rhubarb they may experience lethargy, diarrhoea, bloating, decreased appetite and abdominal discomfort. They would require veterinary attention immediately.

Thank you to all who participated in this quiz, feel free to share your scores with us in the comments!

27/03/2025

☠️ANIMAL POISONS WEEK☠️

Final question!! Think you've scored a 4/4 this week? Answers will be posted tomorrow!

26/03/2025

☠️ANIMAL POISONS WEEK☠️

Quiz question 3! Make sure to leave your responses below and we'll reveal the answers on Friday.

25/03/2025

☠️ANIMAL POISONS WEEK☠️

Quiz question 2! All answers will be revealed at the end of the week.