Rochford Veterinary Surgery

15/01/2025

If you look at your cat, are you confident you can tell how they're feeling?

Visit: https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/cat-behaviour/cat-body-language

for more information on reading feline body language. 🐈

04/01/2025

💚PET OF THE MONTH💚

We're kicking the new year off with Tom, who has been an absolute superstar!

Tom was seeing our vet Catherine for ongoing medical issues, during this time he had become one of our renowned 'spicy' patients, meaning he was difficult to get close to, let alone administer treatments. After some time being treated Tom went into surgery.

The reason we wanted to highlight Tom is the amazing difference this surgery has made to this cat. The change in his demeanour is fantastic, both the staff and Tom's owner say that he is like a brand new cat. We can get close to him and give him a physical exam, making treating him much much easier (and safer for those involved!).

This really does show that aggression can be so easily misunderstood, when it's important to look at it as another way of the animal communicating with us. Tom lashed out because he was likely uncomfortable and didn't want to be fussed with. Now that he's had his problem resolved he is showing less and less of this behaviour, although he does still give us a glimpse of his sass every now and again 🤣.

We hope Tom continues to feel better, and we are so so proud of the change we've seen in him.

25/12/2024

Merry Christmas from all of us at Rochford Vets! We hope you find peace and joy during this holiday season, and we look forward to taking care of your pets in the new year! 🐾

In the meantime we are still here December 27th, 28th, 30th and 31st if you do need us 🎄

19/12/2024

🎄🐾 Keep Your Pets Safe This Christmas! 🐾🎄

The holiday season is full of joy, but it also comes with hidden dangers for our furry friends. From toxic foods to hazardous decorations, it’s important to be extra cautious during this festive time.

👉 Check out our latest blog post: 10 Christmas Dangers and How to Keep Your Pets Safe. We’ve listed the top hazards to watch out for and how you can protect your pets from seasonal risks.

🔗 Read the full article here! ➡️ https://www.rochfordvets.co.uk/10-christmas-dangers-keeping-your-pets-safe-at-christmas/

📅 The holidays should be a time of celebration, not worry! Make sure your pets are safe and sound with these helpful tips.

10 Christmas Dangers: Keeping Your Pets Safe At Christmas

19/12/2024

Final reminder!

💊XMAS DEADLINE💊

If you usually order repeat prescriptions or your pet's food at the end of each month please note that medication and food orders must be placed by Thursday the 19th December by 5pm to ensure that we are able to order it in and dispense it to you in good time for the christmas period.

If there are any late orders we cannot guarantee that we will be able to supply you with what your pet needs as we have to work around the holiday opening hours of our wholesalers.

The next opportunity to put in an order will be in the new year on January 2nd.

11/12/2024

💊XMAS DEADLINE💊

If you usually order repeat prescriptions or your pet's food at the end of each month please note that medication and food orders must be placed by Thursday the 19th December by 5pm to ensure that we are able to order it in and dispense it to you in good time for the christmas period.

If there are any late orders we cannot guarantee that we will be able to supply you with what your pet needs as we have to work around the holiday opening hours of our wholesalers.

The next opportunity to put in an order will be in the new year on January 2nd.

07/12/2024

💚 PET OF THE MONTH! 💚

You can usually hear Bertie before you see him. Bertie is one of our diabetic patients. Unfortunately as it is with most diabetic patients Bertie had developed diabetic cataracts. This is where the lens of the eye becomes thickened, and vision becomes impaired.

Usually in these situations the patient will be referred for a specialist cataract removal surgery but as Bertie becomes incredibly distressed when he comes to any veterinary practice (hence his lovely singing), this was a route that we couldn't consider at the time.

In the mean time we monitored the eye and treated Bertie symptomatically, despite our efforts, his eye eventually deteriorated to the point where we had no choice but to enucleate (remove) it.

It's a good job that we did remove this eye, as it was then found to have not only the cataract wrong with it, but the intraocular pressure (pressure inside the eye) was too high, it had also developed an ulcer, the retina had detached and the components within the eye had all started to attach to each other.

Although he has a cataract in his other eye, Bertie is coping incredibly well having had this procedure and we are all very proud of how brave he was coming in for his surgery. Fingers crossed he keeps on the up!

Way to go Bertie! 👏🎶

04/12/2024

'Tis officially the season!

Our Christmas decorations have found their way into the practice and now we're starting to really feel in the spirit. We hope they add a little bit of cheer to your day the next time you come for a visit. 🎄

20/11/2024

🐰COLD BUNNIES!🐰

As winter closes in we'd like to share with our rabbit owners the Rabbit Welfare Association website. Here you can find lots of advice about keeping your bunnies healthy and happy.

The link below is all about how best to approach winter if you have rabbits that live outdoors. ❄️

Discover expert tips for keeping rabbits warm in cold weather. Explore outdoor housing advice and ensure your bunny's comfort. Read more!

12/11/2024

Is your pet suffering with OA? Are they on any treatment to help ease their pain?

If you are thinking about starting them on a treatment plan, take a look at the options available for them in our latest blogpost. Here, you'll learn what to expect from a meeting with one of our vets, as well as get an idea of what might work best for you and your pet.

Osteoarthritis in dogs and cats - The treatment options

06/11/2024

💚 PET OF THE MONTH 💚

Ash came to us with a back leg injury, which after xrays, was revealed to be a fracture near his hip joint.

Our vet Catherine then had to take Ash into surgery, to perform a femoral head and neck excision. This is where the joint that sits in the hip socket is taken off, and the surrounding muscles hold the bone in place instead.

Once surgery had started, it was found that Ash had done most of the work for us when his injury occurred, meaning that after taking the broken off piece of bone it was just a matter of smoothing off the edges so that it would be more comfortable for Ash to use the leg.

Ash coped incredibly well with the surgery, and made and excellent recovery. He’s even back to using four legs! It is without a doubt that he deserves to be this month’s star pet ⭐️

31/10/2024

Summer says

🎃 H A P P Y H A L L O W E E N 🎃

From all of us at Rochford Vets!

25/10/2024

Dogs Trust have excellent resources available on their website, such as action packs with tips and tricks on how to support your anxious dog during firework season.

Fireworks can be distressing for dogs. Prepare ahead to help your dog cope this season and beyond.

22/10/2024

🎆 FIREWORKS 🎆

As firework season begins to get underway, we thought we'd share our top tips for supporting your pet, especially if this is a time you know they struggle with.

🌟Prepare early, if you know your pet gets stressed when fireworks are going off it's important to make sure you have a plan in place to help reassure them before it is needed.
🌟Turn your television on with the volume up or make sure you have adequate background noise to help drown out the pops and bangs.
🌟Provide a safe space for them to hide in, such as a blanket fort or sheltered bedding. Wherever your pet feels safest is the best place for them to be.
🌟Keep them company, if your pet is anxious it is best not to leave them alone. Having a family member nearby can help to reassure them.
🌟Draw all curtains and blinds, so your pet cannot see what is going on outside and they can remain blissfully unaware.
🌟If you have to take them out (i.e. for toileting purposes), try to do a big walk before the fireworks might start (such as just before dusk) or aim to take them out during intervals where the fireworks have stopped.

If your pet is still anxious and worried despite your best attempts to help them, please give us a call and a vet will be able to talk you through different options such as calming supplements which can be started ahead of time for their full effect.

22/10/2024

⚡️POWER OUTAGE⚡️

We are currently experiencing a power outage which means our phones are not on, and our computer system is down. Please bear with us whilst this problem is resolved.

01/10/2024

💚 PET OF THE MONTH 💚

This is Bert the border terrier. He came in to go under sedation so we could remove a small mass growing on his gum. This went smoothly and Bert recovered very well with us.

Unfortunately this was just the beginning for Bert. After an uneventful recovery from this procedure, and having been signed off as all healed up from this, Bert then began to feel sick and his owner brought him back to us for a vet to take a look. It seemed he had potential gastritis (inflammation of the stomach) which can sometimes be a side effect of the pain relief medication he was taking.

However, once Bert's situation did not improve despite stopping this medication, anti-emetic injections and symptomatic treatment, he required further investigations. Bert came back for abdominal ultrasound, xrays and some blood tests. Imaging showed a potential foreign body in his abdomen, with nothing moving through his gastrointestinal tract like it should.

This warranted Bert undergoing yet another surgery, this time under general anaesthesia to open his abdomen to take a look at what this could be. No foreign body was found but we did find a nasty ulcer in Bert's stomach. Once we knew this was the problem we could start treatment right away.

Bert started to improve drastically on treatment, much to the relief of his owner. Now, bert is signed off and finally recovered.

Bert was very popular with our staff, and it was a resounding agreement on choosing him to be this month's star. That being said, hopefully we won't see him again for a long while!

18/09/2024

10/09/2024

💙National Pet Memorial Day💙

Blue cross is a charity that offers support surrounding the loss of a pet. Everyone has different ways of coping with loss. For those who need a listening ear, compassionate words and a space to grieve openly, their support page is in the link below.

Pet Loss Support Here to take your hand when they let go. For 30 years, we’ve been here to help you cope with the loss of a pet, either through death, enforced separation or theft. With a free and confidential helpline, webchat, email and Facebook group, you can find support when and where you nee...