Fenton River Veterinary Hospital

12/05/2024

📢 Important Update: Stafford Office Closed Today 📢

Due to a power outage, our Stafford office will be closed today.

However, our Stafford doctors will still be making every effort to head out for farm calls and on-the-road emergencies as conditions allow.

Our Tolland and Ashford offices are open and ready to assist with your pet’s needs.

If you have questions or need to reschedule an appointment, please don’t hesitate to call us.

Stay safe, and thank you for your understanding!

🐾 Tolland Office: 860-870-8701
🐾 Ashford Office: 860-487-0479

11/27/2024

🍁 Thanksgiving Safety Tips for Your Pets! 🐾

Foods to Avoid Giving Your Dogs 🚫

These popular holiday treats can be toxic to pets and should be off their plate:

🍗 Turkey Bones & Skin: Bones can splinter, and the fatty skin can cause pancreatitis.

🧅 Stuffing & Gravy: Often contains onions, garlic, or spices that are harmful to dogs.

🧈 Mashed Potatoes with Butter or Cream: Too rich for their stomachs and can upset digestion.

🍇 Cranberry Sauce: Sugary or contains added ingredients like raisins (which are toxic).

🍪 Desserts: Chocolate, xylitol (a sugar substitute), and nutmeg are all dangerous for pets.

Dog-Friendly Thanksgiving Foods ✅

Your pup doesn’t have to feel left out! Here are safe options you can share in moderation:

🦃 Plain Turkey (Boneless & Skinless): Cooked, unseasoned turkey meat is a safe treat.

🍠 Plain Sweet Potatoes: Packed with nutrients, but avoid butter, sugar, or marshmallows.

🫛 Green Beans: Steamed and unseasoned green beans are a healthy snack.

🎃 Pumpkin: Plain, cooked pumpkin (not pie filling) is great for digestion.

🥕 Carrots: Raw or cooked carrots make a crunchy, safe treat.

General Safety Tips 🦃

🍁 Keep your trash secured; leftover food and bones can be irresistible but dangerous for pets.

🍁 Set boundaries during mealtime to prevent accidental feeding from well-meaning guests.

Wishing you and your families a safe and happy Thanksgiving

💙 Fenton River Veterinary Hospital

11/25/2024

🍂🦃 Happy Thanksgiving Week! 🦃🍂

As we approach the holiday season, we want to take a moment to express how grateful we are for you—our incredible clients and your beloved pets. 💛

We’ll have adjusted hours this Thanksgiving week to allow our team to celebrate with their families. Please check out the image below for our updated schedule.

Our on-call doctors will be available 24/7 if you have any urgent needs outside of these hours.

Thank you for trusting us to care for your pets. We wish you and your family members a safe and joyful Thanksgiving! 🧡

🐾 Your Fenton River Veterinary Hospital Team

11/06/2024

📣 Important Notice for our TOLLAND office for November 7th 📣

On Thursday, November 7th, our Tolland office will be closed from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM for an all-staff meeting. This time allows our team to come together, learn, and grow so we can continue to provide the best care for your beloved pets.

We’ll be back and ready to assist you at 1:00 PM! Thank you for your understanding and support, and we apologize for any inconvenience. 🐾

11/04/2024

It’s MONDAY, let's introduce you all to one of our team members!

For this we would like you to meet, Chelsea!

Chelsea joined our team in 2021 to continue to follow her passion with animals in the veterinary field for the past 14 years.

Her special interests include client education, preventative care, and oral health.

In her spare time she enjoys anything outdoors including hiking, gardening, cooking, spending quality time with her fur babies, and most of all she loves fishing.🐟🐈🐕

10/31/2024

10/29/2024

10/28/2024

It’s MONDAY, let's introduce you all to one of our team members!

For this we would like you to meet, Christina Ciampa!

Christina joined our team in January 2021. She grew up heavily involved in 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA), gathering a love for livestock and companion animals from a young age. 🚜

She completed her bachelor's degree in biotech/chemistry from Westfield State University, where she was a part of the softball and equestrian team. She is finishing her Master’s degree pursuing public administration, focusing on management. 🐴

Christina's interests lie in surgical procedures and caring for our exotic patients, particularly rabbits!

Outside of work, Christina likes spending time hiking, riding horses, or spending time with her pets (especially her four kitties!)🐰🐈

10/25/2024

🎃👻 Happy Howl-o-ween week from all of us at Fenton River 🐾

🍬 As we prepare for a fun week of costumes, treats, and spooky sights, we want to share a few tips to keep your furry friends safe this Halloween:

🕸️ Watch the Treats – Chocolate, candy, and other sweets can be dangerous for pets. Keep treats out of reach, and consider having a pet-safe treat ready for them instead!

👹 Costume Comfort – If your pet loves dressing up, make sure their costume is comfortable and doesn’t restrict movement or vision. And if they’d rather skip the outfit, a festive collar or bandana works just as well!

🎃 Safe Spaces – Trick-or-treaters can bring a lot of excitement. Set up a cozy, quiet area where your pet can retreat if the hustle and bustle becomes too much.

🐾 ID & Safety First – With doors opening frequently, make sure your pet’s ID is up-to-date if they make a dash for it.

Share a photo of your pet in their Halloween best in the comments below – we’d love to see your spooky sidekicks! Have a safe, fun, and fantastic Halloween week! 🎃🖤👻

10/15/2024

We want to shine a light on some of the most compassionate and dedicated people on our team—our incredible veterinary technicians. 🐾✨ If you’ve ever had a pet cared for here, chances are you’ve been touched by their kindness and expertise. 💖

Our vet techs are the ones who, with a gentle touch and a warm smile, ease the nerves of anxious pets (and their worried humans). 🐶😌

They’re the steady hands during surgeries, the soft voice that comforts during exams, and the loving presence that stays with each pet from start to finish. But more than that, they feel each moment—celebrating the good days 🎉 and holding space for the tough ones. 🤍

They know your pets like family. They remember that Re*****on loves belly rubs after his check-up, that Roxy always feels braver with a cuddle, or that Oliver will happily take any treat you give him🐕🐾 They put their hearts into EVERY interaction. ❤️

To our incredible techs: You show up daily with dedication, love in your heart, and care for each pet as if they were your own, and we’re so lucky to have you. 🫶🐾

We see all that you do, and we are endlessly grateful. 💙 Happy Vet Tech Week💙

10/07/2024

It’s MONDAY, let's introduce you all to one of our team members!

For this we would like you to meet, Dr. Trevor Copes!

Trevor grew up in New Lothrop, Michigan (Go Green 💚) on a cash crop and livestock farm, where he developed a passion for livestock husbandry at an early age. His family farm raised pigs, Holstein steers, and Hampshire ewes 🐖🐄🐑, and by age 8, he was already showing pigs at the county, state, and national levels 🏆. Trevor remained active in 4-H and FFA, organizations he continues to support today.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from Saginaw Valley State University and later graduated from Tufts Cummings University of Veterinary Medicine 🎓. During his studies, he worked in the university’s anatomy lab and on the school’s farm, gaining hands-on experience in animal care 🧑‍🔬.

After vet school, Trevor completed an intensive livestock internship with Tufts Veterinary Field Service, focusing on production pig medicine, dairy calf care, and animal surgery 🐄🔬.

Trevor lives in Connecticut with his partner, Dr. Parrella, and their three cats, Alopecia, Rue, and Octavia 🐱. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting, fishing 🎣, gardening 🌻, hiking 🥾, and golfing ⛳.

10/03/2024

Dr. Parrella and Dr. Copes representing Fenton River Veterinary Hospital at this year's Big E! 🎡

As Superintendent and Vice Superintendent of the Pig Show, their passion for veterinary care extends far beyond the clinic, and we're excited to see them leading such an important event at the fair! 🏆🐖

09/09/2024

🚨Monday, September 9, 2024🚨

Our Tolland Office will not be available for urgent care tonight, but our doors will be open 5-8pm for any medication and food pick up.

We apologize for the inconvenience and will resume our normal urgent care hours on Tuesday, September 10,2024 from 5-8pm.

Thank you for your understanding💙

09/06/2024

🚨Important Update Regarding the Tolland Office Hours of Operation🚨

🕕 Starting the week of September 8, 2024, our Tolland office will close at 6pm on Thursdays.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and truly appreciate your understanding 💙 Thank you for your continued trust in us as we care for your pets and farm animals.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to give any of our three locations a call. We appreciate your understanding during this change.

08/30/2024

🎉Happy Labor Day Weekend! 🎉

Wishing you and your family a safe and relaxing holiday weekend 💙

🐾 Please note our holiday hours:

Tolland 🏥
Saturday: 8am - 5pm
Sunday: Closed
Monday (Labor Day): Closed

Ashford 🏥
Saturday: 9am - 1pm
Sunday: Closed
Monday (Labor Day): Closed

Stafford 🏥
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
Monday (Labor Day): Closed

🐶🐱 For small animal emergencies, please contact your nearest 24/7 emergency hospital.

🐴🐮 For large animal emergencies, please contact 860-870-8701, our large animal doctors are available Sunday-Monday, 24/7 for your large animal emergencies.

08/26/2024

🐾 Happy National Dog Day!🐾

Whether your dog is a playful puppy or a wise senior, we want to see them!

📸 Share a photo of your dog in the comments below and tell us what makes them extra special to you.

08/24/2024

Friends in the Willington area, please keep your eyes open for TumTum. He went missing recently, and he is not microchipped.

08/19/2024

It’s MONDAY, let's introduce you all to one of our team members!

For this we would like you to meet, Christina Parrella!

Dr. Christina Parrella is a native of Massachusetts who grew up on the South Shore. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

She worked closely with the University’s sheep herd during this time, fostering a strong interest in small ruminant medicine. 🐑

Following graduation, she received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine 🎓🩺

While at Tufts, Christina worked as a student technician at the Hospital for Large Animals, furthering her interest in livestock and equine medicine. Her professional interests include dermatology and theriogenology of all large and small animal species. 🐴 🐱 🐶

In her spare time, Christina enjoys baking, traveling, and spending time with her family, friends, and her 2 sphynx cats, Alopecia and Rue.