Rochford Veterinary Surgery

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.

24/03/2025

☠️ANIMAL POISONS WEEK☠️

This week is all about animal poisons! Each day we're going to post a question about animal poisons to test your knowledge.

Think you know your stuff? Leave a comment and we'll reveal all of the answers at the end of the week!

12/03/2025

💚 PET OF THE MONTH 💚

Swift is a very special case. After being diagnosed with lymphoma, which in itself involves lots of tests and invasive surgeries back in 2021, Swift has now made it through two rounds of chemotherapy, having just recently finished her latest course.

After her latest treatment, Swift is now in remission.

We wanted to appreciate the journey that Swift has been on; the treatments that she has been through resulting in side effects such as nausea and inappetenace, lethargy, let alone the endless needle-sticks for tests and medications has not fazed this girl one bit. She continued to be the sweet dog she always has been, taking everything in her stride.

On the day of her final chemotherapy infusion, Swift was gifted this toy with bells so she could finally celebrate her remission! 🔔

Did we mention that Swift is now 12 years old? Despite her age she has overcome so much, and it makes us so happy to see her come out on the other side of all this.

Congratulations Swift! 🎉

05/03/2025

🐱 TRAVELLING WITH YOUR CAT 🐱

Our nurse Cathy has kindly put together a list of tips and tricks to ensure travelling with your cat is as stress-free as possible, for both your pet and yourself!

Check it out on our blog ⬇

Top tips on travelling with your cat

25/02/2025

💻 BLOGPOSTS 💻

If you didn't know already, our website is home to our blog which holds a multitude of posts written by both our vets and our nurses.

These posts are written to provide you with information about ongoing updates in the veterinary world, updates about us as a practice, but most importantly topics that would be of interest and helpful to you, our clients.

This is why we would now like to give you the floor. If there is anything you would like to know more about regarding your pet's care, or even just because you would like to know more about something, please drop a comment below ⬇️ and we will aim to write more on your suggested topics. Thank you!

We publish helpful articles and news stories on our vet blog. Subjects include pet dental care, pet vaccinations, pet microchipping and other useful topics

05/02/2025

💚 PET OF THE MONTH 💚

This is the lovely Lulu. Her owner brought her in to see us after she had noticed that Lulu was not herself; she found it difficult to eat, seemed lethargic, and had developed bad breath very suddenly.

Our vet Daniella decided it would be worth booking Lulu in for a dental procedure as gum disease was seen in Lulu's mouth, and at the same time whilst Lulu was asleep we could then have a look to see if there were any problems that could be causing Lulu's symptoms.

When the day came and Lulu had been put under anaesthetic, Daniella noticed lots of ulcerated areas along the top of Lulu's mouth, on her tongue and all along the sides. As well as this, some of the skin had started to slough off. This was a very peculiar finding which warranted biopsies and a bacterial swab being taken of these areas and sent to an external lab for evaluation.

The lab results came back suggestive of Pemphigus Vulgaris. This is an autoimmune disease which causes these sores and blistering areas in the mouth. Lulu started treatments right away with steroids.

Although she was now being treated for this, Lulu then came down with pancreatitis which resulted in her hospitalisation with us for treatment. All of this in such a short period of time took it's toll on Lulu and she started to take a disliking to the vets. Lulu would lunge and attempt to bite, which is very very unlike her, which meant she must have been feeling incredibly fed up and under the weather.

Fortunately once Lulu's treatments had all started to kick in she started to return back to her old self, a very sweet and harmless little schnauzer. Lulu is now well again and although still on her treatment course for her mouth she is making excellent progress. Daniella is very very pleased with how much Lulu has come through on the other side of all of this which is why we felt she deserves to be this month's star pet. ⭐️

22/01/2025

😻 Answer your cat's question day 😻

If your cat could ask you one question what would it be?

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.