We offer a complete package of health care and advice for small animals.
We welcome pets of all shapes and sizes including guinea pigs, rabbits, cats and dogs.
What is hydrotherapy?
Hydrotherapy is derived from the Greek word meaning water healing. It is controlled aquatic exercise in heated sanitized water. A combination of warmth, buoyancy and hydrostatic pressure reduces pain and swelling, promotes muscle relaxation and improves circulation and healing.
The warmth of the water will relax the muscles. A decrease in range of motion can often be due to pain, swelling and/or stiffness which can be reduced by the warm water. Hydrostatic pressure (the pressure of the water on the animal) can also reduce swelling and therefore possibly increase the range or motion. The buoyancy of the water decreases the weight bearing on the limbs. The buoyancy of the water will help move the stiff joint with further range of movement with minimal exercise.
This helps to reduce pain and can allow easier movement with minimal exercise.
Find out more about this service here!
Rosemary Cowper has a long standing interest in behavioural therapy and consultations can be booked with her to discuss all aspects of problem behaviour, from cats spraying in the house to aggressive dogs and firework phobias.
We have a very advanced Colour Doppler Flow Ultrasound scanner, plus an ECG, blood pressure monitor and on site laboratory that allows us to investigate cardiac diseases thoroughly.
One of our partners, Ruth Jackson, has a special interest in this area.
Bishop’s Stortford Veterinary Hospital offers a full, on-site, out of hours service. Please call us on 01279 654108 to listen to a recorded message explaining how to contact the duty vet.
Many over the counter flea products are not highly effective at controlling fleas. We ensure all our flea products are a minimum of 95% effective and will dispense them as rapidly as we can to you.
We strongly recommend that you microchip your pets, especially cats that go outside. It is a simple procedure to implant the chip and can be done in a consultation without anaesthetic.
For kittens that remain indoors until after neutering we recommend that a micorchip is implanted at the same time as their neutering.
Puppies must be microchipped and recorded by the time they are eight weeks old and before they are sold by the breeder.
We offer a competitively priced range of nurse services including:
- Nail clipping
- Sutures / stitches out
- Microchipping
- Dental checks
- Weight clinics
- Senior clinics
- Anal glands emptying
- Flea checks and advice
- Worm checks and advice
- Tick removal
- Puppy parties
- Nutritional advice
- Dressing / bandage changes
Alison Somers has a postgraduate RCVS Certificate in Veterinary Ophthalmology plus we have additional specialised equipment including a slit lamp, operating microscope and tonometer. This allows us to offer you a very high level of expertise in this area.
We offer next working day service on all our prescriptions (baring supply problems) and you can either phone reception or email uswith your name, your pet’s name, detailed requirements of what you need and a contact number should there be a problem.
It is a legal requirement that animals dispensed prescription only medications are under the care of a veterinary surgeon. This means a regular physical exam, the frequency of which depends on the condition but must be at least every 6 months and is for the safety of your pet so that our vets can check there are no side effects developing.
You will be asked to make an appointment if your pet is due a check over.
We treat all domestic pets from dogs and cats to guinea pigs and iguanas.
We also treat any wildlife casualties brought to us.
We are lucky to have an excellent range of surgical equipment including surgical saws, air driven drills, electrocautery, a range of ASIF and external fixator kits for broken bones, surgical suction and extensive anaesthetic monitoring equipment.
Laser Therapy, or “photobiomodulation”, is the use of specific wavelengths of light (red and near-infrared) to create therapeutic effects. These effects include improved healing time, pain reduction, increased circulation and decreased swelling. Laser Therapy has been utilized by physical therapists, nurses and doctors as far back as the 1970’s, however technical advances in laser miniaturisation and durability pioneered by K-Laser have allowed laser therapy to be used for a wider range of patients.
What to expect
There is no patient sedation or restraint required and the experience is usually pleasant and comforting to them. Although improvement is often seen after the first visit, most patients require several treatments [3 to 8] for greatest benefit. For most conditions, we recommend a multi-visit treatment plan. Treatments vary in length, but most sites require 2 to 8 minutes. A majority of patients exhibit greater comfort and mobility within 12 to 24 hours after a laser treatment.
Class IV Laser Therapy treatments are cumulative in nature. The length and frequency of treatments varies with your pet’s condition. A sample treatment schedule is as follows:
- Every other day for one week [3 total]
- Twice the second week [2 total]
- Once the third week [1 total]
- Boosters as needed
Your veterinarian will recommend a treatment plan specific to your pet’s condition.
Laser Therapeutic Effects
During each painless treatment, laser energy increases circulation, drawing water, oxygen, and nutrients to the damaged area. This creates an optimal healing environment that reduces inflammation, swelling, muscle spasms, stiffness, and pain. As the injured area returns to normal, function is restored and pain is relieved.
Cellular Effects of Laser Therapy
During Laser Therapy the infrared laser light interacts with tissues at the cellular level, and metabolic activity increases within the cell, improving the transport of nutrients across the cell membrane. This initiates the increased production of cellular energy (ATP) that leads to a cascade of beneficial effects, increasing cellular function and health.
Numerous Studies show that laser therapy can help with:
- Osteoarthritis
- Joint Pain
- Tendinopathies
- Edema and Congestion
- Ligament Sprains
- Muscle Strains
- Puncture Wounds
- Post-Traumatic Injury
- Post-Surgical Pain
- Neck and Back Pain
- Hip Dysplasia
- Burns
- Chronic Wounds
- Rehabilitation
- Post-Orthopedic Surgical
- Recovery
All vaccinations are performed by a fully qualified veterinary surgeon and your pet is given a full 12 point health check for their safety prior to administration.
We firmly believe that your pets should be covered from youth all the way through to old age and will send you a yearly reminder. Leptospirosis in dogs is a particular problem in this area and needs to be boostered every year.
Why not use the opportunity to check that your pet is up to date with their worming and flea treatment? Please ask to be booked into our Wellness Clinics, where for no extra cost you have a consultation with one of our nurses before you see the vet. They can discuss in detail with you any queries you have about dietary management, preventative care, dental advice and even training tips
Rosalind Bath, Carola Leman and Paula Frenzel are Pet Health Counsellors, who are in charge of our Weight Clinics.
The clinics are free of charge and will help guide you through getting your pet to lose weight.
We recommend that all pets be wormed regularly. The frequency will vary depending on your pets’ lifestyle and exposure, why not ask your vet or ask at reception for our free advice leaflet.