House Call Vet Colchester

22/04/2026

🐾 Local pet owners in Tolleshunt Knights & Tiptree — we've got great news for you!

We're House Call Vet, your local mobile veterinary practice, and we come straight to your door so your pet can be seen in the comfort of their own home — no stressful car journeys needed! 🏡

✅ Professional, caring veterinary care
✅ We visit you at home
✅ NO call-out fee for Tolleshunt Knights & Tiptree residents

Book an appointment or find out more:
🌐

House Call Vet is based in Colchester and is providing home visit veterinary services in the town and surrounding areas. We offer a wide range of mobile veterinary services - including pet home euthanasia in Colchester and surrounding areas.

23/08/2025

Cat microchip laws UK

From 10 June 2024, it is now a legal requirement for all pet cats in England to be microchipped by 20 weeks of age—even if they’re indoor-only!

Why?
🧭 To give lost, stolen, or injured cats the best chance of being quickly reunited with their owners.

🔍 What you need to know:
✅ Microchipping must be done by 20 weeks of age
✅ Applies to all cats, even those who stay indoors
⚠️ If your cat isn’t microchipped, you’ll have 21 days to comply or face a fine of up to £500

📍 This law currently applies to England only (not Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland), but we strongly recommend microchipping for all cats—especially before they go outside.
🐾 Need to get your cat microchipped?
As a mobile vet, we come to you—stress-free for both you and your pet.

📞 Book your appointment today:
07897 022269
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.housecallvet.co.uk

09/08/2025

🐾 “Is it time to say goodbye?”
We hear this question often—and we understand how painful it is to ask.

You want one more cuddle.
One more tail wag.
One more day to hope they’ll bounce back.

But sometimes, waiting "just a little longer" means more pain, not more time.
The truth is:
Letting them go gently, without suffering, is the kindest gift you can give.

🐶💞 At home, in peace, with your voice in their ears and your love around them—that’s how they deserve to leave.

📞 We're here to support you with honesty, compassion, and care.
Learn more about our at-home euthanasia service:
👉 www.housecallvet.co.uk/euthanasia

You are not alone. We're here to help you through it. ❤️

02/08/2025

🌾 Grass Seeds: Small but Dangerous! 🐶

They may look tiny and harmless, but grass seeds can cause serious trouble for your dog.

🐾 If your dog has been running through long grass, always give them a quick check afterwards—especially:

Between the toes

Around the armpits

Near the ears and eyes

These seeds can pierce the skin, burrow into the body, and travel, leading to:
🔹 Infections
🔹 Painful swelling
🔹 Abscesses
🔹 Even surgery if left untreated

🚨 See a swelling or your dog is licking or limping?
You might not see the seed, but the damage could already be done. If you're unsure, it’s always best to book an appointment with your vet.

⏱️ Early removal is key! The quicker it’s dealt with, the less discomfort (and cost!) for your pet.

Stay grass seed aware this summer! 🌿🐕

📞 07897 022269 | 📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.housecallvet.co.uk

27/07/2025

✈️ Planning to Travel Abroad with Your Pet? Here's What You Need to Know! 🐾
Travelling internationally with your furry companion requires preparation—both for your pet’s safety and to meet legal requirements.

🔍 From a Veterinary Perspective, Here’s What to Consider:

✅ Pet Passport or Animal Health Certificate (AHC):
Depending on your destination, your pet may need a valid pet passport (for EU travel) or an AHC issued by an official vet within 10 days of travel.

💉 Up-to-date Vaccinations:
Most countries require your pet to be fully vaccinated—especially against rabies. Some countries have strict timelines after rabies vaccination before entry is allowed.

🩺 Microchipping:
Your pet must be microchipped before their rabies vaccination for the documents to be valid.

🛃 Tapeworm & Parasite Treatment:
Some countries (e.g., Finland, Ireland, Norway, Malta) require certified tapeworm treatment 24–120 hours before entry.

📆 Plan Ahead:
Some countries may have quarantine requirements or additional tests (like rabies antibody titers), which can take weeks or months to organize.

🌡️ Consider Your Pet’s Comfort & Health:

Is your pet fit to travel?

Can they handle long journeys or changes in climate?

Speak to your vet about sedation, travel carriers, and travel anxiety support.

👩‍⚕️ Need Help Preparing for Travel?
We’re here to guide you through the process! Book an appointment to ensure your pet meets all the travel requirements.

📞 07897 022269 | 📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.housecallvet.co.uk

🐶🐱 Safe travels for you and your pet!

26/07/2025

🚨 Cat Owners, Please Be Aware: Lilies Are Toxic to Cats! 🚨

Did you know that lilies, while beautiful, can be deadly for your feline friends? 🌸❌

Even just ingesting a small part of the plant or licking pollen off their fur can cause severe poisoning. Symptoms of lily toxicity in cats can include:

🐾 Vomiting
🐾 Loss of appetite
🐾 Lethargy
🐾 Kidney failure (in severe cases)

If your cat has had any contact with a lily, don't wait! Contact your vet immediately. The earlier the treatment, the better the chances for recovery. ⏰

For peace of mind, consider keeping lilies out of your home or garden, and opt for cat-safe plants instead.

If you are concerned about your pet and would like advice, please call 01202 509000 or visit www.animalpoisonline.co.uk for more information.

📞 07897 022269 | 📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.housecallvet.co.uk

17/11/2024

It is so sad. Please, if you can help Lucky Bunny and Friends Rescue with rescue space or donations please comment on their post.

This morning we received a call to say around 100 rabbits have been dumped in the woods in Chaddersly Corbet and luckily 56 were caught and secured in a lovely couples shed.

We have taken in 16 males and 40 females who we suspect are pregnant and they are all in a bad way. We are a small rescue run from Heathers home by a small team of 4 of us.

All of these rabbits at a minimum will need neutering/spaying and vaccinating.

We will do a more in-depth post later for now we are focusing on the bunnies and trying to work out a plan.

We have updated our wish list with things that can help and I have put our PayPal details below if anyone can donate to our foreseeable vet bill.

Bank details are below;

Miss Heather Jayne Kelly
40-12-37
40015989

Or we have PayPal
Paypal.me/LuckyBunnyandFriends

We will absolutely reply to everyone’s messages with kind offers to help foster or take in the rabbits. Please bare with us.

Here is our amazon wish list

https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/LB7VPRC6SO3K?ref_=wl_share

Thank you all.

17/11/2024

How To Help Hedgehogs In Autumn and Winter time.
Please check your local rescues advice.

This is specifically for our followers here in ESSEX, one of the mildest parts of the country. For other areas please check your local rescues advice.
FIRSTLY ANY HEDGEHOG OUT IN DAYLIGHT NEEDS HELP WHAT EVER THE SIZE.
The following refers only to those hedgehogs showing natural behaviour and only appearing after dark.

So as the temperatures drop many of your regular visitors will be disappearing from your gardens. Older, more experienced hedgehogs often settle down to hibernate well in advance of the drop in temperature. First time hibernators born this year may take longer to settle and understand what their bodies are trying to tell them. Temperatures below 5 degrees for a few nights can trigger hibernation.
There is no magic safe weight for hibernation. Those over 600g have the best chance of surviving hibernation, but many hedgehogs hibernate at much lower weights and survive.
Going in and out of hibernation is an extremely complex business. Mistakes can be made and the process can fail causing death, no matter the size or health of the hedgehog.

So next week as the temperatures drop many more hedgehogs may be triggered to hibernate. Your task is to keep support feeding and provide a source of water. Make sure water sources don't freeze over if you can! Keep providing plenty hibernation materials for bedding such as dried leaves or a plant pot on it's side full of barley straw. Not got a hedgehog house yet? Now would be a good time to buy one and position it in the garden. A good sized house with a wood floor and a removable lid. The bedroom area ideally needs to be big enough to hold 2 loaves of bread. Many on the market are way too small and flimsy.

Most importantly. DON'T PANIC. Any hedgehog seen out in daylight obviously needs help, something is wrong. But out at night visiting feeding stations, active and a good healthy shape LEAVE ALONE. Picking them up and interfering unnecessarily, is very stressful for a prey animal. Coming into rescue is very stressful.

That “small” hedgehog visiting your garden at night is possibly not as small as you think. In the photo the hedgehog on the left is just over 300g and quite capable of doubling in size in a couple of weeks IF support fed. We need these juveniles to stay out in the wild doing what they need to do. Coming into the rescue is stressful and can cause more problems than it solves. At 300g most have left mum and are independent. So please keep support feeding any juveniles out at night and over 300g. They still have time to get up to hibernation weight. before the real winter weather arrives here in Essex. ( If it does at all )

Why are we saying this? Well because the hedgehog on the right of the photo is only 100g and stands NO CHANCE of surviving. It should still be with mum and is potentially not totally weaned. These are the ones that desperately need our help to have any chance of survival. We can’t help them if we’re full of healthy 300g+ juveniles.
So what we do need you to look out for are tiny hoglets out at night ON THEIR OWN. We're talking 250g or less. The size that should still be with mum. At that size and smaller they struggle to regulate their own body temperature. IF IN DOUBT CONTACT US FIRST.

Remember we're only human. We have limited space in the rescue and must priortise those that need us most. The sick, the injured and the teeny tiny hoglets. The rest need YOUR help to stay in the wild where they belong.

31/03/2023

We know from observation that hedgehogs usually come out of hibernation between March and May in the UK. During hibernation, hedgehogs will typically have lost around 25% of their body weight.

So, when they emerge, they urgently need to drink and eat. Hedgehogs are generally shy nocturnal animals and if you see one out in the day something may be wrong. Apart from the obvious visible injuries such as dog bites, open wounds, fractures and burns there are other problems that could need attention. A hedgehog out in the day wobbling, unsteady on its feet, with flies around it or sunbathing (hedgehogs do not sunbathe) will need urgent medical attention.

If you find a seemingly uninjured hedgehog out in daylight during Spring, Summer and Autumn it could be a nursing mother foraging. It is very important if you find a hedgehog and feel you need to take it to a rescue that you write down the details of exactly where it was found. If it is a female and is too unwell to be released immediately then the rescue will be alerted to the possibility of hoglets and hopefully they can also be rescued or reunited quickly.

Please ensure you are leaving some food and water out for visiting hedgehogs.

Remember, support feeding is not feeding their full evenings food. It is important they forage for their natural food as well.

Hedgehogs Out in the Day need professional help, i.e., lying on the lawn, birds/flies around, injury.

If in doubt, please call.

(Exception, a pregnant female, acting with purpose)

17/03/2023

Health over looks

What’s the issue with brachycephalic dogs?

According to the British Veterinary Association there’s been a rapid rise in the number of brachycephalic, or flat-faced, dogs in the UK in the last decade.
In 2018, the French bulldog overtook the Labrador Retriever as the UK's most popular dog breed, with an almost 3000% increase in numbers in the previous 10 years. We’re concerned that celebrity influence and social media have had a big role to play in this rise in popularity.
Flat-faced dogs can suffer from a range of serious health and welfare issues, including breathing problems, eye disease, inability to mate or give birth naturally, and skin and dental problems. Obesity exacerbates these health problems.
According to the BVA, in 2017 Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey, vets reported that 56% of the brachycephalic dogs they see in practice need treatment for breed-related health issues. But only 10% of dog owners could recognise these issues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd3_s_hC7G4

A full resource is available for FREE on the Kennel Club Academy, which also provides those in the veterinary profession with the tools to diagnose the condition before it progresses into its severe stages.

23/02/2023

🖤In Loving memory🖤

🤍Pets are a privilege to own, they enrich our lives in so many ways. Their unconditional love, their trust and devotion and their loyalty and characters give us so much. Whether they are with us only a short time, or for what feels like a lifetime the memories we make with our pets will be cherished forever.

🖤You may not think about it, but veterinary professionals often experience some emotional burdens from the loss of pets too. Many will look back and remember numerous patients, who they cared for deeply. They may also experience burden transfer. This emerges from a wide range of different veterinarian-client interactions that occur when that client is providing care for a sick pet.

🤍These include situations like the veterinary professional needing to preform euthanasia, or working with clients who are experiencing anticipatory grief.

🖤There is an emotional paradox in the veterinary world. One we haven't quite got the hang of yet. A paradox that entails the need for emotional involvement with our patients, but at the same time we need the ability to detach in order to survive emotionally.

🤍This job is tough. We laugh with you at those silly characters, and we cry with you when we lose a patient. Sometimes we think about your pets all night and can’t sleep. Sometimes we run over cases again and again. And often we think about pets who we have brought into this world, and pets we have allowed to pass peacefully too.

🖤So here is a post to remember all those, whose owners and veterinary professionals alike look back on and smile, remembering all the happy times, all the love and memories.

🤍In loving memory🤍