Out of Hours Emergency Service
We have our own 24/7 emergency service here at the practice in Maresfield run by our own Vets and nursing assistants. It can be extremely frightening if your pet becomes ill during the night and needs to stay at the practice, but rest assured they will receive the best possible care at The Forest Vet. We have beds at the practice for the staff and there will always be a member of the team with them, monitoring them and giving medications throughout the night. If your pet requires surgery during the night we will keep you informed every step of the way.
Home Visits
We offer home visits at the Forest Vet in Maresfield for people or pets that are unable to come to the practice. We also offer a pet taxi that can be arranged to collect you and your pet for your appointment.
Zone Days
Can't get to the vet? Take advantage of our village zone days where we give free of charge house visits:
- Monday – Nutley, Danehill, Chelwood Gate
- Tuesdays – Newick, Fletching, Piltdown
- Fridays – Buxted, Fairwarp, Uckfield
The Forest Vet Goes Mobile
Our 24/7 emergency truck can pick up you and your pet and bring you to the practice. It will also enable us to continue with our house visits and zone days even through the winter snow. There is plenty of space to transport all sizes of pets comfortably and securely.
The Forest Pet Clubs
All Pets upon registration at The Forest Vet will gain free entry into one of our exclusive clubs. All Forest Pets receive their own folder packed with their healthcare information. All preventative healthcares such as fleas, worming and vaccinations will be tailor-made to you and your pets lifestyle and will be written on your personalised treatment program. Any test results or treatments received throughout your pets life can be documented in their folder including any information received at our client evenings.
- The Forest Healthy Pet Club - Discount scheme for preventative medicine
- The Forest Hatchlings from birth to 6 years
- The Forest Silverset Club from 7yrs up
- Cottontails - Small furies, rabbits, guinea-pigs, rats, hamsters etc...
Consultations – Willow and Chestnut rooms
o At The Forest Vet we offer a unique personalised approach to our consultations. Each of our consulting rooms is equipped with a seating area to discuss your pets presenting symptoms and history before the vet performs a thorough physical examination. Each initial consultation is 30 minutes, which gives time for animals to settle while taking a thorough history. During the consultation, our experienced vets will explain all the different options available to you and your pet with regards to further investigations and available treatments. Any decisions to be made will very much be decided together as the vets work with you on an individual basis to do the best for your pet. Our personalised approach means that you will have one vet that oversees your animals, so you are seeing the same person each visit for continuity of care. At The Forest Vet we offer consultations by appointment as well as emergencies.
Surgery
At The Forest Vet we offer a wide range of surgical procedures, both routine and emergency. Rachael our Vet performs all soft tissue procedures and Chris our Orthopaedic specialist performs all orthopaedics here at the practice. Patients rest in the Bracken dog ward or Bramble cat ward until their procedure where they are taken to our purpose built theatre suite and then returned to the wards for recovery.
On arrival to the practice, the procedure will be fully explained to you in your surgical admissions appointment which will be between 8-8.30am. A thorough pre-operative assessment of your pet will be made during this time and anaesthetic protocols discussed with you. before being admitted, each pet gets to choose a free teddy to keep and take into hospital with them for comfort.
Post op you will be given another appointment for collection after 5.30pm where post-op care and pain relief at home will be thoroughly discussed and given as instructions for you to take home.
Pain Planning
At The Forest Vet our primary concern is the prevention of pain in our pets. This is the main focus of our pain planning service during surgical procedures and post operatively, but extends to every single condition that affects your pet. See our information sheets in how to recognise pain in pets and contact our Vets if you have any concerns.
On admission for Surgery, our Vets will guide you through the pain relief provided and also how we score pain in the wards post operatively to ensure that every patient is as comfortable as possible. On discharge, you will be provided with these pain score charts to ensure that on the days following surgery at home that your pet is pain-free.
Anaesthesia
Every anaesthetic carries a risk and this varies amongst species. Our Vet Rachael has a special interest in anaesthesia and every patient is assessed on admission for an anaesthetic and given a risk score. Information on this score is provided in our information sheets. To improve the safety of anaesthesia for any procedure The Forest Vet recommends pre-operative blood tests and our anaesthetic care package which includes intravenous fluid therapy to maintain blood pressure and extra monitoring to adjust the anaesthetic as quickly as possible:
Liver and Kidney Check
Pre-op blood test to check liver and kidney function.
Intravenous Fluid Therapy
Intra venous fluids to maintain blood pressure during the procedure and provide a quicker recovery from the anaesthetic.
Diagnostics
In House Laboratory
At The Forest Vet we have invested in a wide range of the latest diagnostic equipment. Our blood analysis machines enable us to make a diagnosis in just 7 minutes, meaning that you can have the results at the same time as your consultation. If you are unable to wait we can of course email them to you that same day. Our in house laboratory can test all the major blood parameters including liver, kidney, pancreas, diabetes and the thyroid. This enables our Vets to give you a diagnosis and treatment plan during your initial consultation rather than agonisingly waiting for results for days.
Digital X-Ray
The Forest Vet also has digital x-ray enabling us to provide high quality images for a number of conditions. This imaging resource is essential for monitoring orthopaedic conditions as well as a number of other disorders such as heart failure, respiratory disorders, gastrointestinal disorders and genitourinary diseases.
Bracken and Bramble Patient Wards
The Forest Vet has two equipped comfortable wards for both cats and dogs. Bracken our dog ward is situated completely separate from Bramble our cat ward. We feel here at The Forest Vet our feline friends can get stressed if they are not somewhere calm and quiet. Both wards have clean and comfortable kennels that provide a resting place for our in-patients post or pre surgery and treatments.
Dentistry
Dentistry is an important aspect to your pets overall health. Many people under estimate the necessity for dental hygiene. Bad oral health can cause pain and discomfort to your furry friend. At The Forest Vet we provide all the procedures necessary to keep your pets mouth perfectly pristine and pain free.
Every pet that is admitted for dental procedures will have a full dental examination performed and given to you to keep in their Forest Vet folder. Advice will also be given to you to help prevent periodontal disease.
Test for Lungworm
Due to the increasing presence of lungworm in the area, if your pet has been infected it can cause an inability to stop bleeding during surgery. To prevent this we recommend testing for lungworm pre-op. This can be done with the pre-op bloods. We also recommend monthly treatment to prevent lungworm infection which can be discussed with the Vet during your free preventative healthplan consultation upon registration of your pet at The Forest Vet.
Veterinary HPM Food
We are now stocking Virbac Veterinary HPM Cat and Dog dry food. It is an advanced low-carb, high-protein formulation specifically designed to support the long-term health of cats and dogs. Compared to main adult dog/cat life stage products in contains on average 30% more protein and 40% less carbohydrates. It provides tailored nutrition for the specific health challenges at each stage of your furry friends life. If you would like anymore information or would like to try a bag please call us or pop in. We offer a palatability guarantee so if they don't like it when can take it back for a full refund.
Cat Clinics
As part of our ‘Stress Free Visits to the Vets’ we are introducing cat clinics on a Wednesday and Thursday afternoon 1-3pm with our vet Sarah. The aim is to create a cat-only environment to give more anxious or nervous cats the opportunity to see a vet when there are no dogs in the consulting area of the practice. It is well recognised that dogs are one of the major stressors for cats, so taking this away can help to make their visit to the vets as positive as possible
Homeopathy and Acupuncture
Dr Sonya Leggett, BSc(Hons),PhD, BVetMed, VetMFHom, MRCVS – Holistic Veterinary Surgeon.
As holistic vet, I like to spend time with each patient looking beyond symptoms to your pet’s character, emotions and environment, as well as past illnesses and diet. In this way, I can find the very best remedy or treatment, taking into careful consideration all the factors which may affect your pet’s health and wellbeing. I may use a variety of approaches or therapies, depending on my observations:
Homeopathy
A system of medicine based on the principle of ‘let like be cured by likes’. We use medicines from animal, vegetable or mineral sources and more recently, man-made substances. We find the correct stimulus to encourage the body’s natural ability to heal itself and also take care to remove or minimise anything that may stop that healing process.
Acupuncture
Inserting very fine needles at specific points in the body to stimulate physiological changes along energy channels called meridians, which help to resolve illness, relieve symptoms and re balance organ systems.
Herbal medicine
Using plants to heal as people have done for centuries, now verified as a safe and scientifically-sound approach, backed by detailed knowledge of plant chemistry and botanical therapeutics.
Nutrition
Many pet foods, even expensive brands, don’t adequately meet the dietary needs of animals. Ill-health and behavioural problems can be the result. Raw food and a specifically-formulated diet is the way to go.
Allopathic medicine
while complementary treatments are always my first choice, I wouldn’t hesitate to use other medication if that was the best option for your pet. Holistic consultations take 30-60 minutes – or longer if the first appointment. Please call The Forest Vet on 01825 766006 if you would like to see Sonya on a Tuesday or Thursday afternoon 2-5pm.