Happy Tuesday! For today's #tuesdaytips we will cover some common poisons.
We are often at this time of year going to friend's or family's homes and many people bring their pets along. A household without a dog/ cat or puppy/ kitten may not think about common poisons that are found regularly in households. Keep your eye on your pet when in another home, and know the local emergency hospital/ pet poison hotline.

What to do if your dog or cat is poisoned:
1. Remove your pet from the area.
2. Check to make sure your pet is safe: breathing and acting normally.
3. Do NOT give any home antidotes.
4. Do NOT induce vomiting without consulting a vet or Pet Poison Helpline.
5. Call your veterinarian or if you are out of town the local emergency veterinary hospital or Pet Poison Helpline at 1-855-764-7661 (a $59 USD incident fee applies)

If you are unsure if something is toxic or not, feel free to look it up at the website:   https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poisons/

Happy Tuesday! Today for our #tuesdaytips we will discuss dental health.

Dental disease affects almost 85% of cats and dogs over one year of age. It's caused by the interaction of oral bacteria (plaque) and the animal's response to these bacteria and their toxins. Dental disease is the most common health concern for dogs. Your pet may show few obvious signs, and still suffer from one of the four stages of dental disease.

We offer many different ways to help keep your pet's teeth healthy- dental diets which help clean the tooth surface and fight bacteria-laden plaque; CET chews which carry an enzyme to actually aid in breaking down the plaque; water additives which can also be squirted straight into the mouth, finger brushes, dental cleanings under anesthesia as well as full dental surgery to do extractions.

We also offer an Ultimate Dental Kit - each kit includes a trial size bag of food, bottle of water additive + mister, and for the dogs a finger toothbrush. (See photo) Over 15% in savings!! We are currently out of the cat kits, but hope to have more in soon!

​If you are concerned about your pet's dental health, speak to our veterinarians at your next wellness exam or call us to schedule a consultation so together we can find a plan that works best for you and your pet.

Happy Tuesday! Our Tuesday Tip for today we are going to focus on weight management.

We see many senior pets that are overweight, possibly due to getting less exercise or getting table scraps for looking so cute! As much as you may love them and love giving those extra treats sometimes it’s not the best thing for our best friends.

Obesity can cause a lot of health issues on its own such as arthritis, respiratory stress, diabetes, and the potential to reduce their life span. Don’t worry though here are a few options to help with weight loss:
- Meal Feeding: do not free feed (leaving food out all the time). Free feeding causes your pet to snack throughout the day whenever they’d like.
- Avoid offering table food or extra treats
- Try food-dispensing toys or puzzles to keep them active
- Feed one of our veterinary exclusive diets which are tailored to keep your pet satisfied in between meals, while promoting safe weight loss
- If you are giving treats try giving low-calorie treats, our veterinary exclusive brands all include weight-loss treats so your pet can still be spoiled

​If you are trying your pet on a weight management program we do recommend regular weight checks either at home or you can stop into the clinic at any time to weigh them on our scales. Regular weight checks are a good way to track your pet’s weight loss journey. If you are concerned about your pet’s weight, schedule an appointment with our veterinarians to see what the best course of action is for your individual pet.

November is #seniorpetmonth and in honour of our silver-haired beauties our #tuesdaytips will focus on senior issues.

​Today we will focus on joint care.

A few signs of joint problems for dogs include: limping, stiffness (especially after resting), slower to get up, difficulty climbing stairs, reluctant to play high activity games, lagging behind or tiring easily during walks.
Signs of joint problems in cats include: decreased activity, trouble jumping off/ onto surfaces, walking stiffly, limping, or increased social reclusiveness.

We have a few different options for helping combat joint issues in our senior pets. There are powder, liquid and chewable supplements that can add Glucosamine HCL, Omega 3 and other helpful ingredients to their diet. We also carry multiple veterinary exclusive diets with added joint care supplements. For more acute care, we offer injection medication and laser therapy.

​Speak to one of our veterinarians at your next visit or schedule a consultation to discuss what options would be best for your individual pet's needs