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Guelph, ON veterinarians - friendly, experienced veterinarians offering a tailored approach to each individual pet. Specializing in cats, dogs, companion animals. Open 6 days a week for appointments and retail sales. Full service veterinary clinic with state of the art diagnostics on site. Located at Eastview Rd and Watson Pkwy.

COVID-19 Cooperation & Community

GLVH

As we all learn how to navigate as safely as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, we must cooperate to keep each other healthy. Our clients and pet patients are valued members of our community, and GLVH has implemented a number of protocols (listed below) to protect our clients and pets. Your cooperation is appreciated in following public health guidelines to help keep our staff healthy as well, and able to work on your behalf.

We ask that clients do NOT come to the clinic if:

  • You have been travelling internationally or outside of the Guelph/K-W area in the last 14 days.

  • If you are feeling unwell, or you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, which could include:

    • cough

    • fever

    • difficulty breathing

    • pneumonia in both lungs

  • If you have been in contact with anyone who is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19


To help us protect you while you seek urgent care for your pet, or while you pick up food or prescriptions, we ask for your cooperation with the following adjustments to our protocols.

  • Urgent Care surgery and treatment remain available. Please call ahead before coming to the clinic.

  • For non-urgent care questions or food/prescription orders, please email at glvh@guelphlakevet.ca to keep phone lines open for pets requiring medical care.

  • Reduced entry to the clinic. Send only one family member with your pet, and remain in your car.

  • Please call the clinic when you arrive and a staff member will come to collect your pet.

  • Maintain safe physical distance of 2m.

  • Curbside pickup available for food and prescriptions*.

  • Contact-less payment required (credit card over the phone, or e-transfer)

* Please purchase responsibly so that our supply chain can maintain stock levels and all pets can eat and get the medication they need. Check how much food/prescription medication you have left, and place your order before it's urgent.

Thank you for your cooperation and patience. We are honoured to care for your pets in these challenging times.

Dr. Gardiner and the GLVH staff

COVID-19 Update to Essential Services

GLVH

A COVID-19 Update: The Ontario provincial government's list of essential businesses released yesterday includes veterinary hospitals. This means that Guelph Lake Veterinary Hospital will be able to remain open to serve our clients and patients, while following our COVID-19 protocols.

We ask that you review the protocols in our previous blog post as we have made a few updates to facilitate answering your questions and handling your pets and supplies safely.

Stay safe, stay home if you can, and wash your hands.

Dr. Gardiner and GLVH team

COVID-19 Protocols

GLVH

We wanted to take this moment to reach out to our valued clients. At this moment in time, we remain open and, as always, will strive to provide valuable service to our clients and essential health care to our patients. We ask that you are patient with us as we are focusing on essential medical appointments and procedures and therefore may have reduced availability.

We are taking extra care in our hospital to keep our facilities sanitized in an effort to help protect the health of our clients and our staff. We are limiting appointments to maintain distance between clients and were pleased that protocols at the provincial level have also been altered to allow for more tele-health medicine.

In addition to our own measures, we ask that you respect the 14-day self-isolation guidelines and refrain from coming to our veterinary hospital if you have recently been travelling. If you are feeling unwell or have been in contact with anyone who is suspected to have COVID-19, please call us rather than coming to the vet hospital yourself.

A few things you can do to help us all remain safer:
- Call ahead before you come to the vet hospital
- Please email for pet food requests or prescription refills. Let's keep the phone lines open for pets who need medical care .
- Send only one family member with your pet and maintain a safe physical distance
- Use the provided hand sanitizer when you enter the clinic
- Cover your cough or sneeze with your elbow
- We may ask that you remain outside while we examine your pet, depending on the circumstances.
- Purchase responsibly so that our supply chain can maintain stock levels and all pets can eat and get the medication they need. Check how much food/prescription medication you have left, and place your order before it's urgent.

Thank you for your cooperation. We know that your pets are a source of comfort in these challenging times, and we thank you for entrusting us with their care.

Dr. Gardiner and the Guelph Lake Veterinary Hospital staff

Poultry flavoured toothpaste. It's a thing.

GLVH

It's true! Poultry flavoured toothpaste might sound awful to us, but to many dogs and cats, it's actually a pretty great treat.

Why do we recommend brushing your pet's teeth?

FEBRUARY IS DENTAL HEALTH MONTH


Dental disease can be a serious issue for your pet and can lead to other health concerns if left untreated. In some cases, complications could including broken teeth, infection, bone loss in the mouth as well as, in quite severe cases, heart and other organ issues. If your dog or cat is experiencing any of the following, it might be an indication that they need some dental treatment:

Before a dental cleaning at GLVH

Before a dental cleaning at GLVH

  • Stinky breath

  • Excessive drooling

  • Dropping kibble

  • Avoiding hard foods

  • Pawing at the mouth

  • Loss of teeth

  • Changes in behaviour

Before it gets to this point, prevention is really the best course of action, and regular tooth brushing is the most effective way to reduce tartar buildup and keep your pet's mouth healthy. Of course, there are many products on the market, including dental diets (larger kibble so that the pet has to crunch the pieces which helps keep tartar buildup down), dental chews and even additives for their water that can make an impact on your pet's mouth health.

After a dental cleaning. With a proper hygiene program after a dental, we can try to keep them looking this good.

After a dental cleaning. With a proper hygiene program after a dental, we can try to keep them looking this good.

What happens if brushing isn't enough?

Just like with humans, your veterinarian might recommend a dental cleaning to remove tartar and plaque buildup. Our equipment is similar to the tools used by human dentists - scalers, high pressure water and polishers are all used to clean up your pet's mouth and have them smiling again in no time!

 

Heartworm Testing and Much More

GLVH

Key Points

  • Prevent, don’t treat

  • Screening/Testing is part of the prevention program

  • Infections are unpredictable

  • Talk to your veterinarian

  • Ticks are getting worse, fast

  • Cats can be affected too

I am writing this post in the middle of a -24 degrees Celsius cold snap in Southern Ontario as if talking about summer parasites will make spring come faster.  I will use analogies, anecdotes and common sense to try and help pet owners understand the mystery that is “Heartworm Testing”.

We are in the profession of dealing with living beings in the form of pets who are a huge part of our families and who we want to live long and healthy lives.  The key here is that living beings in even simpler terms constitute BIOLOGY. In biology, there is no black and white (other than life and death). Focusing on the “life” part we are constantly working in the grey zone within which fluctuates health and disease.  As I helped my daughter with basic algebra the other night, I was once again jealous of the mathematics community where the answers were either right or wrong, simple as that. I must say, we were right most of the time, but she hasn’t started calculus yet.

As spring approaches (slowly) the parasites we dread also come alive ready to wreak havoc on this years crop of susceptible pets.  I am talking about the big three in this post since current medications overlap in helping prevent disease from these. You guessed correctly if you named fleas, ticks and heartworm as the culprits.  Keep in mind this is southern Ontario. Many pets further south deal with this year round.

Prevention is easier, safer and more economical than dealing with disease.  Why are there so many lube shops out there? Because we take our vehicles there every 5-8000km for oil changes; to PREVENT larger issues.  So why not prevent Lyme disease which is also a human health concern? Why not prevent heartworm disease which can be fatal and if detected can be costly, painful and dangerous to treat?

Ok, so prevention sounds like the way to go (pretty black and white).  Why do I need to test (a grey zone)? The first thing to note is that not all heartworm testing is created equal and at our hospitals, we only use a blood test that screens for Heartworm, Lyme, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasmosis which is why we often now call it Heartworm/Lyme screening because these are the two most common in this area.  It is a screening test because not only is it unpredictable as to whether your pet is infected, we are also trying to catch infections before they cause disease. The other important note is that preventative products for heartworm are designed to be given to negative animals and can be harmful if given to positive animals. So let’s make sure they are negative before we start!

So if you check off any of the following boxes, heartworm testing is recommended:

  • Has not been on preventative between June and November last year

  • Travelled outside of the immediate area to hot beds in Ontario/Canada or to the States

  • Missed a dose of prevention last year (have some left over)

  • Has not had a test for two years

  • Has had a tick removed or spent time in tick endemic areas

In a perfect southern Ontario world, one of two things would happen.  Pets would be on prevention year round or they would be screened/tested every spring.  It is hard to justify preventative medication today (literally, it is -24) as there are no mosquitos or ticks doing anything.  

Our compromise is that we recommend screening/testing every 2 springs and your compromise is that you do the testing when recommended and give the preventative medication as intended.  

For approximately $70 every 2 years, it is much less than those oil changes we spoke of. For the “do it yourself” mechanics out there who can do an oil change for $35, bring me a blood sample in a purple top tube and I will match that.

Products

There are many products available. Jump to the post on Flea, Tick and Heartworm Prevention to get all the information. Or  contact us at (519) 824-9898 or via email.

Background Information (and a few more analogies, sorry)

Heartworm is literally caused by worms that live in the blood stream in or near the heart.  You don’t need me to tell you this sounds bad. It is transmitted by mosquitoes so the risk period remains June to November in this area but you can see why geography matters.  It is unpredictable! Why is it not a bigger issue in this area? I think that the biggest reason is because historically the majority of dogs in the area have been on prevention.  We certainly have mosquitoes and we certainly have dogs. Within a 2 hour drive of here, there are populations of dogs where heartworm is almost the norm. What might be changing? Less prevention might be getting used.  Much like not vaccinating children, we can see disease that has not been an issue for a long time. Importing infected dogs through rescue groups who are already positive. Did your neighbour just rescue a dog from Texas?  Is it heartworm positive? You can’t control this but you can protect your own dog.

Ticks are relatively new but are coming on strong.  We now live in a deer tick established area meaning that they will only ever get worse and never better in the coming decade at least.  So Lyme disease positive cases are on the rise and this represents another good reason to screen your pets. Ticks are active (looking to feed on your pet) at any temperature over 4 degrees Celsius meaning that there is a less defined time frame than heartworm.  Many dogs should be on prevention in early spring until almost Christmas. Lyme disease prevention is two fold. Use a product to prevent infection and consider Lyme vaccination if ticks exposure is likely to be high. Lyme disease can infect people so unlike heartworm, human health must be factored in as well.  Tick prevention can be started prior to the blood test. Ask your vet for more information.

Fleas are almost a year round concern although I might guess we see more on pets when the days are warm and the nights are cool.  All tick prevention products will protect against fleas and many heartworm prevention products will also. Fortunately, fleas do not typically transmit disease but an infestation can be devastating and lead to human flea bites as well.

I have not forgotten about cats but can keep it short.  Outdoor cats should be on flea and heartworm prevention and should be dewormed as well.  Any time they spend outside puts them at risk. Their lifestyle puts them at less risk for ticks but as I write this, I don’t know what the coming years will bring.  In eastern Ontario many pet owners have ticks in their own backyards.


In summary, I hope you feel more informed and can see why most clinics in the area recommend a strategic program for parasite prevention.  Biology is not black and white and infection with these diseases is at best unpredictable so take control of your own pets health.

Looking for more information on heartworm and lyme, click here


DrG

Pet Owners Helping Pets

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#SecretSantaGuelph 4 - Guelph helps feed neighbourhood kids

GLVH

Since 2014, we at GLVH have been proud sponsors of a grass-roots initiative designed to help support the Food & Friends program at Brant Ave Public School. #SecretSantaGuelph, a Twitter-based fundraising effort headed up by community leader Bang Ly, directly benefits the community around our clinic by helping to extend the food available to children at school, as well as the food pantry available to families in need.

How does it work? If you have a Twitter account, you can sign up to be matched with another #SecretSantaGuelph participant. You'll follow them on Twitter, get some gift ideas, and find something in the $15 range that you think they'd like. You'll also need to make a donation to the cause to help feed those kids!

2014's event raised nearly $13,000 from donations and sponsors and the Secret Santa Guelph team is aiming for even higher heights in 2015. This year's event is taking place Dec 6th at the Guelph Concert Theatre - big enough for a party of epic proportions! If you haven't signed up yet, you can do so at secretsantaguelph.com and you can even donate online to make it super easy (just make sure you include #secretsantaguelph in your donation form so the funds go to the right place!).

Oh! And don't forget to check out all the sponsors (including us!) and what they have to offer for #SecretSantaGuelph participants.

Here at GLVH we've got lots of toys and gifts and treats for your pet-loving Secret Santa match - we know there are lots of pet owners participating in the event this year. But really, the most important part of this event is the community that comes together. We're helping because these kids are our neighbours, they could be families we see in the clinic and no one should have to go to school or to bed hungry. Let's feed some kids, Guelph.

Cloverbuds are taking over the world!

GLVH

Well, not really, but it sure felt like it recently when Guelph Lake Vet Hospital hosted 22 up and coming children between the ages of 6-8.  Thank goodness for our open concept design!  The Cloverbuds program is an opportunity for youth to learn about all facets of 4-H Ontario projects with a hands-on, activity-based approach.  It covers a wide variety of topics, including agriculture, food, crafts, lifeskills, environment and science. By participating in Cloverbuds, the kids are able to get a taste for the topics covered in 4-H projects while developing an understanding of 4-H values.

We started with a slide show showing some of the work we had done in recent months (because we have to entertain the parents too). We discussed vaccination and learned the difference between a syringe and a needle.  We examined a real live cat named “Sunflower” and determined that we were having a lot more fun than she was. The good news is Sunflower is a very healthy cat. We let the smell of manure waft through the treatment area as we took a break to display some unusual large animal tools that a farmer or veterinarian might need and fortunately I knew what they all were. We then sealed the tools (and the smell) up to learn how to properly splint an injured or fractured limb. This was certainly the highlight of the day as the participants had all brought a stuffed animal and each received limb sparing splints from their reliable owners.  The only victim was a rabbit that lost an ear. Our only caution is that next time there is a broken bone at home and contrary to what the eight year old insists, tongue depressors and vetwrap may not be enough!


I hope everyone learned something but most importantly had fun. I learned that it is possible to capture the attention of 22 children for 2 hours, but then again these are Cloverbuds. Thanks for coming out and asking all those challenging questions.

Dr. G

Does my kitten really have a cold?

GLVH

We see a lot of new cats and kittens in the spring and summer, which means we see a lot of sneezing cats with weepy eyes. Cats and kittens may sneeze for a number of reasons including bacterial or viral infections, irritation to the mucous membranes, allergy and foreign objects within the nose. Discharge from the eyes (or weepy eyes) can also occur for many reasons; bacterial or viral infections, injury, foreign objects within the eye and allergy. By far the most common cause of both eye discharge and sneezing in the young cat is an upper respiratory infection caused by Feline Herpes Virus. Feline Herpes Virus is highly prevalent within the cat population with approximately 80% of cats infected with Herpes virus, although many may not show any signs of infection. Cats at risk of showing signs of infection are those with immature or compromised immune systems, cats from a shelter environment, outdoor cats and those that live with more than 1 or 2 other cats. Many new cats and kittens come from a shelter environment or have an immature immune system which explains the higher incidence of upper respiratory disease in these animals. 

Signs of infection:

In addition to sneezing and discharge from the eyes, infected cats may display discharge from the nose, coughing, corneal ulceration, ulcers within the mouth, lack of appetite and lethargy. The signs shown by any individual cat depend on the severity of infection and whether or not there is concurrent infection with other viruses or bacteria. 

Diagnosis:

In mild cases of Upper Respiratory Infection a tentative diagnosis is made based on history and physical examination. In more severe cases further diagnostics are often required to rule-out other causes of illness. Diagnostics tests may include baseline blood work, FIV/FeLV testing, swabs of nasal or ocular discharge for viral and bacterial testing and possibly radiographs to look at the lungs. 

Treatment:

Most cases of Feline Upper Respiratory Infections will run their course within 7-10 days without treatment. Cases with concurrent bacterial infections may need antibiotics to help speed along recovery. A Lysine supplement can help to speed recovery from Herpes virus infections. In severe cases cats may require hospitalization with intravenous fluids and assisted feeding if they are lethargic and not eating. 

Prevention:

Prevention of upper respiratory infections in cats is three pronged – vaccination, supplementation and avoidance.

Vaccination

The kitten vaccination protocol contains vaccines for common viruses that cause upper respiratory disease in cats. Kittens should receive 3 inoculations beginning at 6-8 weeks of age spaced 3-4 weeks apart. Re-vaccination is every 1-3 years depending on lifestyle and the type of vaccine used.

Supplementation

Cats or kittens known to be infected with the Herpes virus can be given a lysine supplement daily or when signs of infection are noticed. 

Avoidance

Once infected, cats are infected for life; however, episodes of overt disease can be avoided.  Cats that are not infected can be protected by following these same avoidance strategies. 

  • Cats should be housed in uncrowded situations with less than 3 cats total per household.
  • Stressful situations should be kept to a minimum. 
  • Keeping cats inside will lower their risk for upper respiratory infection. 

If you have any questions, if your cat's sneezing cold is lasting more than 10 days or if your cat's behaviour is affected (lethargic, not eating), please don't hesitate to call your veterinarian.

 

 

Client Feedback - Sirius the Cat Star

GLVH

There are some pretty wonderful things about being a veterinarian - puppies and kittens, great owners and fantastic pets that you get to know over the years, just to name a couple. Unfortunately, though, conversations about the end of life stages for beloved pets is a reality that owners and  veterinarians face nearly every day. It is never easy. So, we do the best we can to make those decisions as comfortable for the owner and for the pet, but we don't always know how that is received by you, our clients.

A little while ago we received an email from a client who is new to our practice here at GLVH, but who wanted to share his thoughts with us and specifically asked us to make sure that we let you see it, too.

Thank you, Francois, for your kind words. We look forward to seeing you and your other feline family members under healthier circumstances.

The email, in its entirety, is posted here.

::  ::  ::

Sent: Tuesday May 26, 2015
Pet's Name: Sirius the Cat Star
Subject: Exceptional Support and Service from the Staff at Guelph Lake VH

My wife, Carolyn, and I would like to express our sincerest thanks to Dr. Gardiner and the staff of the Guelph Lake Veterinary Hospital. We recently moved to Guelph and have found a sympathetic, understanding and truly supportive team of professionals. We brought our cat, Sirius, in for an assessment and treatment. 

The entire team from beginning to end provided support and assistance in determining what was troubling our feline family member. Everyone took time to explain exactly what was happening to our "boy" and what we needed to try to bring him back to health. 

Despite all attempts, Sirius did not improve after the first week or so of treatment. Tonight, we called after hours and Dr. Gardiner, who was still in the hospital, answered the phone. He remained after hours to help us ease the passing of our little boy. 

We wish to express our sincerest gratitude to Dr. Gardiner for his sympathy and kindness. You can be sure that if you need help with your animal companion, that the staff of the Guelph Lake Veterinary Hospital will provide unparalleled service.

 

Wildlife in urban centres - what should I do?

GLVH

It's that time of year when veterinary hospitals get an increased number of calls about wildlife, in particular newborn or young animals that kind, well-meaning citizens think have been abandoned.

In most cases, the truth is that the adult has left the babies safely hidden to go in search of food and will return soon, or is hiding nearby waiting for the humans to leave. Removing the babies often actually lowers their chances of survival, since veterinary hospitals and humane societies are often just not equipped to provide the around-the-clock specialized care that a wild newborn requires. Wild babies that are handled by humans will likely not survive if returned to the nest, so the best course of action is really to assume to that the mother is nearby and coming back.

It's difficult to remember that wildlife is just that - wild. They are well adapted to their surroundings, and WE are encroaching on THEIR space. We encourage you to leave the nests and litters that you find this spring, and trust that nature will look after them.

Truly injured wildlife or abandoned litters can be taken to a wildlife rehabilitation centre, of which there are several in the area, however we recommend that you call them first before touching the birds or animals. They will be able to direct you in the best course of action and let you know if they have space or resources available.

Guidelines for Helping Wildlife (City of Guelph)

Guelph Humane Society

Songbirds Only Avian Rehabilitation (S.O.A.R.) - Rockwood

Ontario Wildlife Rescue