Levi the long-legged wonder

It's been awhile since we've had a feline from the Guelph Humane Society here so we're pleased to introduce Levi to you! It's nice to have a "resident" cat in the clinic again, but we'd really love to find this handsome fellow a permanent home quickly.

Levi is a lovely long-tailed, long-legged green-eyed kitty who likes to be around people and has enjoyed exploring the clinic. He came to the Guelph Humane Society as a stray and has recently been neutered and had his first set of shots. He's a pretty mellow guy, and would likely do well in a house with other pets or children. He's got an easily coaxed purr, and is content to sit and cuddle for awhile!

If you or someone you know are interested in coming by to get to know him, just drop in during our regular business hours.

UPDATE: Levi has been adopted and is enjoying exploring his new home and getting to know his new family!

January is Walk Your Pet Month!

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January is national Walk Your Pet Month.  I know, cruel isn’t it?  Why January instead of say May, June even October??  With a little planning, though, January in Guelph can be just as enjoyable a time of year to walk your dog as any other month.  There are a couple of important things to consider when planning a walk in the middle of the winter – the cold, the ice, the salt and the lighting.

Oooooo it’s COLD out there!  But, don’t let that stop you from enjoying the fresh air.  I am sure I do not need to tell you how to dress yourself, but I may surprise you by telling you to dress your pooch as well.  Dog breeds that are meant to work in colder climates generally can tolerate a 30 minute walk in January, think Husky or Malamute; however, most short haired breeds will require an extra layer.  Dogs that are close to the ground will also appreciate a coat as they are more likely to get damp from the snow touching their belly.

Sidewalks can get pretty treacherous in the winter and to combat this people tend to use a lot of salt.  Both ice and salt can prove hazardous in the winter.  Like most winter hazards, a little planning will help you stay safe on your January walk.  Various types of shoe grips exist that can be easily attached to the bottom of your boots to prevent you from slipping while walking Fido.  Most dogs can get fairly good purchase on the sidewalk or they walk on the grass/snow so they do not require extra footing.  What will cause grief to our four legged friends is the salt.  Road salt and sidewalk salt are extremely irritating to the tender tissue between the pads of our dogs’ feet.  To protect your pet from irritating salt outfit them with a set of winter booties.  You can also encourage those in your neighbourhood to use a pet friendly salt product.

The final hazard to consider is the lighting, or lack thereof.  The days are quite short during the winter and most of us pet owners are not out for our walk until we return from work.  By the time we head out the door there is often no daylight to be seen.  It is very important to make sure that both you and your dog are visible.  Purchase collars with reflective strips or LED lights.  When choosing a coat for your dog, choose one with reflective strips.  For yourself consider a lighter coloured jacket that will be easily visible to drivers or reflective arm bands that can be worn over your jacket.

So now that you are all prepared, get out there and enjoy the winter wonderland!  I know I will be!

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Thanks to Dr. Cirinna for this blog post - and it's true, she and her dogs are out walking every day, even in these January cold snaps!

** also posted at Woodlawn Veterinary Hospital blog **

Holiday hazards around the home

We don't want to be a downer at the holidays, but it's true that at this time of year we tend to see more pets needing emergency care due to some common holidays hazards. Families are busy celebrating, and might not always notice what their dog or cat are getting into. Here are a few things to keep in mind during the festive season:

Christmas Tinsel and Christmas tree ornaments

Tinsel, though very pretty, is very attractive to pets, especially cats. Though it is non-toxic if they do ingest it, the long strands can become tangled within their intestines. They will not be able to pass the tinsel themselves, and it can result in a foreign body obstruction.  If you see your pet eating tinsel it is best to seek immediate veterinary care.

Ornaments hung on the tree at pet height can easily be seen as toys. Make sure if you are hanging any decorations on your tree that you place them out of your pets reach. Pets may decide they look like a tasty snack or toy and break them, leading to injury.

Christmas lights and electrical chords

Lighting on the tree or even around the house may be a hazard for curious pets. It is best to hang lights out of reach, and only have them turned on when you are home to supervise.

Pets that like to chew are also at risk of chewing on electrical cords.  Electric shock can occur and lead to damage in your pets mouth. This can be in the form of burnt tissue, or even fractures of the teeth. It is best to check over your entire electric chords daily to look for any signs of chewing.

Gift wrap ribbon

Just like tinsel pets may decide this makes a fun toy or snack. This can lead to choking, or again a foreign body stuck within the intestines. It is best to discard any ribbon or bows into the garbage right away before pets have a chance to chew on them.

It might look really cute to decorate your pet with a Christmas ribbon collar, but make sure to remove these after you are done taking photos, or if you are not able to supervise your pet.

Food Hazards

There are many holiday treats that although they are tasty for us, can be toxic to our four legged friends. Here is a list of foods to keep away from pets this season:

-Depending on the size of your pet, it may only take a small amount of chocolate to cause toxicity. Chocolate contains theobromine, which when ingested can make your pet sick. Theobromine is present in higher amount in products like baking chocolate, then dark chocolate, with milk chocolate containing the least amount. The most common signs of chocolate toxicity are vomiting and tremors at low doses, but at high doses we can see seizure activity and sometimes death. If your pet gets into any Christmas goodies this holiday season, contact us and we can let you know if your pet needs to seek immediate medical attention.

-Fat trimmings and turkey bones are dangerous for pets especially dogs. The fat off the turkey can lead to pancreatitis. Bones can break and splinter in your dog’s mouth, and can even break teeth. If fragments are swallowed the can become obstructive in the intestines, or cause lacerations.

-Keep your pet on her regular diet and caution visitors against giving your pet special treats or table scraps.

Holiday plants

Some decorative plants can be poisonous if ingested by our pets.

-Poinsettias can cause oral irritation to a pets mouth and stomach. They can also induce vomiting.

-Christmas tree pine needles can produce oral irritation, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, trembling and posterior weakness.

-Holly, commonly found during the Christmas season, can cause intense vomiting, diarrhea and depression.

-Mistletoe, another Christmas plant, can cause significant vomiting and diarrhea, difficulty breathing, collapse, erratic behavior, hallucinations and death when ingested.

Stress

The holiday season, though filled with Christmas cheer for us, can be a very stressful time for our four legged friends. Make sure pets have a safe spot to go to hide, or be away from all the noise when they feel the need.

All of us at Guelph Lake Veterinary Hospital want to wish you and your pets a safe and happy holiday season! 

Note: Parts of this blog post were originally posted on our sister hospital's blog at Woodlawn Veterinary Hospital.

Holiday Hours at GLVH

From our GLVH family to yours, we wish you a safe, happy and healthy holiday season!

Our hospital will be closed for a few days between Christmas and New Year's Day. If your pet requires emergency medical care during that time, please contact Campus Estates Animal Hospital (519) 837-1212.

Do you brush your dog's teeth?

This post was written by our own Dr. Mel Cirinna and originally posted on our sister hospital's blog at www.woodlawnvet.ca. Your dog's teeth are very important, and we wanted to share the story of Cora here, too!

Can you guess how old the owner of these teeth is?

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“Cora” is a surprising 8.5 years old with the teeth of a young pup!  Her beautiful teeth speak volumes about her overall health. Good oral hygiene is extremely important to the health of our pets.  Without proper oral hygiene plaque will begin to accumulate on the teeth.  Over time the plaque hardens into tartar.  The presence of plaque and tartar accumulating below the gum line leads to inflammation of the gingiva called gingivitis.  As the level of dental disease progresses we can have attachment loss which appears as loose teeth, a receding gum line and pain.  In addition to the oral signs of dental disease, dental disease can also lead to a condition known as bacteremia where bacteria are found within the blood stream.  The presence of bacteremia can result in disease of the heart, kidneys and liver which are all involved in moving and filtering the blood.  We can help our pets to have great oral health by following a good home oral hygiene routine.

Oral hygiene routines include brushing and a prescription dental diet.  Cora’s teeth are brushed on a regular basis using toothpaste specifically formulated for pets.  The toothpaste even has a great chicken flavor that she loves! Brushing should last about 1 minute and be performed on a daily basis.  While it is easiest to train a puppy or kitten to accept brushing, older dogs and cats can also learn to enjoy this grooming routine.  In addition to regular brushing, Cora also receives a prescription dental diet.  Prescription dental diets work as both a toothpaste and a toothbrush.  Many pets swallow their kibble whole with minimal to no chewing action.  Prescription dental diets are formulated with large kibble that cannot be swallowed whole.  Pets have to chew the kibbles which act as a “brush” to remove plaque from the tooth surface.  Prescription diets also contain enzyme formulations to prevent plaque from sticking to the tooth surface, similar to toothpaste.

We encourage you to bring your pet in for an oral health assessment so we can help your pet to have pearly whites just like Cora.

Our city is one of the most pet friendly in Canada

Congratulations, Guelph! Our city has recently been declared one of the Top 10 Pet Friendly cities in Canada... in fact, we trail only Kingston for the most pet friendly in Ontario! That's great news. It means that our city's pets have access to great veterinary care, lots of off leash parks and pet friendly businesses. Where's your favourite place to take your pet in Guelph?

You can read more in this article at TheRecord.com and see the whole list of the Top 50 here!

Image source: http://cdndogs.ca/canadas-top-50-pet-friendliest-cities/

Catnip, tug toys, gift cards and more!

With the snow last week and the chill today, it's pretty clear that the holiday season is upon us, and we think that the family pet deserves to have a little something in their stocking on Christmas morning, too!

The staff here at Guelph Lake Vet Hospital have carefully curated a selection of toys, leashes, treats and more to help you and your pets have some fun this holiday. We also have gift cards available in any denomination, which make a great stocking stuffer and will serve you or a friend well into the New Year. 

Check out this sneak peek of some of our holiday selection and stop by to see more! We take requests, too, and would be happy to be one of Santa's elves to help with your holiday shopping.

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Catnip toys! Treats! Tough as nails Kong knots buddies for those dogs who like to chew and tug. Prices range from $5.00 - $20.00 (+tax)

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These "stuffed" animals by Kong are really un-stuffed... filled instead with a tough rope, knotted to give your dog something to chew and tug on that won't fall apart on the first chomp! 2 sizes available from $9.50-$11.50 (+ tax)

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These cat collars, available in several collars, are priced reasonably at $8.50 and include a nametag, bell and reflectors for your outdoor kitty's safety (and the safety of the birds in your backyard feeder!).

Secret Santa Guelph (2014 Edition)

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The team here at GLVH are pleased to be able to contribute to the juggernaut that is the #SecretSantaGuelph project again this holiday season.

Secret Santa Guelph is charitable project run by the unstoppable Bang Ly, an east end Guelph resident who grew up nearby in the Brant Ave neighbourhood. Knowing there was a gap in funding for the food program at Brant Ave Public School, Bang started Secret Santa Guelph a few years ago as a way to raise some funds to help expand their program.

Last year, the $3000 raised by the 75 participants allowed the food program (provided in part by the Ontario government, and by the Children's Foundation of Guelph Wellington as well as Breakfast Club of Canada) to expand to 4 days a week until the end of the school year.

This year, Bang was dreaming big. The e-bar at the Bookshelf has been reserved for the evening of December 7th, and it is expected that over 160 participants will be exchanging gifts and bringing cash contributions to the food program at Brant Ave PS. The goal was to raise enough funds to help the program continue for 5 days a week from March (when funding would have run out) until the end of June. This means that not only will kids who need it be able to have a healthy breakfast each school morning, but there will also be healthy snacks available for them during the day.

We are so thrilled that with the help of so many generous Guelphites and corporate sponsors, that $5000 goal has already been surpassed by the commitments made so far! Now, the local food pantry in the neighbourhood will also be receiving a cash boost so that parents from those lower-income families can have options available to them to help send a healthy lunch to school for their kids.

How can you get in on the action? For just a $25 donation to the program and a $15 value gift for your #SecretSantaGuelph match, you're in, and you're helping.

(Why the hashtag before #SecretSantaGuelph, you might be asking? This project is Twitter-based, and you must have a Twitter account to sign up! You can follow the other participants, and everyone will be tweeting gift ideas for themselves... and maybe some for their friends, too!)

For more information, or to sign up for one of the remaining spots, visit the Secret Santa Guelph blog.

Hallowe'en Pet Safety

A Daschund dressed up as a hotdog?  Who can resist?!  For many people Halloween is a time to dress up not only themselves, but their dogs and even cats as well.  However, before you get Fido all dressed up for a night of trick or treating, keep in mind that the most important thing for Hallowe'en night is to have a safe and fun evening and to accomplish this your four legged friends might be better off at home. 

While wearing coats, dresses, sweaters and boots may be regular attire for some dogs, the vast majority of pets are not used to sporting duds of any kind.  If you are considering putting your pet in costume for Hallowe'en take the time to consider what your pet is used to when picking a costume out.  Those dogs that usually wear a coat, would likely be quite comfortable in a coat or onesie type costume.  An animal that never wears any clothing other than their collar is probably better off with a dressed up collar than a full body suit.  Once you have picked out a costume provide ample time to “test drive” the outfit before the big day.  Assess how your pet is acting when in costume.  Do they appear their normal selves?  Are they shying away from people?  Do they seem “embarrassed”?  Unless your pet is displaying their normal attitudes and behaviours, you should think twice about whether they should be in costume.  Even if your pet is super confident in their costume, be sure to provide lots of positive reinforcement – treats, pats and fun games.  Cats can be more difficult than dogs, but the same concepts apply; pick an appropriate costume, test drive it first and make sure to have lots of positive reinforcement. 

It's also important to always supervise your pet while they are wearing their costume. Cats and dogs are curious and may try to chew at their costume, or become tangled in it themselves or in their environment. 

Now that the costume is all sorted out, where to go?  While it may be enticing to think of trick or treating with your dog, it is usually a safer bet to keep them at home.  Even very well socialized dogs can become frightened or startled by children running around in costume in the dark.  Additionally, costumes often make it difficult for us to read our pets’ body language so we may miss vital clues that they are becoming anxious in the situation.  If you must bring your pet with you try to stay away from large crowds, have lots of treats available to reward good behavior and act as a distraction, use an appropriately sized leash and collar so that you have good control.  Remember, the safest place for your pet this Halloween is usually at home in their familiar environment.  

Keep in mind, also, that chocolate and artificial sweeteners can be harmful to your pets. If they decide to taste-test the candy stash and you are concerned, please don't hesitate to give us a call. We can help determine whether they have ingested enough to be toxic. The type and quantity of chocolate as well as the size of your pet will let us know if there's a reason to be worried. Artificial sweeteners like xylitol can cause reactions in your pet as well, and they should be monitored if they've eaten sugar-free candies.

Whether you end up leaving the furry family members at home or taking them along for the evening, we wish you and your pets a safe and happy Halloween!

P.S. Did you know that we now have a Facebook page? Find us at Guelph Lake Vet Hosp!

Thanksgiving Day fun in Guelph!

A few of our Guelph Lake Veterinary Hospital team and their family members joined up with friends at our affiliate hospital (Woodlawn Veterinary Hospital, also in Guelph) to run some of the Thanksgiving Day races at Exhibition Park.  An annual event put on by the Guelph Victors running club, the races range from a 100 m dash for the little kids to a qualified-time 10km run.

Our group covered all the bases - little Emily put forth a good effort in the 100m. Dr Gardiner, Sarah and Julia ran the 1.6 km Nicolas Lambden Memorial Mile with Dr. Cirinna. Then Dr. Cirinna, Dr. Waldron and the amazing Gayle (she's almost 70!) ran the 5km... before Dr. Cirinna did the 3km, too, to wrap up her day!

It was a chilly, gloomy wet day, but we all had a great time and left with smiles of pride and a job well done. Perhaps a new tradition has begun.