The tick species landscape in Canada is changing.

What makes ticks tick:

•Ticks are small arachnids, related to spiders, and there are around 850 species in the world
•They like tall grass, where they wait before attaching to a passing host. They attach to the host by inserting their mandibles and feeding tube into the skin.
•A tick can remain on the host for up to 2 weeks before dropping off.
•Ticks tend to be more active outside during warmer periods of the year – winter temperatures may kill the eggs but ticks can attach to a host many months of the year, depending on the region and ambient temperature.

Ticks can transmit diseases to both you and your pet. Different species present different risks.

Ask your veterinarian to show you how to adequately remove ticks

Here’s how to use your tick remover! Don’t have one? Come by the clinic and get yours today!

1. Choose the most suitable hook, according to the size of the tick.

2. Engage the hook until the tick is held between the prongs of the remover.

3. Turn the hook until you feel that the tick has detached. Make sure the mouthpieces have been entirely removed.

Visit Lone Star Louie’s Facebook page or website http://newtickintown.ca/en/prevention.aspx

FOUND A TICK? REPORT IT!

SCHEDULE A VETERINARY APPOINTMENT TO PROTECT YOUR DOG FROM FLEAS AND 5 COMMON SPECIES OF TICKS.

When your pet gets ill or injured, we want you to be able to focus on the health and well-being of your pet. Medical insurance can help you deal with unexpected veterinary expenses and provide your pet with the best medical care. Trupanion can cover a significant portion of your veterinary bill (up to 90% of eligible costs*) in minutes. With a Trupanion policy, our clients often pay only their part of the bill at checkout and leave the hospital without waiting for claim approvals and reimbursements. You can learn more about Trupanion coverage and direct payments at Trupanion.com.

*Terms and conditions apply. Please see the policy for complete details at Trupanion.com/pet-insurance. **Trupanion will process the claim according to the terms of the policy. Actual claim payment may be different from the estimate you provided to your client. Trupanion is a registered trademark owned by Trupanion, Inc. Underwritten in Canada by Omega General Insurance Company and in the United States by American Pet Insurance Company, 6100-4th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108. Please visit AmericanPetInsurance.com to review all available pet health insurance products.

Throughout our careers as Veterinarians and Techologists we share an abundance of experiences while working with animals. These experiences range from good to bad, joyful to tragic, comic to maddening. What becomes clear early on in your professional career is the responsibility to communicate with people the things that animals cannot verbalize and advocate for them. In most regards we are successful and we make animals lives better.

One of the experiences we all share as we work with animals is the need to help them and their owners with end of life decisions. Often this is seen as a sad, emotional and difficult time for pets and their owners but I would like to share some of the joy and positive messages we also take away from these situations.

In December we lost a beloved and valued dog whose place in society and contribution to the public were in some regards inestimable. PSD Bolt (police service dog) a revered member of the RCMP K Division in Edmonton passed away. Bolt was stationed at the Edmonton International Airport during his career and his responsibilities were wide ranging. Bolt did not die in the line of service. He was not injured, shot or traumatized. Bolt passed away due to the deterioration caused by inoperable cancer. The same type of problems that afflict friends, loved ones and thousands of people every day. The cancer Bolt had affected the base of his heart and from diagnoses to the day we helped ease Bolt’s final pain and distress he received a short retirement of only 4 weeks. Those weeks were happy ones for Bolt and he enjoyed some of the retirement he was due albeit short. My family and I were the very lucky ones who were able to share this time with Bolt.

It is Bolt’s heart I would like to discuss. Not his physical heart but the heart that made him the dog he was. The heart that distinguished him as an elite canine athlete with the disposition to be selected as a candidate for the RCMP service dog division. RCMP service dogs go through a rigorous selection process which evaluates them for the correct physical and behavioral attributes and when they make the cut they are assigned to an RCMP dog handler. In Bolt’s instance he was assigned to Constable Joel MacKown of K Division. Cst. MacKown is himself an elite, experienced and highly respected member of the RCMP Canine Divison. It has been our honor at the practice to know and follow Cst. MacKown’s career over many years and to see his evolution as the handler he is today. I have been very fortunate to have retired PSD Brit, PSD Badge and subsequently Bolt as their careers ended. All three of these truly amazing dogs distinguished themselves at the hands of Cst. MacKown.

Bolt loved the job he did and the reward for doing the job well. On any day if you were to meet Bolt you would have been amazed at his control, his desire to meet and greet people, his love of kids and public appearances. On any day you would see a happy dog with his tail always flagging – a sign of a genuinely happy and satisfied dog. On any day he could be counted on for his activities in emergency response, sniffing out and detecting incendiary devices, tracking the individuals who perpetrate the crimes that give reason to having him and constable MacKown looking after all of us. On any day he made our lives safer, he made the airport more secure – he protected us. It was all he knew, all he wanted. He did his job with heart and happiness. He did his job without complaint, asked for little reward and he was satisfied with the encouragement, kind words and pats from his handler Cst. MaKown . An incomparable ethic. All of our lives were a little safer with Bolt and Cst MacKown.

On behalf of our clinic, its staff, our community, our country, we thank Bolt, Cst. MacKown, and the RCMP for keeping us safe and being the proud tradition all Canadians have come to love.

Dr. Dave Harris, Dr. Corrine Robinson, Dr. Shanti Simaranam, Dr. Detlef Onderka

Sheila Maichen AHT, Christine Strand AHT, Tammy Osbaldeston AHT

Sam Lessard VAA, Brianna Kathol VMR

Almost everyone knows that fleas and ticks are a potential problem with dogs and cats. However, we still see many patients that have severe flea and tick infestations. Not everyone knows how to tell if your pet is infested or how easy it is to prevent infestations.

• To detect fleas, part the hair and look in various areas on the body. The abdomen, which has less hair, is a good place to look. Sometimes fleas themselves cannot be seen. However, if fleas are present, you can often find “flea dirt” (digested blood). Flea dirt looks similar to ground pepper and when wiped with a moist napkin, appears red in color.
• Ticks are generally easier to find as they are larger and do not move around on the skin. They attach to the skin all over the body, but especially around the ears and face. Of course, if you are not sure if your pet is having a problem, bring them to the clinic and we will examine your pet.

Flea and tick protection is much easier now than ever before. There are effective monthly preventatives available that can be used to safely rid your pets from these pests.

DON’T WAIT START NOW!