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Cannabis and your Pet

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Animals can be poisoned by marijuana in different ways. They can ingest marijuana edibles such as brownies or pot butter, ingest the owner’s supply of marijuana (in any formulation), or by second hand smoke.

Common symptoms of marijuana toxicity include sedation/lethargy, dilated pupils or glassed over eyes, dazed expression, difficulty walking and vomiting. Other symptoms can include either a low or high heart rate, vocalization such as whining or crying, agitation, trouble regulating temperature causing the body temperature to drop or rise and incontinence/dribbling urine, tremors, seizures and potentially coma.

Signs of toxicity can be seen anywhere from 5 minutes to 12 hours after the animal is exposed to marijuana. The signs can potentially last 30 minutes to several days depending on the dose ingested.

Visit: https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/…/marijuana-toxicity-pets/

New Tick In Town

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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.

Trupanion Medical Insurance Can Pay your Veterinary Bill in Minutes

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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.

Cost of Veterinary Medicine

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There are many things that go into your animals care and the cost of that compassion can be expensive. Every day in the clinic we address the physical, medical and surgical needs of pets – many of whom represent  loved companions, valued working dogs and full fledged family members.

In an effort to make sure all of our clients are clear about the charges and what they are for our staff is happy to provide estimates for all procedures – both elective and emergency. We endeavour to make sure all charges are explained and accurate but remind everyone that many procedures especially emergency, critical or ongoing care can be difficult to provide exact costs and estimates imply a range. When a range is provided we make all attempts to honour it and minimize the cost to our clients. Unfortunately there are times when costs may exceed the upper end of an estimate range. Needless to say we do our best to keep our clients updated.

There are many options to assist our clients with the cost of compassion. There are numerous very reasonably priced insurance policies that are available for our pets these days. The coverage, deductibles and terms can all be arranged for individual animals and breeds and our staff are well informed to help you with selecting the best policy. Most of the insurers Veterinary Clinics deal with allow for 30 day free insurance for new puppies and kittens – a great way to start. We strongly recommend an insurance policy for any new pet.

In the event your pet has a serious issue and requires immediate care this can be addressed with rapid application Health Smart cards that can be completed online.

There is a solution for everyone. Our staff is happy to help assist our clients and their animals in need.

Saying Farewell – PSD Bolt

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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

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No Bite No Comprimise – Flea & Tick Prevention

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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!

Upcoming Easter Holiday – What to know about Pets and Chocolate

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Chocolate Toxicity

Chocolate may be Canada’s favorite flavor. We like chocolate candy, ice cream, chocolate drinks, and chocolate cakes, just about anything with chocolate. Although chocolate is a delicious treat for us, it is toxic and can be life threatening for our furry family members.

Chocolate contains theobromine which is very toxic to pets. Ingestion of theobromine can cause symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, hyperactivity, tremors, seizures, increased heart rate and even death in severe cases. Dark chocolate is the worst, followed by semi sweet, then milk chocolate, then chocolate flavored cakes or cookies along with white chocolate.

Also a concern can be the fat content in most chocolate treats which can lead to pancreatitis. Symptoms can be vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal discomfort.

If chocolate was eaten, contact your veterinarian! We can tell whether or not the amount ingested is likely to be a concern. Make sure to have the packaging with type of chocolate and weight available so you can let us know. In some instances the pet may need emergency care and it is possible to induce vomiting; otherwise, hospitalization and support are needed until the chocolate has worked its way out of the system.

Porcupine’s – True or False

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Thanks to our warm weather porcupine season has started early this year. Are you familiar with any of these?

1.Porcupines can shoot quills.

False. Porcupines can swing their tails into your dog, embedding more quills but they cannot “shoot” quills.

2. Cutting quills releases air and they will fall out.

False. The barbs on quills are like fish hooks and cause the quills to work in deeper.  Cutting them only makes the quills harder to find and remove.

3. If I remove the quills myself my dog will never attack a porcupine again.

False. Removing quills yourself causes your dog to associate the pain with you and is a good way to get you and your dog injured.  Dogs do not “learn” after the first incident but some dogs can become more aggressive with porcupines and will regularly hunt them and try to kill them. Sedation, and sometimes a full anesthetic, is needed to safely remove quills.

4. Quills can kill my dog.

True. Because quills are barbed they can work further into the body.  If they pierce something critical (lungs, large blood vessels, organs) it can kill a dog.  Sometimes this occurs days, weeks, or months after the original incident. Having the quills removed by your veterinarian as soon as possible is the best way to try and prevent this.

Does your pet insurance cover quill removal? Many do, check your policy today.

www.trupanion.com/canada

Why would a Veterinarian call another Veterinarian to work on their animals?

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Quite simply put you can’t know everything. With the ever expanding volume of information available for treatments and procedures for conditions of all kinds it is important to consult and refer cases when necessary.
Much discussion and a movement towards streaming by Veterinary colleges to help specialize between large and small animals has occured over the last 10 – 15 years. Along with this the development of specialized areas within large and small animals has occurred.
In the picture is a good demonstration of specializing or having an interest in a specialized area. Dr. Ian Francis is working on one of Dr. Harris’ Quarter horses “Jinx”.
‘Jinx” is an older horse now and develops points of enamel on his teeth that begin to cause rubbing or soreness under the tongue or on the cheeks. Along with this “Jinx” has worn incisors or front teeth. These are the teeth that are important in helping horses grasp grass while grazing. Dr. Francis has specialized training in equine dentistry along with his skills as an equine veterinarian. In the picture Dr. Francis is removing the sharp enamel points as well as leveling “Jinxs” incisors. This will help him eat better and attain more nutrition over the summer while grazing.
Using a very specialized set of equipment Dr. Francis performs routine dental corrections, extractions, bite adjustments and treatments for dental related conditions on horses.
Dr. Francis can be contacted at Mobile Equine Dentistry 780.999.8684 or horsedentist@telus.blackberry.net