News!!
Hello everybody and welcome to our website! On this page we will be periodically putting up information regarding things we feel you should be aware of.
Spring 2019
Spring has finally arrived! Longer days and warmer weather is what the Okanagan is all about. However with its arrival comes several ectoparasites that have the potential to irritate and harm your pets. In the North Okanagan, the external parasites most often encountered are ticks, fleas, mites, lice and flying Insects. Let’s examine each one a little closer…. Ticks: In our area, the types of ticks found are
Ticks will attach themselves to your pet by burrowing their heads into your pet to feed on its blood. You may mistake it as a ‘new’ skin tag or wart. Sometimes, you may not see a tick on your pet but rather notice your pet has hind end weakness or even some paralysis. Often people may think their pet has had a stroke but upon examination, a tick is found. They can be very dangerous. They can also infect your pet with tapeworm. If you do find a tick and are going to remove it at home, it is very important to make sure you remove the entire head piece of the tick. You can use tweezers, or pick up a special tool from Armstrong Vet Clinic. The best way to deal with ticks is to prevent your pet from being susceptible to them. You can do this by using a prevention medication. (Sold at Veterinary Clinics) There are a variety of choices depending on your pets lifestyle, and are usually given once monthly during tick season. Travelling With Your Pet in Your Vehicle The summer weather is upon us and most of us are doing a lot of travelling around our beautiful province. Naturally we want to bring our canine (and sometimes feline or other) companions with us. We would like to just talk a little bit about doing this as safely as possible and bring a few of the dangers to light so that we may avoid an unfortunate accident. |

Nov 20th, 2016
The Holiday season is just around the corner and we are sure everyone is busy getting ready for all of the festivities. There are several topics we would like to discuss to help keep your pets safe during this time of year.
Food
As we all know, most of us gain a few pounds over the Christmas season with all of the rich cooking and desserts that are around us. Although it is nice to try to include our pets, some foods can cause gastrointestinal upset and even more serious problems. We recommend not feeding your pets rich, fatty or spicy foods. This type of stuff includes poultry skins, gravies and/or drippings. In some cases, fatty foods can cause the animal to develop serious and possibly life threatening problems. (Such as pancreatitis) Feeding poultry bones can also cause major problems as they tend to splinter when cooked, potentially causing an intestinal blockage and/or other complications. If you want to treat your pet, a bully stick or oxtail bone is safe IF supervised while chewing. Chocolate is another common treat that is often around (and may even be given as a gift under the tree). Dogs and cats should not eat chocolate. Best practice is to ensure that they do not have access to any types of chocolate (wrapped or not). If they do somehow ingest chocolate, it is always best to phone your Vet ASAP so advice and treatment can be given promptly.
Decorations
Decorating is a huge part of the Holiday tradition and although it is beautiful, we need to stay aware of possible hazards for our pets. Animals, (especially kittens) are really attracted to tinsel and although it may be entertaining to watch them play (or eat) the tinsel, it can cause many problems, such as twisting of the intestines which can potentially be fatal. Ornaments and strings of lights are also attractions to some pets and they should be prevented from having access to these things. Some animals attempt to chew the cords and can cause electrical burns or damage to the lungs.
Plants
There are a variety of seasonal plants in our homes at this time of year. A few plants that are hazardous to our pets are lilies (certain species cause renal failure in cats), Mistletoe (gastrointestinal upset), poinsettias (local irritation to mucosal surfaces and gastrointestinal upset) and holly (can cause gastrointestinal upset). If you pet chews or ingests these plants (or parts of them) please call you Vet ASAP for advice and prompt treatment. For more information on poisonous plants, visit the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center website at www.aspca.org/apcc .
We wish everyone a very happy and safe Holiday Season and look forward to seeing you in the New Year!
May 16th, 2016
Great news!! We were nominated for an award from the Chamber of Commerce for Mid Sized Business of the Year earlier in the month. We were awarded the prize on Saturday May 14th at the award night (which was a vintage Vegas theme). Many thanks to the community for the nomination and to the Chamber and judges that made the final decision. We are all honored!!