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. |
|
Open Car Windows
I'm not sure if there is anything a dog enjoys more than sticking their head out of the window of a moving vehicle. It seems to bring them an inordinate amount of joy. We need to be cautious however as dogs are not particularly wise about their own safety and will occasionally jump out. This can be for any number of reasons and can be when the vehicle is stopped or moving quickly down the highway. Very small dogs can be injured significantly from a fall onto pavement from the height of a car window and any animal can sustain life threatening injuries if they jump from a moving vehicle. When traveling with your pet inside of the vehicle please ensure that they are secured with an appropriate restraint device and make sure the windows are not open enough to allow your animal to get through Heat Stress Dogs and cats do not have the same tolerance for hot conditions as we do and their ability to cool themselves is limited. Dogs and cats do not sweat like we do. They dissipate heat by evaporation from their mouths and through the pads of their feet. When inside a vehicle (which can reach dangerous temperatures quickly and even if the outside temperature is not that hot) there is no airflow to help with evaporation and there is nowhere to escape the heat. Dogs and cats can overheat very quickly under these circumstances. Heat stroke and severe heat stress can be fatal and we should not take it lightly. Heat stress can occur outside of the vehicle as well including traveling with your dog in the box of the truck. On those days that are hot and with a dog that is exposed to the sun, they can become severely affected by heat stress. Please do not leave you animal in your vehicle as the weather starts to warm up. If it is possible leave your animal at home or take them with you when you leave your vehicle. If leaving your animal in the vehicle is absolutely unavoidable take all available precautions to ensure they do not become overheated. Leave windows down as far as is safe to keep them secure, park in a shaded area that is going to stay shaded as the sun moves during the day, have plenty of water available to them and don't leave them any longer than is absolutely necessary. Traveling in the Box of the Truck Many people transport their dogs in the box of the truck and most dogs love to travel this way. As with open windows they are not always wise about their own safety or can slip or stumble with unexpected movements of the vehicle or bumps in the road. This can lead to the animal falling from the box of the truck and can result in life threatening injuries or death. Tying your dog into the box of the truck with only one rope is risky and can still result in severe injury or death if the dog is still able to fall from the truck but is now tied to the truck and dragged. If you are traveling with your dog in the box of the truck please be sure to use a system of restraint that will not allow them to leave the truck box intentionally or accidentally. Also be cognizant of the heat and ensure that they have some form of cover to escape the direct rays of the sun. Vehicular Accidents Most dogs love car rides (and most cats hate them...) but it is important to ensure that your animal is safe while traveling with you inside the cab of the vehicle. An animal that has the freedom to roam the vehicle is a serious safety concern both as a distraction to the driver and as a danger to the animal in the event of an accident. Airbags have been known to kill small breed dogs when they go off during an accident. It is best to travel with your small dog in a crate and have lager dogs retrained with an appropriate device that will keep them from being a distraction and to keep them as safe as possible in the event of a crash. We want you to enjoy traveling with your pet and have them be with you to enjoy the summer and everything the Okanagan has to offer. We can help ensure that these experiences have happy endings as long as we think ahead and take the appropriate precautions. Enjoy the weather and the Okanagan!! |
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!!