PAWS FOR A CAUSE!
Join us Saturday April 2nd 2022 between 9am-1pm to have your pet's mani-pedis done for $10.00.  New and existing clients are welcome!
Bring your pets, your family's pets, your friends and their pets and a $5.00 donation will go to supporting Canada's wildlife through the National Wildlife Centre with each trim!
We look forward to seeing you and your pets!

MARCH IS POISON PREVENTION MONTH!
Pet poisoning happens more than people realize. Many common items found in our homes are toxic to your pets, including plants. alcohol, certain foods, medications, xylitol (found in some chewing gum) and cannabis. Since March is Pet Poison Prevention Month, now is a good time to make sure that your home is "pet proofed" and accidental poisonings can be avoided. 
In 2018, Over-The-Counter medications accounted for 19.6% of calls to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. That number was followed by human medications at 17.5%. Each year the ASPCA examines it's data and releases the Top 10 categories of toxins pets come in contact with each year. This data was accumulated from about 213,7773 cases of potential animal poisonings. The Top 10 toxins for 2020 are listed in the infographic to the left. 

This month we would like to take the opportunity to discuss common and not-so common poisons and how to keep your pets safe.
First this month, as Easter approaches, we will discuss the top pet poisons during this holiday. 

Top 5 Easter Toxins
1. CHOCOLATE - Easter is typically the APCC's top day for chocolate intoxication calls, topping Christmas, Valentine's Day, and even Halloween! Why? Pets find Easter candy hidden around the house or the yard or get into unattended Easter baskets. Make sure that all candy is out of reach of pets at all times when they will be unsupervised.

2. LILIES True lilies (with the Latin name starting with Lilium) or daylilies (Hemerocallis) are a concern for acute kidney injury in cats. We discourage cat owners from keeping Easter lilies (Lilium longiflorum) in their homes. If you must have them in your home, make sure cats can't access any part of the plant, including leaves (on the plant or loose), pollen, or the water flowers were stored in-all can be life-threatening

3. EASTER GRASS The plastic grass found in Easter baskets is appealing to pets but can cause a life-threatening gastrointestinal obstruction that may require surgery to resolve.

4. TABLE FOOD Onions, garlic, macadamia nuts, grapes, raisins, and xylitol-containing foods are common toxins that pets ingest. However, many foods that aren't toxic may cause stomach upset that could lead to pancreatitis.

5. HERBICIDES Many people begin spring yard work on Easter weekend. Make sure herbicides are kept where pets can't chew or puncture the bottle and that the application is dry before letting pets outside. Pets are often exposed when they are outside while their owners are spraying these products. While many herbicides are not highly toxic, any exposure does warrant a call to the vet.
Beginning in 2019, the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) noted a large jump in calls about pets eating weed (marijuana/cannabis.) In fact, in the first couple of months of that year, APCC reported a 765% increase over the same period the previous year.
With more provinces legalizing marijuana, this trend is likely to continue. Keep both recreational and medicinal marijuana in a safe place that your pet cannot access.
​TICK PREVENTION

As temperatures begin to fluctuate above four degrees, ticks start emerging looking for the most available food source before laying eggs, which is usually our pets as they frequent areas ticks commonly are.
The black legged tick (deer tick) and the American dog tick are two species commonly found in Ontario, but there are two new and emerging tick species:  Rhipicephalus sanguineus the brown dog tick, and Amblomma americanum the lone star tick.
The brown dog tick usually found in the southern United States is unique in its ability to live and reproduce indoors (there is a documented case where this happened in Toronto). Ticks typically do not infest a house or kennel but in the case of the brown dog tick all three life stages (larva, nymph and adult) can survive indoors.  An infestation can be difficult to eradicate as these ticks can survive for long periods of time without feeding from a host.  Home infestations can take several months and multiple professional insecticide treatments.  This tick is found more commonly in northern locations including Ontario.  There has been a rise in part due to adoption or movement of dogs from the Southern US and the Caribbean to Ontario.  Fortunately, this is easily avoided with proper treatment of dogs travelling from these areas.  The brown dog tick does not transmit Lyme disease but can transmit Ehrilichia Canis and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever causing, bleeding abnormalities, fever, lethargy and neurologic disease which can be life threatening in some cases.
The other emerging tick species is the Lone Star Tick.  This tick gets its name from a distinct white spot found on its body and from its natural home in the southern United States.  This tick can now be found throughout the eastern U.S. and as far north as Wisconsin.  Very recently this tick has also been found in Ontario.  This is of concern as the lone star tick also transmits disease such as Ehrlichiosis, which until recently, was not found in Ontario unless the dog had travelled out of the province.   This tick can also transmit Ehrlichia chaffeensis, the agent causing human monocytic ehrlichiosis and Cytauxzoon felis which causes a potentially fatal disease in cats.  It is thought that this tick is making its home further north due to the warming climate and by dropping off migrating birds.
If you find a tick on your pet promptly remove it with a Tick Twister, place it in a jar and bring it to Glendale Veterinary Hospital for identification. The current protocol if you find a tick on your pet is to test them with a simple blood test six weeks after the tick is found.   If your pet is not on year-round prevention, now is a good time to start. It is also never too early to start practicing tick sweeping procedures for both pets and pet owners. 
WELLNESS TESTING & SEASONAL PROMOTION
Wellness tests are blood tests performd to ensure the health of your pet.  These blood tests allow us to anticipate any problems before your pet becomes clinically sick, in an attempt to modify the disease process and improve your pet's quality of life.  Pets are great at hiding disease and often by the time they look sick, it is more difficult to help them.  Wellness testing also establishes a baseline for your individual pet that can be used to monitor their health as they age.  Wellness blood tests are tailored for your individual pets age and known health status.
Starting in March, our external lab offers a free heartworm and tick borne disease test when done with a wellness blood panel.  We are happy to extend this discount to your furry friends so please take advantage of this offer which is offered until July 31st, 2022.
For more information and pricing on these wellness packages, please call the clinic or CLICK HERE for client only access on our website.
Please call us with any questions or concerns. We will be happy to prescribe your furry friends their tick prevention to start now!