Imperial Road Animal Hospital

01/31/2025

Happy Inventory Day! 🎉

Just a friendly reminder that the practice will be closing at noon today. If you have an urgent small animal concern, please call us at 519-894-4004 to speak with a Registered Veterinary Technician.

Thank you for your understanding and support! 😊

01/29/2025

I hope this message finds you and your furry family members doing well!

I want to express my sincere gratitude for the trust and loyalty you have shown me during the time we have known each other. It has been an absolute privilege to care for your beloved pets. Whether we've only crossed paths once or have known each other for many years, I truly appreciate the opportunity to work with you and your pets.

As some of you may know, I’ve recently accepted a position with the Humane Society London Middlesex Animal Medical Centre, and I will be dedicating more of my time there in the near future. However, I’m happy to share that I’ll continue to work with the wonderful team at Imperial Road Animal Hospital, on a reduced schedule.

My hope is to be available when you need me. If that is not possible, I want to reassure you that your pets will continue to receive the highest level of care. I am pleased to share that both Dr. Amanda Wiltsie Thoonen (Practice Owner & Veterinarian) and Dr. Kat Hotke (Veterinarian) share a similar philosophy and approach to veterinary medicine that I have always strived to provide. Their commitment to compassionate, quality care aligns closely with my own, and I am confident that your pets will be in excellent hands with them and the rest of the team. I’ve had the pleasure of working with both Dr. Mandy and Dr. Kat before joining the practice, this alignment was one of the key reasons I decided to join the team, knowing your pets would always be in excellent hands.

Although I will miss our frequent chats and hearing all your wonderful updates, I sincerely hope you’ll continue to share stories with me—I would love to stay in touch!

If your pet needs to see me before my schedule changes, please feel free to contact the clinic at 519.773.8186 or email [email protected] to book an appointment.

I’m excited to share more about my new adventures with you when we next catch up.

Warm regards,
Dr. Tracy

01/24/2025

Inventory Day!

The office will be closed from 12:10 pm - 5:30 pm while our team goes through inventory.

The clinic will open again Monday February 3rd at 8:00 am. If you experience an urgent small animal concern during this time please contact 226-894-4004 to speak with a Registered Veterinary Technician.

Please provide our team with advance notice for any medication or food refill requests before our upcoming closure. This will help ensure that our patients and clients have everything they need in a timely manner as we head into the weekend.

We appreciate your understanding! 🐕

01/23/2025

Join Our Team at Imperial Road Animal Hospital!

We're looking for an experienced Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) to join our busy, progressive 3-DVM companion animal practice in Aylmer, ON (20 minutes southeast of London).

We offer a supportive, team-oriented environment with cutting-edge technology, including digital radiography and in-house diagnostics.

Why You’ll Love Working Here:
- Collaborative, empowering culture
- Competitive pay & benefits (health/dental, pet discount, paid sick days, CE days)
- Cutting-edge technology
- Positive, team-oriented work environment

What We’re Looking For:
- Minimum 3 years of small animal experience
- Positive attitude, strong organizational skills, and a “get it done” mindset
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment

Roles Include:

- Appointments: Patient histories, vaccinations, blood samples, client education
- Hospital Admissions: ECGs, blood collections, patient care
- Surgery & Dentistry: Assisting with surgeries, dental procedures, patient recovery

Interested? Schedule a tour to meet our team and see our clinic firsthand! For more information check out our website at: https://imperialroad.ca/careers/
Apply by emailing Lindsay Payne at [email protected].

Join us and make a difference in patient and client care!

01/22/2025

01/21/2025

Time Out for Team Training!

Our office will be closed today from 12:30 pm - 1:50 pm while our team receives additional training.

If you experience an urgent small animal concern during this time please contact 519-894-4004 to speak with a Registered Veterinary Technician.

We appreciate your understanding!

01/01/2025

❄️🐾Happy New Year!!🐾❄️

We look forward to assisting you again tomorrow, January 2, at 8:00 AM. Please bear with us as we work through the high volume of holiday emails, text messages, and voicemails. Rest assured, we will do our best to respond to your messages as quickly as possible. If you have an urgent matter on the morning of January 2, we encourage you to call us directly at 519-773-8186, where a team member will be happy to assist you.

Wishing you a wonderful day!

12/26/2024

Hill's is having a BOXING DAY SALE!

12/25/2024

Merry Christmas! 🐾🎄❄️

12/24/2024

This wraps up our Holiday Nightmare tale,
Like the story of Jack, we'll prevail. 🎄
Keep an eye on your pets, watch them with care,
And keep emergency numbers close, just in case they’re there. 📞

Contact 226-894-4004 to speak with a Registered Veterinary Technician who will help determine the urgency of your concern and refer you to a veterinary telemedicine service. There is a fee associated with this service.

Contact the Pet Poison Helpline - (855) 764-7661 if you are concerned that your pet ingested something harmful. There is a fee associated with this service.

We’re here ‘til noon today, but we don't have an opportunity to see you,
From our team to you, we wish you a joyful Christmas and a New Year full of cheer!

We look forward to serving you again on January 2nd. ✨

12/23/2024

🎄👻 Holiday Horror: The Dangers of Alcohol to Pets 👻🎄

This holiday season, beware—alcohol isn’t just lurking in your cup, it’s hiding in unexpected places! 🍸🐾

🎂 Rum-soaked fruitcake and 🍞 unbaked dough are just a few of the deadly treats that can lead to alcohol poisoning in pets. Even the fermenting yeast in the dough turns into toxic alcohol in their stomachs! 🧟‍♂️

Here’s the frightful tale:

🌀 Dough Danger: Rising dough expands in your pet’s stomach, causing bloat—leading to a twisted stomach (GDV), with symptoms like vomiting, retching, and a distended belly. 😱

🍷 Alcohol Absorption: The alcohol from fermenting yeast quickly enters their bloodstream, causing dangerous drops in blood sugar, blood pressure, and body temperature. ❄️

Intoxicated pets can suffer seizures, respiratory failure, and even collapse. 🚨

Keep those holiday treats far from your furry friends to avoid a horrifying holiday! 🎄💀

12/20/2024

🎄👻 Holiday Horror: Beware the Roundworm Nightmare! 👻🎄

This holiday season, the terror isn’t just in the air—it’s lurking in your pets' intestines! Roundworms are deadly parasites that feed off partially digested food in the intestines, and they love to haunt the bellies of dogs and puppies. 🐶💀

How they spread: Infected dogs shed microscopic roundworm eggs in their f***s, which can be spread by sniffing, licking, or even through contaminated animals like rodents, cockroaches, and birds. 🐀🐦🦠

Puppies are the most vulnerable—roundworms steal vital nutrients, causing stunted growth and pot-bellied appearances. 😱

Symptoms: Stunted growth, pot-bellied look, diarrhea, and sometimes even seeing the worms (they look like spaghetti noodles) in your dog’s vomit or f***s. 😷

The Hidden Horror: Roundworm larvae can encyst in your dog's muscles for months or years, reactivating when conditions are right. 🕷️

Human Danger: Roundworms can even pose a deadly risk to humans! Infection can happen if you ingest contaminated soil from pet f***s. 🧑‍⚕️⚠️ Maintaining proper personal hygiene is crucial, especially when there are young children in the home.

Prevention: Parasite prevention and f***l exams are key to keeping this horror at bay. 👀

A f***l test was completed on a patient's stool, and this image reveals what roundworm eggs look like under the microscope.

12/19/2024

Holiday Hours Announcement

Please note our holiday hours for this year:
December 23: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
December 24: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Closed: December 25 through January 1
Reopening: January 2 at 8:00 AM

If you have an urgent concern during our closure, please contact 226-894-4004 to speak with a Registered Veterinary Technician.

We kindly request 24-hour notice for medication refills. To ensure your pet(s) have everything they need during our holiday closure, please verify that you have an adequate supply of food and medications in advance.

Please note that My Vet Store orders delivered to the clinic during our closure cannot be picked up until January 2, when the clinic reopens.

Thank you for your understanding, and we wish you and your pets a joyful holiday season!

12/18/2024

🎄 Holiday Terror: Beware of Toxic Plants! 🎄

Some holiday plants may be more terrifying than they seem—and your pets are at risk!

Though they have a bad rap, poinsettia plants are only mildly toxic, check out what plants made it on the Naughty List.

The Naughty List of Toxic Plants:

🎋 Lilies (Lilium spp.): These innocent-looking beauties are DEADLY! Even just a nibble can lead to kidney failure in cats 😿💀. The pollen and water can poison too—keep them far away!

🌿 Holly Berries & Leaves: Watch out for the spiny leaves and toxic substances like saponins and cyanogens! 😖 Eating holly causes drooling, lip-smacking, and stomach upset. Yikes!

💋 Mistletoe: While most of us hang it high, this festive plant can cause a terrifying reaction if ingested! The American variety is less toxic, but European mistletoe can lead to collapse, seizures, or worse! 😱💚

🌲 Japanese Yew (Taxus spp.): This evergreen’s toxic berries and leaves can cause dizziness, abnormal heart rate, and even death. Keep this nightmare out of reach, especially from animals like horses! 🐴⚠️

Prevention: Check those holiday bouquets carefully—even the ones your guests bring! Better safe than sorry when it comes to your furry friends! 🎄🐾

For assistance and support with toxin-related concerns during the holiday season, contact the Pet Poison Helpline at 1(855) 764-7661. They offer 24/7 expert guidance to keep your pets safe.

12/17/2024

We are experiencing some issues with clients who use Bell or Virgin as their phone carriers. We are currently working through these issues. If you have a concern please text at 519-773-8186 or email us at [email protected].

12/17/2024

👻The Nightmare of Lungworm! 👻

Beware, a dark evil lurks... Lungworm. This terrifying parasite silently slithers 🐍 into the lungs of unsuspecting pets, turning their bodies into haunted vessels of doom.

Here's how the nightmare unfolds:

The Infection Begins: Tiny, parasitic roundworms lay their eggs in a cat’s lungs. The eggs hatch and the larvae slither into the airways.

The Terrifying Cycle: The larvae are coughed up, swallowed, and excreted, then crawl into the soil where slugs and snails—💀 agents of doom 💀—become their hosts.

The Unseen Threat: Cats may ingest these cursed slugs or snails, or even eat a snake, bird, or mouse that has already consumed the infected creatures.

The Path of Horror: Once swallowed, the larvae travel deep within the body, moving from the intestines to the nose, bronchi, or even the alveoli.

Symptoms of this nightmare may include:

Coughing, wheezing, sneezing
Heavy breathing, poor appetite, weight loss, nasal or ocular discharge, and sometimes no symptoms are seen at all.

The Terrifying Truth:

There are different types of lungworms, one requires slugs or snails to complete their life cycle, and another is spread through contaminated f***s.

Prevention: Regular parasite treatment is your best defense. Keep your pets safe and away from damp, dark places where this nightmare can strike.

This image shows what a lungworm looks like under the microscope. 😱

12/17/2024

“Time Out for Team Training”

The office will be closed today from 12:30 pm - 1:50 pm while our team receives additional training.

If you experience an urgent small animal concern during this time please contact 226-894-4004 to speak with a Registered Veterinary Technician.

We appreciate your understanding! 🐕