Pelham Animal Hospital

06/22/2024

Please be advised of this clinic closure and make sure to order your pets medications, food or supplements early!

06/11/2024

Starting August 1st, 2024 there will be significant changes to the rules for crossing into the U.S. with our dogs.
We are working to decipher these new rules so that we can make the appropriate recommendations on a case by case basis for our clients and patients.
For a complete list of what our canine companions will need for border crossing you can visit the cdc website link below and review the "requirements for all dogs" as well as the requirements for dogs that have been in rabies free or low risk areas (Canada is considered "low risk).

Starting on August 1, 2024, dogs entering or returning to the United States must meet new, specific requirements depending on where they have been in the 6 months before entering the U.S. and where they received their rabies vaccines (if required).

06/05/2024

Then and now: Dug and Maisy!

06/04/2024

When you’re trying to look formidable, but your ears give you away.
Don’t worry Jaxon, soon you’ll be all business!

05/30/2024

This is Spot. We’re not sure why he looks so serious, but we’re pretty sure there is some serious contemplating going in.

05/16/2024

Don't forget to pick up any needed supplies ahead of time! 😃

Just a reminder that we have a long-weekend coming up!
Please ensure that you order any medications, prescription food and/or supplements ahead of time.

05/13/2024

Just a reminder that we have a long-weekend coming up!
Please ensure that you order any medications, prescription food and/or supplements ahead of time.

05/11/2024

This is Rex, his head tilt is enough to melt anyone’s heart!

04/24/2024

It is Veterinary Receptionist Week!
We appreciate our amazing client care staff everyday, but it's nice to have a whole week to highlight these wonderful ladies.
Meaghan and Sherri are dedicated, kind and compassionate people, and we are so very thankful that they are a part of our team.

04/16/2024

A lost dog from Grimsby, hopefully she will make it home safe and sound ❤

04/05/2024

Just a reminder that we will be closed on Monday.
We will do our best to monitor our phone messages, but if we have any interruption to our phone service for any reason then please text us at 905-892-2035 or email us at [email protected] as a staff member will be monitoring text and email remotely.
Also remember that we will likely have a significant increase in foot and vehicle traffic, so we recommend keeping your pets indoors if possible.
If you need emergency services please contact the Niagara Veterinary Emergency Clinic at 905-641-3185.

04/02/2024

Without a doubt, we are all anticipating an exciting day on Monday, April 8th with the solar eclipse that will be centered around the Niagara Region. Although we do not know exactly what to expect, we do know that we will likely see a huge increase in foot and vehicle traffic in our little town during this event, so we wanted to share some safety tips for our four-legged family members.
First of all, please remember that we will be closed on the day of the eclipse. We will do our best to monitor our text line remotely. If you have a pet emergency, please call the Niagara Veterinary Emergency Clinic at 905-641-3185.
Since none of us know exactly what to expect, we advise that everyone take extra precautions with their pets. If you are going to watch the eclipse with your friends or family it may be tempting to take your dog along, but this could pose risky, it is best to leave your dog at home in a quiet area. Although animals are not likely to be tempted to stare at the sun and risk retinal damage like we are, the busy streets, loud noises and festival like atmosphere could put your pet at risk for heightened emotional or physical stress. Consider the following:
- For outdoor pets, consider bringing them into a quiet area of your home for the day, make them as comfortable as possible and try to provide some enrichment to distract them from the commotion outside.
- Accompany your dog outside for potty breaks and do not leave them unattended.
Alternatively you could take them out on a leash.
- Resist the urge to let your dog run off leash outside of your property.
- Pets can be spooked unexpectedly and may try to escape the yard so check fences and gates to make sure they are secure before you let your pet out.
- Make sure that pets are wearing identification in case they do wander off.
- Keep your cats indoors if possible, or take outside on a harness to explore if it is quiet out.
Remember overall that we may have a significant increase in traffic on our streets and the highway, so getting your pet somewhere quickly if you do have an emergency may be next to impossible. It is best to error on the side of caution to make sure that everyone has a great day and enjoys this rare and awesome experience!

04/01/2024

Please be advised that we will be closed on Monday, April 8th.
We will not have any staff in the clinic, but our goal will be to monitor our text line remotely.
Please check your supply of medication, supplements or prescription food and order accordingly!

03/30/2024

If you suspect that your pet has ingested anything unusual / potentially toxic, call the Niagara Veterinary Emergency Clinic at 905-641-3185 or
The Pet Poison Helpline at 1-855-764-7661

03/29/2024

Please remember that we will be closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but open regular hours on Monday April 1st (and that's no joke!).
If you have an emergency, please call the Niagara Veterinary Emergency Clinic at 905-641-3185.
Happy Easter to all of our wonderful clients, keep your pets out of trouble and stay safe!

03/28/2024

Because of our wet climate and mild winters, we recommend tick prevention year round for most of our patients.
Ticks can be active anytime the temperatures are above 4 degrees Celsius, which can include "micro climate" areas in wooded locations or near walking trails.
Contact us today to make sure that you have the best protection for your pet(s).

03/27/2024

Just a reminder that we will be closed on Friday so please make sure you have enough supplies for the weekend!

03/25/2024

Please make sure that you check your supply of medications, supplements or prescription food, and order early if you will need these before the Holiday weekend.

03/25/2024

Colder weather and higher risk?
Tick-borne diseases are spreading in Canada…and our cold
winters aren’t helping!
New Canadian research shows that when a Backlegged tick is
infected with the Lyme disease bacteria it may be more likely to
be active on mild days during the colder months AND more
likely to survive cold weather compared to uninfected ticks!

03/22/2024

Ok, so the WORST thing possible has happened, and you have found a tick on your pet. What do you do now?
The most important thing to remember when you need to remove a tick from your animal (or a human!) is that we do not want to damage the tick in anyway until it is out of the skin. Many people think that burning the tick, twisting the tick, squeezing the tick’s body, or applying Vaseline or essential oils to the skin around its head is a good way to irritate the tick and make it let go, however this is not appropriate and will likely only result in the tick expelling part of the bloodmeal back into the host and increasing the likelihood of disease transmission.
It is a good idea for everyone to have a “tick kit” at home. This kit should include a pair of tweezers (or another appropriate removal tool such as a tick “key”), a magnifying glass (or you can use an app on your phone), some rubbing alcohol and/or some anti-bacterial soap.
The goal is to efficiently remove the tick’s mouth parts from the skin. We find that this is best done with a good old-fashioned pair of tweezers, but really anything that will firmly grasp the tick by the area close to the skin will work well. Take your tool of choice, firmly grip the tick AS CLOSE TO THE SKIN as possible and apply even pressure to pull the tick away from the skin. If you see dead skin and/or a small amount of hair come off with the tick, don’t be alarmed. This is actually a GOOD thing, and means that you likely removed the tick and all the attached parts. Clean the area where the tick was attached with rubbing alcohol or a good scrub and rinse with antibacterial soap. It is not unusual to notice some skin irritation where the tick was attached, this is the body’s reaction to having foreign material in the skin, so do not be too alarmed, but definitely keep an eye on the area for excessive redness or swelling. It is a good idea to identify the species of tick that was removed, so that follow up testing for tick borne diseases can be considered.
Tick identification can be tricky, as the only means to identify the type is by the dorsal shield on adult specimens, which is the area right behind the head of a female tick, or the entire back of a male tick. The color or pattern on this is how a tick species is identified. In the nymph stage they are much smaller and a bit harder to identify. You can use the website https://etick.ca/etickapp/en/ticks/public/photo (be prepared for a serious case of the “heebie jeebies”) to help with identifying at home, or bring the tick to us and we can most certainly help with ID.
It is best to NOT destroy the tick until the species has been identified. If it is confirmed to be a deer tick and appears to have been feeding for a long period of time (determined by how engorged the body is) it may be advisable to have your dog tested for tick-borne diseases after waiting an appropriate amount of time after removing the tick. A tick is almost impossible to identify once the dorsal region has been mangled or squished.
Ticks are hard to kill. We do not advise squishing a tick with bare skin, as any diseased it may be carrying could make their way into the body via a cut or scratch. They can be killed by putting them in the freezer for several days or drowning in rubbing alcohol in a secure container like a pill vial.
So, there we have it. Tick removal 101. Most importantly please remember that if you find something unusual on your dog and a) are not sure if you are dealing with a tick (is it a lump or skin tag?) or b) not comfortable with removing it on your own, please contact us and we can help identify if it is a tick, and then remove it for you.

03/21/2024

Did you know…
That instead of making them weaker, infection with tick-borne
pathogens (like the one that causes Lyme disease) can make
ticks stronger!?
Contact us today to discuss the best options for tick control for your pet(s)

03/18/2024

Did you know...
A new Canadian study showed that when a Blacklegged tick is
infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease it may be
more likely to survive Canadian winters!

03/14/2024

Did you know….
About 1 in 5 of Blacklegged ticks you encounter in Canada could be
carrying the bacteria that causes Lyme disease! This number can be
even higher in known risk areas.
It is important to protect your pet and yourself, even when you might
think it’s “too cold for ticks”! Call us to discuss the best tick control
options for your pet and visit www.ticktalkcanada.com to learn more
about the risks in our area.

03/12/2024

Sadly, not all of our guests are welcome, and some are downright gross! But this does allow an opportunity to educate our clients about ticks and Lyme disease. There are a lot of myths out there, lets discuss some common questions... (We apologize in advance for any nightmares that this post induces).

> These are two adult, female Ixodes Scapularis (Deer tick). These are a tick species that is endemic to our Region, and can carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease (among others). The ticks in the photos are engorged, which means they have taken a blood meal from a host (in this case, a dog).

> Ticks have four life cycles, eggs - larva - nymph - adult. Once the eggs hatch, the tick will require a blood meal at each of the following life stages.

> Ticks can become infected with blood diseases when they feed on an infected animal such as a rodent. When they molt into the next life cycle and require a blood meal again, these diseases can be passed along to that host.

> Ticks find their hosts by detecting breath and body odors, or by sensing body heat, moisture, and vibrations. They typically pick a place to wait by identifying well-used paths. Then they lay in wait for a host, resting on the tips of grasses, shrubs or leaf litter. Ticks can’t fly or jump, but many tick species wait in a position known as “questing”, which is when they grab hold of vegetation with their back legs, while waving their front legs in the air waiting to grab and climb onto a potential host passing by. Once on a host, ticks often "wander" looking for an ideal place to feed. If they find a sheltered spot, they can go unnoticed for days.

> Ticks DO NOT burrow under the skin. This is likely the most common misconception, and many pets have had lumps and bumps needlessly prodded and squeezed thinking that a tick was under the skin. Ticks insert their mouth parts (circled in the photo) into the skin, sometimes secreting a cement-like compound to help them stay attached. They also can secrete an anesthetic type of chemical in their saliva that allows their bite to go undetected.

> Ticks typically feed for several days, only dropping off the host when they have completed the blood meal and are "full". After this they will either molt into the next life stage, or if adults, they will lay eggs and the cycle will repeat.

Now that we are all sufficiently grossed out, it's time for a shower, a tick check (just to be sure, because now our skin is "crawling") and stay tuned for a follow up post about what to do if and when you find a tick on your pet (or, heaven forbid, on yourself).

03/11/2024

Did you know...
Blacklegged ticks (the ones that can transmit the Lyme disease
bacteria) can survive freezing temperatures? One way is that they
create their own “anti-freeze” that helps them tolerate the cold!
However, a new study showed that when they are infected with
certain bacteria, like the one that causes Lyme disease, they may be
even BETTER at surviving our cold winters! Call us to discuss the best
tick control options for your pet.

03/07/2024

Did you know that even with regular tick checks, immature blacklegged ticks can be very hard to see (as small as a poppy seed)? That’s why it is important to keep your pet protected against ticks, even as the temperature climbs. Contact your veterinary team for more information.

03/04/2024

Spring is officially here, and so are warmer temperatures! Ticks are active in early spring. In fact, ticks can be active every season – any day when temperatures reach 4°C and above. Be prepared. Once a tick is on your pet, they can be hard to find. Watch this video to learn how to check for ticks on your pet after they have been outside.

This is "LOOK, FEEL, SEARCH: HOW TO CHECK YOUR PET FOR TICKS" by Merck Animal Health Canada on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who…

03/01/2024

Please keep an eye out for this missing kitty!