Dr. Deanie Parks Veterinary Office

04/08/2024

Hello friends!

The total solar eclipse is just around the corner, and just about everyone is ready to see the once in a lifetime event. We are seeing some mixed information about pet/wildlife safety.

Contrary to what some may read, the sun itself is not any more dangerous during the eclipse. The reason protective eye wear is recommended for humans (who wish to observe the eclipse) is because many of us will be staring directly at the sun that day, which is something we typically avoid.

For our pets, and outdoor wildlife, that day will be similar to any other day. Our pets don’t stare at the sun, so there is no need to keep them indoors on April 08 for any extended period of time. They may notice the change in temperature, but it is unlikely they will exhibit any unusual behaviour.

The eclipse can be more unsettling for birds. The dimming of the sky can mimic behaviour at dusk and during early storm formation, so some birds may demonstrate a wind-down behaviour and there may be less activity in the sky during the peak eclipse. Once the sky returns to normal, so does their behaviour.

If you are purchasing eclipse glasses, please make sure they meet these criteria. For additional information about the eclipse please see:
https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/safety/

For a list of approved solar-viewing goggles please see:

https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/viewers-filters

It is not safe to watch the eclipse through the lens of your smartphone - it can damage both your phone camera and your eyes. Try this instead:

https://www.safeshot-viewer.com

Safe watching our friends!
Dr Renee Fleming

03/01/2024

Deanie would like to thank everyone for their messages of well wishes and gifts over that last few weeks! While we are sad to close, and will miss all of our dedicated and wonderful clients, Dr. Parks and Lisa are excited to take on new opportunities!

Just a reminder to our clients, as of March 1st, 2024, we are a rabbit-only clinic. Dr. Parks is not available for cat or dog veterinary services, and will not be carrying any food or medications. For the time being, Dr. Parks will still be seeing existing and new rabbit clients at her clinic in Blandford. Stay tuned for exciting new changes coming!

If you require records for your cat or dog, please leave us a detailed message or email stating your pet's name, your full name, and the exact name of the Veterinary Hospital that you would like your pets records to be sent to. Your pet's records will not be forwarded to any other hospital automatically, we require your permission to transfer them to any other vet. Thank you!

02/02/2024

To Our Valued Clients,
After 36 years of dedicated service, Dr. Deanie Parks has decided to hang up her stethoscope and embark on a well-deserved retirement. Her passion and commitment to the well-being of our beloved pets have made her an invaluable member of our community.
On March 1st, 2024, Dr. Parks will close the doors of her Blandford practice to all dogs and cats. After this date she will not be seeing any new or existing dog or cat clients. For the time being, she will continue to see rabbits on a case-by-case basis.
Your pet’s records will not be automatically forwarded to any other vet, we require your permission to send any of your pet’s information anywhere else.
If you require records to be sent to another hospital, or would like to inquire about an appointment for your pet before March 1st, please call us at (902)228-2665, or email [email protected]
We thank you all for your support and loyalty over the years!

01/02/2024

UPDATE: Our phone and internet has been restored!

We are without phone or internet service today, and are waiting for Bell to resolve the issue which is unknown at this point. We are also unable to process debit/credit payments at this time as well. We are still able to receive voicemails, if you need to contact us please call 902-228-2665.

12/21/2023

Happy Holidays from Dr. Parks and Lisa!
Our clinic will be closed for non-urgent appointments from December 22nd to January 1st. If you have an emergency please call us at (902)228-2665. All non-urgent requests will be replied to when we reopen on January 2nd.

12/19/2023

Great news to have another vet that will be seeing rabbits in our area!

📢 We have BIG NEWS! Dr. Louise Quesnel will begin seeing Exotics appointments in January! 🐤 🐍 🐰 🐢

The team at Maritime understands the need for Exotics care in our area, and since our veterinarian is here in the city and available to take cases, we have teamed up with a local partner location to begin seeing appointments in January.

Dr. Quesnel will temporarily see patients at a nearby veterinary office while Maritime Veterinary Emergency + Specialty Centre is still under construction. Please feel free to ask questions in the comments!

Request an appointment at: https://www.maritimevet.ca/services/exotics

12/18/2023

Anyone with long haired/wooly breed rabbits should look into this! While extra fluffy rabbits are cute, they do require alot of extra grooming to avoid matting and discomfort, and to prevent certain health issues!

12/14/2023

Just a reminder as we approach the holidays that we will be closed for regular appointments December 22nd - Jan 1st, and open for business as usual again on Tuesday, January 2nd. Next week will be the last week we are able to order any food or medications you may need, as the distribution centres and delivery services will be closed. Please let us know if you need any food or medications by Wednesday, December 20th at 12pm!

10/31/2023

HAPPY ENDING: Hone; Safe N' Sound. This sweet boy will be going home this evening! We thank that finders for keeping him safe. All is good. (10.31.23 - 10.31.23)

COURTESY POST: FOUND: Roaming Bunny: New Minas/ area of Prospect Road and Highway 101/ Kings County S*X UNKNOWN: Domesticated bunny, adult, white coat with tan shading on ears, very friendly and allows for petting and picking up. Found on Oct. 31/23. Please cross post and if you have any information contact Phil or Kelly at
MAP: https://maps.app.goo.gl/y9iNhD5tEL91bxSL6

10/09/2023

Happy Thanksgiving! While it may be tempting to share table scraps with your pets during this joyous occasion, it’s best to avoid this practice.

Many pets have sensitive digestive systems and can’t handle human foods like gravy, and others, like onions and garlic are poisonous. Turkey bones are also both a choking hazard and a death risk due to intestinal damage.

***
Joyeuse Action de grâce! Même s’il peut être tentant de donner des restes de table à votre animal de compagnie, il est préférable de ne pas le faire.

Beaucoup d’animaux ont de la difficulté à digérer divers aliments pour humains, y compris la sauce, et certains aliments, comme les oignons et l’ail, sont toxiques pour eux. Les os de dinde peuvent causer un étouffement et même la mort en raison de dommages intestinaux.

09/14/2023

🌪 Don't forget your pets in your hurricane preparations! 🌪
We Nova Scotians know all to well now how fast disasters can strike, but being ready just in case can help ease our minds, and make it less stressful for our pets in an emergency.

09/12/2023

While we seem to be on a bit of a break from the ticks at the moment, fall is just around the corner! 🍂🕷
Just a reminder to our current clients about parasite medications, we don't carry as much stock in clinic anymore and only order on an as needed basis. If you are going to be looking for tick, flea, or deworming medications for your dog or cat this fall, we will need at least one week's notice to order in your medications. Order's can be placed by email at [email protected] or calling (902)228-2665. Thank you!

07/24/2023

LOST DOGS: Hubbards/ Mill Lake Rd. W/ Lunenburg County FEMALE: Beagle, 5 years old, tri-coloured, not wearing a collar. NAME: Hilti FEMALE: Beagle, 3 years old, tri-coloured, not wearing a collar. NAME: Kita Both dogs went missing on July 22/23. Please cross post and if you have any information call or text Mark at 902-880-3447 or Laura at 902-809-5575.
MAP: https://goo.gl/maps/XkmGMKZuWgwZiepg6

07/24/2023

⚠️Road Advisory to our clients! ⚠️

07/01/2023

RAINBOW BRIDGE: It is with a heavy heart that we update the post that Mitzi has been found deceased. We send our sincere condolences to her family. Run free at the Bridge. (7.1.23 - 7.3.23_

LOST DOG: Chester/ Lunenburg County FEMALE: Portuguese water dog, 9 months old, black coat with silver ankle socks, newly groomed in a show cut (lion cut), wearing a collar, microchipped. NAME: Mitzi She went missing on July 1/23. Please cross post and if you have any information text or call Jane
MAP:
NOTE: No recent photos of Mitzi - stock illustration shows the cut

06/06/2023

You may have seen alarming marks like this on your dog in the last month or so. What exactly are they?

Blackfly bites! And although they look quite shocking and painful, most dogs really aren't bothered very much by them. They will begin to fade after a day or two and usually, no treatment is necessary. They look far worse than they actually are 🙂 Oh, spring in Nova Scotia!

(But just like people, remember that dogs can have an unexpected, serious reaction to bug bites. If your dog seems distressed, uncomfortable, excessively itchy or otherwise unwell you should always check with your veterinary team.)

06/04/2023

IMPORTANT UPDATE Sunday, June 4 @ 11:00am

The evacuation area has changed and we will be open our regular hours this coming week.

Any pharmacy items that are stored in the fridge need to be replaced. We are working on restocking as soon as possible. Please understand that there may be delays.

Please be patient! We have a lot of appointments to reschedule and we will be in touch as quickly as we can.

We look forward to seeing you again.

If your pet has an EMERGENCY please phone 4paws Veterinary Hospital at 902.225.7543.

05/30/2023

We are located in the evacuation zone and are uncertain when we will be able to access our clinic again.

We are have set up a ‘satellite” location with Dr. MacDonald, Dr. Corkum and several support staff at a nearby clinic in order to see our patients today.

However, Without power/clinic access we are unable to access our schedule or client records. If you need an appointment, please email [email protected] to let us know and we will try to schedule you in at our temporary space. If you need a prescription, also email us and we can arrange to fill the prescription for you.

We will be operating in a triage manner, so please reach out if your pet was affected by the fires and needs to be seen.

If your pet has an EMERGENCY please phone 4paws Veterinary Hospital at 902.225.7543.

05/29/2023

IMPORTANT:
If you or someone you know have been evacuated due to the fire, and had to leave your pets food behind please know, Hill's Canada is offering a free two week supply of any Hill's product between now and July 10th to support you and your fur babies. Please contact us should you need pet food support!

05/29/2023

UPDATE AT 8:00 am Monday, May 29th

We will not open today.

Due to forest fires, the area is under evacuation. We have no power and many phone lines in the area are down. We are uncertain if our phones are working. If you have an appointment that is affected by this time change, one of our team members will reach out to reschedule when the clinic re-opens. Stay safe everyone!

If your pet has an EMERGENCY please phone 4paws Veterinary Hospital at 902.225.7543.

05/29/2023

We are all deeply saddened by the current wildfires in our neighbouring communities. NOTE: We will be accepting displaced cats that require boarding at no charge. We are accepting new clients from our affected sister clinics for urgent care. These cases will need to be triaged based on their level of urgency due to a high volume of phone calls.

08/24/2022

Pain can show up in very subtle ways. The International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management put together this helpful infographic that describes the most common signs of pain in pets.

Know the signs!

07/05/2022

The NS Government has announced that all remaining COVID-19 restrictions will be removed on July 6th. However, for the health and safety of our staff and clients, we will be continuing to wear masks, and we strongly encourage our clients to wear masks when coming inside the clinic, especially if you are feeling unwell. If you forget a mask, we can provide you with one. And even though there will be no mandatory isolation anymore, if you test positive, please do not come in, call and reschedule your appointment. Thank you and stay safe!

06/19/2022

Dr. Deanie will be away from the office during the week of June 20th-24th, she will return to regular appointments on June 27th. Lisa will be in the office for limited hours this week, if you need a medication or food pick up, please call 902-228-2665, or email [email protected]

05/15/2022

May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month! Lyme affects many humans and pets in NS. Ticks are out in full force so make sure to check yourself and your animals regularly.