A glimpse into a small portion of a complete dental cleaning and evaluation. After our Registered Veterinary Technician has completed scaling (cleaning) the teeth, they run a black light over the surface of every tooth. Plaque and tartar will show up as pink under the black light so we can pick up any small spots we may have missed. This ensures that your pet’s mouth is as clean and healthy as it can be when they return home to you!
You can see a small piece of tartar in this video: that piece has come off the teeth and simply needs to be flushed out of this dog’s mouth🦷🪥
#dentalmonth
What. A. Day! Thank you so so much to everyone who came out to support our fundraiser for the Kitchener Waterloo Humane Society (total donations are still being tallied!) 🙏We had such a blast seeing everyone! We are so excited to see the shots by The Big Bas as soon as they are ready! He took a LOT of photos so it will take a few days to sort through and edit! In the meantime, this is an appreciation post for how grateful we are to have a photographer who loves pets as much as we do! Enjoy this sweet moment with little Hannah ❤️🥺
Look at June Bug gooo! Several months ago June Bug came in as an emergency when she was suddenly unable to use her back legs. She was in a lot of pain and though she had some feeling in her hind legs she was almost completely paralyzed. There was no known traumatic incident and so we determined that the most likely cause of this was a condition called intervertebral disc disease. In this condition a piece of the disc that sits between the bones in the spine herniates and pushes on the spinal cord. IVVD can vary in severity and treatment can range from conservative management with strict rest and pain control to surgical intervention. French bulldogs and dachsunds are particularly prone to this condition, and more commonly have severe herniations. In June Bug’s case the level of paralysis she was experiencing meant that surgery as soon as possible was needed in order for her to walk again. She was immediately referred to OVC as this is highly specialized surgery. By the next day she was already showing signs of improvement and she continued to improve significantly over the next few weeks! June Bug came in recently for her annual health examination and we had to give her some treats and catch her on film!
Happy #fearfreefriday 😀 Kane belongs to our CSR Aisha and he enjoyed getting lots of treats from her during his check-up! Our co-op student, Tatiana, learned how to hold off his vein for a blood draw!
It’s September 1st and though we don’t have pumpkin spice parasite prevention, Hopper is still a fan 🙂
Fleas, intestinal parasites and heartworm are still out there and ticks will become more active active in the cool fall weather so make sure your pet is protected!
Brushing your pet’s teeth at home on a regular basis is one of the best things you can do for their oral health! Dr. Stephanie gets the whole family involved! Here is her daughter working on getting their dog, Hippo, used to the toothbrush by putting yummy tasting paste and letting him lick it off. This is the first step in helping him to enjoy brushing! If your pet enjoys the process then it becomes a fun activity rather than an annoying chore!
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If you brush your pet’s teeth or are working towards this post a video in the comments to be entered in a draw for a $50 credit to your pet’s account! Contest closes on Feb 28th!
It’s dental health awareness month! As with every facet of health, prevention is key! Just as we need regular home care for our teeth, so too do our pets. When training is done well this can be a fun couple of minutes spent each day with your pet! Margo, Anna-Marie’s new pet, is just starting her training to help her enjoy the tooth brushing experience!
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However, it’s crucial to remember that brushing is a preventative measure. If there is already tartar (which will be hard, rather than the soft plaque that can be brushed off) and gingivitis present then brushing will be ineffective and likely painful for your pet. In this case a full, comprehensive cleaning and evaluation of your pet’s teeth must be performed to treat any disease first.
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Through to the end of February we are offering 10% off of dental cleanings to help get you started on maintaining excellent oral health for your pet!
Happy #caturday 😺 Our incredible animal care attendant, Anna-Marie, adopted Squid several months ago. She knew that he was coming to her with some behavioural concerns and she diligently set up an amazing space for him with a ton of enrichment options. 🐾Unfortunately Squid was still exhibiting signs that his needs were not being met and was showing some signs of aggression. Anna-Marie and Dr. Rebecca set out to come of with some ways to help Squid while ensuring everyone’s safety. Part of this plan included getting Squid outside and since he was already used to wearing a harness, Anna-Marie took up the task of getting Squid out on adventures! 🐾. This safe outdoor time has helped Squid relax better and adjust to his new home. There are still obstacles ahead as behaviour change can, and very often does, take time but Squid is so lucky to have found an amazing family that is willing to do what it takes to keep him happy and healthy!
We are so excited to announce that we are running a Pet Photos with Santa event this year at Gateway Pet Hospital on Sunday, November 27th from 1-4pm! All proceeds be going to Kitchener Waterloo Humane Society! Photo sessions will be by appointment and we are asking for a minimum donation of $10. Santa’s elves will be whipping up yummy snacks (for both humans and animals) and we will have face painting available by donation as well! Spots are already booking up so contact us quickly to book your time! We can’t wait to see you!
A #fearfree nail trim with Hazel! Hazel is a very happy girl and loves coming in but she is a bit apprehensive about her nail trims. You can see right at the end of the video clip she started to pull away so we gave her a break before moving onto the next paw. She did really well for her back paws with lots of yummy treats but her front paws were more stressful for her and she would start struggling more frequently. Forcing her to have her nails trimmed when she is stressed would very likely result in decreased trust and increased stress at future visits so, after discussing with her wonderful owner, we elected to stop and revisit her nail trim another day and keep her happy and wiggly when she comes to see us!
The last time Zapada was groomed he was so stressed that he was trying to bite everyone in sight. This time, using our #fearfree training, we made a new plan. For Zapada, that included minimal restraint as Zapada gets stressed when he feels restricted, a mild calming medication (as you can see he is still very aware of his surroundings and able to sit up and happily eat. It is not a heavy medication) and lots of yummy food. He was an absolute joy! He even let us get a blood sample with these techniques!
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The cone is there as a safety measure just in case he became stressed but, to him, it was just a big platter for bottomless treats 😻
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If your pet is stressed in the hospital environment, talk to us ahead of your appointment so we can make a plan tailored to your pet’s needs.
#caturday #kitchener #fearfreepets
A #fearfree nail grind for Chloe
Nails trims on pugs do not have to be challenging! Sometimes it just takes a little patience and creativity to find their comfort zone and work within it!
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Krissie did an amazing #fearfree nail grind on sweet Chloe. She discovered that she was quite content to just sit in her lap and observe the world while Krissie worked away and she trusted that Krissie would not harm her!
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We want to work with your pet, not against them so let us know if there are certain things that make them feel more comfortable!
