Bridge West Animal Hospital

02/04/2025

Valentine’s Day is coming! Give your pet the gift of Pet Insurance!--

--Illness coverage for chocolate ingestion
--Foreign body coverage when your pet eats your jewelry
--Allergy treatment from reactions to all the flowers being delivered
--Cardio coverage for those with a sensitive heart !

Pet Insurance is worth it!! 🥰🥰🥰

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01/21/2025

PLEASE NOTE: Jan. 19, 2025, via Dr. Scott Weese, Ontario Veterinary College
"The FDA has issued a directive to pet food producers to ensure that their food safety plans address H5N1 influenza contamination issues. It’s in response to multiple cases of H5N1 avian influenza in domestic and wild cats fed contaminated raw diets containing poultry. Infection was fatal in many of these cats, and this also puts humans at risk of exposure from both the infected cats and handling the contaminated diets. The severity of disease in cats and the potential public health concerns with H5N1 flu in animals means action is needed to reduce the risk of infections.

What can people do about the risk of H5N1 flu if they are adamant they want to feed a raw diet to their pet(s)?
1. Avoid poultry-based diets (and probably also beef in the US).
2. Use diets that are high-pressure pasteurized, and ask companies about if how the effectiveness of their HPP method is tested (not all HPP is equally effective).
3. Ask companies about their food safety plan and what pathogens they consider in their plan.
4. Use good food handling practices in the home to avoid cross-contamination of human food and other surfaces.
5. Report any illnesses in pets (or people) that might be linked to the diet.

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01/16/2025

Attention pet owners! 🐾 We’ve partnered with the Ontario Veterinary College to help with important research on canine leishmaniosis. If your dog was imported from an endemic area, they may qualify for a study with no cost involved! Reach out to learn more.

12/23/2024

Wishing each of our clients and their pets a very Merry Christmas!

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12/19/2024

December: Holiday Tips and Gift Guide

Looking for the ultimate holiday gift for you and your pet? Pet insurance is a gift that keeps your pet protected all year round!

With OVMAPet Health Insurance, you can cover up to 80% of vet bills and focus on enjoying those special moments with your pet!

Learn more about OVMA Pet Health Insurance and start protecting your pet today! https://www.ovmapetinsurance.com/

12/19/2024

If you have an emergency or need advice over the holidays, contact our Triage Service--SmartVet. You can email them, call them or book a virtual veterinary appointment online :

Three Convenient Options to Access SmartVet Veterinarians:

1. Call the RVT Line: 647-695-5411
Speak with a Registered Veterinary
Technician who will triage your pet’s situation and
assist with booking a virtual consultation or
arranging a direct transfer for critical cases.

2. Visit the SmartVet Website
Create an account at SmartVet.ca to
book a virtual appointment directly with a veterinarian.

3. Email: [email protected]

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12/16/2024

Holiday hours:
Closed: Dec 23 at noon through to Dec 26th. Closed Dec 31 & Jan
1.
Keep your pets away from turkey skin, gravy, pie, chocolate, grapes, too much cheese, and bones! Your vet team thanks you :)
Happy Holidays!!

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12/09/2024

We will be closing at 4:00 pm today due to weather conditions. Thank you for understanding.
Dr. J

11/18/2024

Napoleon is looking festive!

10/31/2024

One of our favourite black cat 'bats' :) This is Harvey!

10/30/2024

Updated information for taking your pet to the USA:

"While preventing sick and/ or infected dogs from entering the United States has remained a public health priority, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced additional changes to the requirements for bringing dogs into the United States. These changes are in effect as of August 1, 2024.

Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries (such as Canada), are as follows:

The dog owner (or whoever is accompanying the dog) must complete the new online CDC Dog Import Form for each dog. The form no longer requires a photo for such a dog, and is valid for up to 6 months, as long as the dog does not visit any high-risk countries. There is no fee or waiting period associated with completing this form. A separate form must be completed for each dog.
The dog must appear healthy upon arrival.
The dog must be at least 6 months old at time of entry to the U.S.
The dog must have a microchip that can be detected with a universal scanner to identify them.
There is no longer a requirement for proof of rabies vaccination for dogs travelling from low-risk countries, but proof of current rabies vaccination is still required for dogs returning to Canada from the U.S.
Information and resources for low-risk and high-risk requirements can be found on the CDC’s website. The CDC’s dog importation requirements must be followed, or your dog will not be allowed to enter the United States. For questions and/or additional information, please contact CDC-INFO at (800) 232-4636.

References:
Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Bringing a Dog into the U.S. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/importation/dogs/index.html.

Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/importation/dogs/rabies-free-low-risk-countries.html.

Worms and Germs Blog. (2024). Major Update: Rules for Movement of Dogs From Canada to the U.S. Retrieved from https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2024/07/articles/animals/dogs/moving-dogs-from-canada-to-the-us-another-major-change/.

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10/29/2024

Our phones and internet are currently down. Hoping to be restored soon.

10/28/2024

The winner of the incredible cake from Bawnfire Bakery, drawn from the Farley Foundation donations is .....drum roll.........Mr. Byron Perry! Congratulations and enjoy!!!

10/16/2024

R=respected and responsible! —>RVTs are educated, conscientious, compassionate members of the veterinary team and they take their responsibilities seriously. They deserve respect for their dedication to their work.

V= vital and valued!! —> RVTs are an essential part of the veterinary team. They contribute to every facet of your pet’s care when in hospital for procedures or appointments.

T= trained and talented!! —> RVTs learn about anesthesia, preventive wellness care, laboratory testing, infectious disease, anatomy, nutrition, behaviour, radiography, dentistry…..and more!

Our skilled RVTs have your pet(s) best interests at heart–ALWAYS !

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10/11/2024

We will be closed for Thanksgiving Monday and hope that everyone has an enjoyable weekend! We are thankful for our wonderful clients and their pets, and I am thankful for my team and their dedication and care. Don't feed your pets table food this weekend please! Dr. Julie 😁