The Rapids Veterinary Hospital

08/02/2024

The Hospital will be closed Monday August 5th for the civic holiday.

Everyone have a wonderful long weekend! 🇨🇦

08/01/2024

Meet Oliver and Cooper! 🐶
Two Australian Shepherd puppies.
They were both so good for their visit!

07/22/2024

Well we said things were changing with regards to travel to USA. This appeared on the CDC website 4 hours ago.

Now it appears you do not need a form from the veterinary clinic. You need to fill out the forms on your own.

Here is the newest post on the CDC website:

ImportationMENU



ImportationBringing an Animal into the U.S.Bringing a Dog into the U.S.Bringing Animal Products into the U.S.Bringing Human Remains into the U.S.Laws and RegulationsView All

From August 1, 2024, Onward: Entry Requirements for Dogs from Dog-Rabies Free or Low-Risk Countries

AT A GLANCE

The one form you will need is the CDC Dog Import Form if your dog has been only in countries that are dog rabies-free or low-risk in the 6 months before entering or returning to the U.S. Your dog must appear healthy to enter the U.S.

Recent Changes

CDC values the feedback received from various countries, industry partners, and the public. CDC simplified the process for meeting requirements for dogs arriving from dog rabies-free or low-risk countries.

Starting on August 1, 2024, dogs entering or returning to the United States that have been only in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries in the past 6 months must meet the following requirements: be healthy and complete the CDC Dog Import Form.

Dog Rabies-free or Low-risk Countries

Tip‎

To find out if a country is dog rabies-free or low-risk, check this website. Only high-risk countries are listed on the website. If the country is not listed on the website, it is considered a dog rabies-free or low-risk country.

CDC Dog Import Form

For dogs that have been only in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries in the 6 months before U.S. entry, this is the only form that is needed. A receipt will be emailed to you upon submission of the form. You can print the receipt or show it on your phone.

Where can I find the form?

CDC Dog Import Form

Instructions on how to fill out the form.

How long is the form's receipt valid?

The receipt is valid for 6 months from when it’s issued unless the dog visits a high-risk country during that time.

Can I use the form's receipt multiple times?

The receipt can be used for multiple entries into the United States as long as the dog has not been in a high-risk country in the past 6 months.

Who completes the form?

The person bringing the dog into the U.S. (the importer of the dog)

How much does it cost?

Free

How many dogs can be included on one form?

Each dog must have its own form. If you are bringing more than one dog to the U.S., you will need to complete a separate form for each dog.

When should the form be completed?

You can fill out the form on the day of travel. We recommend completing it a few days or up to six months before travel from a dog rabies-free or low-risk country, just to be prepared.

How do I show the form's receipt to officials?

CDC Dog Import Form receipt can be printed or shown on a phone screen to U.S. customs officials or airlines (if applicable).

What else is required for dogs from dog rabies-free or low-risk countries?

In addition to having a receipt for a CDC Dog Import Form:

Dogs must appear healthy upon arrival.

Dogs must be at least 6 months old at time of entry or return to the U.S.

Dogs must have a microchip that can be detected with a universal scanner to identify them.

Where the Dog Can Arrive‎

Dogs that have been only in dog rabies-free or low-risk countries in the past 6 months can enter the U.S. at any airport, seaport, or land border crossing.

07/17/2024

Here are some of our staff favourite emojis.
🐶 🩺👩‍⚕️🐴 🐱🐾

07/05/2024

Here is what we know about the new rules for traveling to the USA as of August 1. There are still many questions that are not answered.

In Dr. Weese's Worms and Germs Blog, he gives concise information of what we know and where we still need questions answered.

If you travel to the USA and do not have your pet microchipped this needs to be done, as soon as possible and ideally prior to giving a rabies vaccination. We need to get clarification that if the rabies vaccination was done prior to the microchip implantation - do we need to repeat the Rabies vaccination? As of right now it looks like we need to repeat the Rabies once the microchip is implanted.

It is important for your pet's Rabies Vaccination not to go past the "expiry date".

We will keep you posted as we learn more information.

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Update: US Dog Importation (June 24)
By Scott Weese on June 24, 2024
POSTED IN DOGS, RABIES

“Update” may be a bit of an oversell in this case, but here’s some more information on the upcoming changes to US dog importation rules that kind of came out of nowhere. We’re still trying to sort out a number of issues, both in terms of the big picture and minor operational details; hopefully we’ll have a much clearer picture soon.

To what dogs will the new rules apply?

The rules will apply to any dog entering the US on or after August 1, 2024, including:

A US dog returning home to the US after a visit to Canada or abroad
A Canadian dog moving to the US
Any dog on a cross-border visit to the US
Any dog crossing the border to the US for veterinary care
Any US dog returning home after receiving veterinary care in Canada
Any dog being sold/rehomed/rescued into the US
Service dogs traveling with their owner to the US (yes, even service dogs)
In short, it’s ALL dogs. Full stop.

For Canadians, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued some updated information on what these changes mean for dogs traveling from Canada to the US after August 1 (with a disclaimer that things may still change). Here’s what dog owners should do if they might be crossing the the border (from Canada to the US, either coming or going) with their dog starting in August:

Microchip

Ensure that your dog is microchipped AND that the microchip is ISO compatible AND that the microchip number and date it was implanted are clearly recorded in the dog’s medical record.

If the dog has a non-compatible microchip, it will need a new one.

Rabies vaccination

Ensure that your dog has been vaccinated against rabies AND that you don’t allow vaccination to lapse (stick to the schedule on the vaccine label!) AND that the rabies vaccination was done after the dog was given its ISO compatible microchip AND that the dog’s microchip number is recorded on any vaccination documentation.

Any vaccines that pre-date the microchip are not considered valid.
We’re still trying to sort out what happens if your dog was vaccinated at a different clinic from the clinic filling out the export paperwork. Common sense would suggest that the new clinic can sign off on the export form if they are confident that the dog was vaccinated based on the records from the previous clinic, but we’re still not sure if that will be considered acceptable. So, if your dog was vaccinated at a clinic that can’t complete the export paperwork, it’s possible your dog might need to be revaccinated again.

Medical records

Six months’ worth of veterinary records will be required to cross the US border. This could include a health certificate, vaccination certificate, invoice or something similar. It’s not a full dump of the dog’s medical record to document the dog’s health status, it’s simply to help prove that the dog has been in Canada (and under someone’s direct care) for at least 6 months (and therefore was not recently brought from a high-risk country and just “laundered” through Canada).

The dog’s ISO microchip number must be documented in the medical record and any other documentation.

For those using a USDA rabies vaccination form (including US residents and any Canadians who have their dog vaccinated while in the US), in addition to the above, make sure that the veterinarian who administered the vaccine is USDA-accredited, or at least that a veterinarian in their practice is accredited who can sign off on the form. Not all clinics have accredited veterinarians.

Currently it looks like if this form isn’t signed off by an accredited veterinarian, then the rabies vaccination is not considered valid for US import purposes and would have to be done again.

Plan ahead

Forms don’t write themselves, and veterinary clinics and CFIA offices are busy. “I’m on my way to Florida this afternoon doc. What do we have to do?” just isn’t going to work anymore. The vaccination form for a rabies vaccine given in Canada also has to be signed off by a CFIA veterinarian. The process for that is still being worked out, but at least for now some additional lead time has to be built in to get the dog’s veterinarian to complete the forms AND to get a CFIA veterinarian to sign off.

Here are a few other scenarios for dog owner to consider:

Cross border veterinary care

There are currently no exemptions to these rules for crossing the border for veterinary care, emergency or otherwise (even if the only reasonably close clinic may be on the other side of the border).

Puppies under 6 months of age

Not gonna happen. Dogs less than 6 months of age will not be allowed to cross, regardless of circumstances.
Service animals

This is an area for which we don’t have clear answers yet. Currently the US has stated that these rules will apply equally to service dogs, but the US Americans With Disabilities Act provides strong protections for access of service dogs to anywhere their owner goes. I don’t know if that that supersedes USDA and CDC.
The concern is that there are a lot of fake “service” dogs and the service dog landscape is a mess. I assume there’s a lot a wariness of opening a loophole that could be abused.

I’ve focused on Canada here since, that’s the main source of dogs traveling regularly to the US. Mexico would be another busy border to which the same rules will apply (but I know nothing about the sign off process for Mexican documentation). The same applies to any other country that’s considered low risk for canine variant rabies. The new process for importing dogs from high risk countries is different, and even more stringent. That’s a bigger topic for another day.

Send a message to learn more

06/29/2024

Matthew is a former Co-op student who joined us for his external elective as a fourth year Veterinary Student from the University of Melbourne. We’ve really enjoyed having him in the clinic the last two weeks. We wish him all the best!

06/28/2024

Considering buying pet food on line at our online store? Now is the perfect time. Click the Shop now button and use the promocode CANADA40 this holiday weekend to save up to 40% on your first auto order of Hill's pet products.

06/28/2024

06/05/2024

This August, Dr. Knight will be travelling to Uganda with a group of adults and teenagers to help bring clean water to two remote Uganda villages. The youth who are participating in this humanitarian trip are involved in Scouts or the Rotary Interact Club. For more information about this project see Uganda Water for Life

Tonight, June 5, the group will be hosting a fundraiser at Refined Fool on London Road from 4 pm until 9 pm. There will be raffles and a 50:50 draw. A percentage of all food and beverages purchased tonight will be donated back to Uganda Water For Life.

05/24/2024

Ontario is home to eight native species of turtles, some of which are at risk or endangered due to habitat loss, climate change, predators, road mortality and more. To help protect our province's turtle populations, consider researching turtle conservation, keep your pets leashed when in nature and stay vigilant when driving through turtle crossings.

05/17/2024

The Hospital hours will be changing this weekend, due to the Victoria day Holiday.
We will be open our usual Saturday hours of 8am-12pm, but will be closed Monday May 20th for the Victoria Day Holiday. We reopen Tuesday May 21st at 8am.

Thank you, and have a safe and happy long weekend!

05/13/2024

New rules for importation of dogs into USA come into effect August 1.

ALL dogs must:

Be at least 6 months of age at the time of entry or return to the US
Have a microchip
Appear healthy on arrival
A CDC Dog Import Form (including a picture of the dog) must be submitted 2-10 days before arrival.

Additional requirements depend on where the dog has been in the past 6 months. I won’t go over all of the rules, but will highlight two of the most common scenarios involving movement of dogs from Canada to the US. They aren’t too onerous, but will require some planning and effort.

A new bill has been proposed in the US Congress to deal with importations of dogs.  The Healthy Dog Importation Act aims to address a few important

04/23/2024

April 21st to 27th is Veterinary Receptionist week.

Our Veterinary receptionists are an essential part of our team. Thank you for all you do Molly, Lisa and Jaden.

04/22/2024

Today, April 22nd is Earth Day! 🌎
Here are some ideas to celebrate with your pet

🌱 Use biodegradable bags when picking up after your pet.

🌱 Donate items like blankets and towels to pet shelters to reuse.

🌱 walk with your dog instead of using the car.

🌱🌎🌱

04/06/2024

All the talk about the upcoming eclipse may have you wondering if your pet's eyes are at risk. But dogs have a natural instinct to avoid looking directly at the sun so they should be just fine without special glasses! Dr. Jeffery Walline from the Ohio State University College of Optometry noted “Pets aren’t curious about the eclipse, so they’re not more likely to look at the sun on a day of the eclipse than they are on any other day, so I don’t think we need to get eclipse glasses for our dogs or put them inside. They should be fine through the eclipse”.

The darkness that the eclipse brings may be unsettling for wildlife or domestic animals who are confused thinking nightfall is coming early. And pets who are frightened of thunderstorms may get nervous thinking the darkness means a storm is coming. But these behaviours should pass once the eclipse does, and shouldn't be cause for alarm.

So keep YOUR eyes safe on Monday, and enjoy this rare celestial event!

04/06/2024

🚨Creepy crawly alert! 🚨

Here are some ear mites our Registered Veterinary Technicians found in a cat this week.
Taking an ear swab and using the microscope allows us to see these guys.
They are easily spread between pets. They are often seen in cats, but also can be found in dogs, rabbits and ferrets.
Ear mites are very itchy and can cause dark crumbly debris in the ear canals.

04/03/2024

Lenny was the perfect little patient today. He gets an A+ for puppy manners 🐶

03/28/2024

We’ve had some bunnies visit us at The Rapids this week! Couldn’t help but to snap a few pics! 🐰🌸🐣

03/26/2024

Please find the Hospital’s Easter hours below. If you need any food or prescriptions for your pet prior to the weekend please let us know as soon as possible.

Good Friday March 29th - Closed
Saturday March 30th 8am - 12pm
Sunday March 31st - Closed

We will reopen with normal business hours on Monday April 1st

Have a Hoppy Easter 🐣 🐰🌸

03/26/2024

We are currently experiencing difficulty with our email service. Please call the clinic at 519-542-8118 if you need assistance.

03/22/2024

There has been lots of research about the possible risk of heart disease with pets eating grain free diets. The Ontario Veterinary College is currently working on learning more information with a new study. They are currently looking for participants in a new study. Please see attachment for more details.

Do you have a healthy dog eating the same grain-free kibble for at least the past 6 months?

If so, you may be eligible to receive a discounted echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) from our colleagues in Clinical Studies at the Ontario Veterinary College!

See the poster for details and email [email protected] if you are interested!

03/21/2024

We had a puppy afternoon today at The Rapid’s! Bruin the Shar pei and Arlo the Pembroke Welsh Corgi came for visits 🩷

03/17/2024

Happy St. Patrick's Day from the staff at the Rapid's! Will you be celebrating with your furry friend today?

03/01/2024

With these bursts of warm weather, we have already seen ticks on some of our canine friends. Remember ticks become active at any temperature above 4 degrees Celsius. Now would be a great time to consider flea and tick prevention for your furry friends. Give us a call and we can discuss what options are available.

12/21/2023

Below are a list of the options available for emergency care.

SmartVet - Telemedicine, Virtual Pet Care
226-782-4551 or you can reach the triage line with a Registered Veterinary Technician at 1-647-695-5411

VCA Canada London Regional Veterinary Emergency and Referral Hospital
519-432-3300
This clinic will be open 24 hours during the holidays (Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year’s)

Southwest Veterinary Hospital
519-672-1623
This is a new emergency hospital in London. Hours vary over the holiday season but open on Dec 22 at 6 pm - Dec 27 at 6 am and reopen Dec 29th at 6pm-January 2 at 6 am.

Please call the emergency hospital prior to heading to the clinic to receive further directions.

12/21/2023

We would like to wish everyone a merry and safe Holiday Season!
We will be closed for a few days over the holidays to allow our staff to enjoy the holidays with their families and friends. Please see the holiday hours posted below:

Saturday, December 23 8 am - 12 pm
Closed Dec 24, 25, 26
Wednesday, December 27 8 am -6 pm
Thursday, Dec 28 8 am-6 pm
Friday, December 29 8 am-6 pm
Saturday, December 30 8 am - 12 pm
Closed December 31, January 1
Tuesday, January 2 8 am - 6 pm

12/03/2023

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! As winter holiday festivities ensue and you find the perfect gifts to give, it is important to mind the safety of our furry friends. In the upcoming days, APCC will cover what holiday watch outs pet owners should have in mind this season! Help us by sharing this with your community!

11/17/2023

Recently we have had two positive leptospirosis cases in dogs that were considered low risk for infection. Both were senior pets that live in urban settings. Please discuss with our veterinary team to see if leptospirosis vaccination is something to consider for your dog.
_______________________________________________________________________

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease of dogs and other mammals that primarily affects the liver or kidneys of animals. Leptospirosis in cats is very rare and is not usually associated with clinical disease.

Historically it was believed that pets that live in rural areas or had exposure to wildlife were more at risk for this disease but it is now being found in "low-risk" dogs that live in urban settings.

Leptospira bacteria are carried mainly by rodents but can be carried by almost any mammal, including people. Infected or recovered carrier dogs can act as a source of the infection for other dogs.

Leptospirosis is spread most commonly though the affected animal's urine. To be infected the animal must ingest infected urine. This could be from contaminated soil, or standing water (even puddles). The incubation period (from infection to onset of clinical signs) is usually four to twelve days.

Below are some of the symptoms you might see in dogs infected with leptospirosis. Unfortunately, many of these signs are vague and could also be associated with other diseases as well.

Sudden fever and illness
Sore muscles; reluctance to move
Stiffness in muscles and legs; stiff gait
Shivering
Weakness
Depression
Lack of appetite
Increased thirst and urination—may be indicative of chronic renal (kidney) failure, progressing to an inability to urinate
Rapid dehydration
Vomiting, possibly with blood
Diarrhea, with or without blood
Yellow skin and/or whites of eyes (anemic symptoms)
Mild swelling of the lymph nodes

Leptospirosis infections can usually be treated with antibiotics and hospitalization for intravenous fluids. Sometimes pets will have long term damage to their kidney and liver from the infection. If left untreated, most pets will die if the pet is clinically affected.

There is a vaccine available for dogs to help prevent leptospirosis. Our veterinarians will discuss your pet's lifestyle and risk for disease and we can decide if this vaccination is recommended for your pet. Re-vaccinating annually is needed to maintain your pet's protection. The four-serovar vaccine is currently the only vaccine recommended by experts.

11/13/2023

November 13th is World Kindness Day. Today we are encouraged to do random acts of kindness. Consider making a donation to The Official Sarnia & District Humane Society or other local agencies. Consider donating some pet food to the Inn of The Good Shepherd or other food banks. Little acts of kindness go a long way. Thank You!