Canada West Veterinary Specialists

04/18/2025

Update on the Doodles – Thank You for Your Support

We wanted to share an update and express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who reached out and shared our recent post. We’ve been in contact with the owner of the mother of the dogs, and they have since reached out to the families. We are incredibly grateful for everyone’s support, interest, and willingness to help.

We want to clarify that the sole purpose of our original post was to locate the dogs in order to better understand a rare disease they may be affected by. This understanding is crucial—not only for the well-being of the puppies involved but also to help other pets in the future.

At our core, our mission is to share helpful information, spread good news, and ultimately improve the lives of animals. It is never our intention to place blame, make anyone feel uncomfortable.

Compassion and collaboration are the driving forces behind what we do.

We are hopeful and committed to making a positive difference for pets everywhere.

04/16/2025

🧬 Calling Golden-doodle Owners from a Litter Born June 21, 2021 in Hope, BC! 🐾

We’re trying to track down littermates of two Golden-doodles named Cooper and Trooper, who were part of a 12-puppy litter born in Hope, BC and advertised on Kijiji around June 2021.
Cooper and Trooper were the flat-coated pups of the bunch, but the rest of the litter had curly coats.

Both have sadly started showing signs of a neurological disease (one confirmed as mucopolysaccharidosis, the other showing identical symptoms).

Symptoms started showing up around spring/summer 2024, starting with wobbly back legs, and gradually progressed. One of them now can’t do stairs anymore. They’re still mentally sharp and sweet as ever, but a bit more disoriented than your average pup. They also both have nystagmus (an eye movement issue), though it can be tricky to catch unless you’re a vet.
We’re hoping to find other puppies from the same litter, even if they’re completely healthy, to do free genetic testing. This could help us find the mutation and potentially help Cooper, Trooper, and any other affected dogs.

What we know: The litter was born June 21, 2021, in Hope, BC. They were sold via Kijiji. We believe the breeder has relocated to Alberta and they cannot be contacted at this time.

What we’re offering: Free neuro exams + blood and urine samples for genetic testing (for research only!) If further testing like MRI or X-rays is desired, those would be the owner’s responsibility

If you think your pup might be from this litter, or know someone who has one, please reach out or share this post. Every lead helps — and it could make a big difference for these dogs and future ones.

📩 DM us, comment below or send an email to [email protected]!

04/10/2025

Last week a couple walking near Pacific Spirit Park in Vancouver went to throw some gum in a trash bin and discovered a seriously injured dog that had been deposited in the bin. The toy poodle (subsequently named Oscar after the Muppet character) had multiple injuries and was ultimately transferred to our hospital for advanced care. On Tuesday Oscar underwent successful surgery at Canada West to treat a hip displacement and to have a titanium plate inserted to stabilize a broken front leg. He also has multiple rib fractures.

Oscar's guardian has raised partial funds for his care. Canada West and the Jessie + Bandit Fund - a registered charity established to provide treatment for appropriate cases at Canada West - will cover the balance.

UPDATE: Oscar's guardian is coordinating donations via the Squamish Neighbourhood Animal Protection Society (SNAPPS). Donations can also be made to the Jessie + Bandit Fund ( https://jbfund.org/donate-1 ) which is a registered Canadian charity designed to help pets receive care at Canada West in appropriate cases and is also contributing to Oscar's care in this case.

04/10/2025

Last week a couple walking near Pacific Spirit Park in Vancouver went to throw some gum in a trash bin and discovered a seriously injured dog that had been deposited in the bin. The toy poodle (subsequently named Oscar after the Muppets character) had multiple injuries and was ultimately transferred to our hospital for advanced care. On Tuesday Oscar underwent successful surgery at Canada West to treat a hip displacement and to have a titanium plate inserted to stabilize a broken front leg. He also has multiple rib fractures.

Oscar's guardian has raised partial funds for his care. Canada West and the Jessie + Bandit Fund - a registered charity established to provide treatment for appropriate cases at Canada West - will cover the balance.

Laurie Schildt took over Oscar's care and took him to Canada West Veterinary Specialists & Critical Care Hospital in Vancouver for treatment.

04/10/2025

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/highlights/lucky-little-guy-dog-dumped-in-vancouver-garbage-bin-expected-to-recover-10502793

Police are continuing to investigate and have received a few tips since Oscar was found dumped in a garbage bin.

04/10/2025

Last week a couple walking near Pacific Spirit Park in Vancouver went to throw some gum in a trash bin and discovered a seriously injured dog that had been deposited in the bin. The toy poodle (subsequently named Oscar after the Muppets character) had multiple injuries and was ultimately transferred to our hospital for advanced care. On Tuesday Oscar underwent successful surgery at Canada West to treat a hip displacement and to have a titanium plate inserted to stabilize a broken front leg. He also has multiple rib fractures.

Oscar's guardian has raised partial funds for his care. Canada West and the Jessie + Bandit Fund - a registered charity established to provide treatment for appropriate cases at Canada West - will cover the balance.

You can watch a media report on the case from Vancouver Is Awesome here:

Police are continuing to investigate and have received a few tips since Oscar was found dumped in a garbage bin.

04/10/2025

Last week a couple walking near Pacific Spirit Park in Vancouver went to throw some gum in a trash bin and discovered a seriously injured dog that had been deposited in the bin. The toy poodle (subsequently named Oscar after the Muppets character) had multiple injuries and was ultimately transferred to our hospital for advanced care. On Tuesday Oscar underwent successful surgery at Canada West to treat a hip displacement and to have a titanium plate inserted to stabilize a broken front leg. He also has multiple rib fractures.

Oscar's guardian has raised partial funds for his care. Canada West and the Jessie + Bandit Fund - a registered charity established to provide treatment for appropriate cases at Canada West - will cover the balance.

You can watch a media report on the case from Vancouver Is Awesome here:

https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/highlights/lucky-little-guy-dog-dumped-in-vancouver-garbage-bin-expected-to-recover-10502793

04/03/2025

At our Canada West, we don’t just see cats and dogs—sometimes, we get to care for more unique patients! Recently, we had the pleasure of meeting Rocket, an adorable hedgehog who came in for an outpatient ultrasound.

We occasionally perform diagnostic imaging for exotic pets, working alongside referring veterinary hospitals to help get answers for their specialized cases. Rocket was the perfect little patient and we’re happy to share that he has since made a full recovery!

It’s always a treat to work with these special animals, and we’re grateful for the trust of both their owners and their primary veterinarians. Wishing Rocket all the best—may his days be filled with cozy naps and tasty treats!

03/11/2025

At Canada West, we’ve been providing exceptional care for pets for over 25 years. As a full-service hospital, there is almost 200 of us in our pet care team which combines advanced technology with compassion to deliver comprehensive, high-quality care

✔️ Largest Referral Hospital in Metro Vancouver
✔️ In-house MRI
✔️ State-of-the-art 128-slice CT scanner
✔️ 24/7 Intensive Care Unit (ICU)

We work closely with family veterinarians to provide comprehensive care tailored to your pet’s needs. If you're interested in learning more, watch our video ⬇️:

Canada West Veterinary Specialists is a dedicated referral centre with expertise in core disciplines. We work as an extension of your family veterinarian to ...

03/07/2025

How Radiologists Help Your Pet?

At Canada West, our radiologists play an important role in diagnosing your pet’s health concerns. Using advanced imaging like X-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRIs, they help uncover underlying issues and guide treatment plans.

➡️ Learn more about our diagnostic imaging services at our website or by visiting: https://cstu.io/30e2c9

03/04/2025

Did You Know Pets Can Have Diabetes? 🐾 ⬇️