Your pet is in good hands with our friendly team of professionals as we are committed to providing excellent service for you and your pet!
We are proud to be one of the few veterinary hospitals in Edmonton to provide Laser assisted surgeries!
We are proud to be one of the few veterinary hospitals in Edmonton to provide Laser assisted surgeries!
|
|
Enjoying the Dog (and Cat) Days of Summer!
We live in an environment of extremes. Extremely cold winters where the temperature plummets to below -40C, to extremely warm summer days where the heat can actually be life threatening. Our province is also extremely beautiful, and we don't at all recommend that you and your pets have to stay cooped up inside all day. So here are some tips to ensure your pets could safely enjoy their time outside in the sun.
Watch Out for Hot Pavement
On a 25C day with direct sun the pavement can warm up to over 52C! Check the heat with your hand first. If it's too hot for you to walk barefoot on the pavement, it's too hot for your dog too. Protect your dog's paws with booties, or, better yet, switch to walking your dog during cooler parts of the day, such as early morning or dusk.
Check for Ticks.
Ticks are vectors of Lyme disease, as well as several other diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Ehrlichiosis. There has been a huge increase in ticks over these last few years. We carry an assortment of products to help prevent ticks, however not a single product is 100% effective as ticks are very hard to kill. Ticks need to feed for 24 hours to transmit disease, so we recommend checking your dog and yourself every time after you walk through areas with tall grass and shrubs. Check behind ears, armpits, between toes, base of tail and other joints and crevices as well as inside the mouth (ticks can embed themselves into the gum tissue of dogs when they eat grass). Remove ticks using tweezers and grasp them in front their head. Don't burn them or smother them with rubbing alcohol as these outdated methods can actually cause ticks to vomit inside your skin and transmit infection. If you find a tick, you can drop it off at our clinic and we will submit it to the lab at no charge where it will be tested for Lyme Disease.
Secure your pets during Thunderstorms and Fireworks
More pets go missing during the summer during any other time and many of them escape when they are in a panic over the sounds of thunder, fireworks or even loud construction noises. Keep pets indoors during these events and make sure your windows are closed. You can play the radio or television to help mute out the noise. If your pets are really scared you can try Thundershirts, Feliway/Adaptil, or a mild calming medication such as Zylkene.
Protect your pets against internal parasites
Even if you don't take your dog to the dog park, they are still at risk of contracting internal parasites every time they sniff an area where another dog defecated. Strictly indoor cats and dogs can inhale parasite eggs from sniffing a muddy pair of shoes. We recommend that all pets get dewormed at least once a year, and outdoor cats/pets who visit dog parks get dewormed every month from spring to fall.
Don't leave your pets in a parked car
Even with the windows rolled down, during a hot day it just takes a few minutes for pets to start displaying signs of heat stroke. The temperatures in a car continue climbing steadily and pets and kids could become dangerously overheated. It is not only extremely irresponsible but also against the law. If you see a pet or child alone in a hot car please call the police.
Keep an eye on your senior pets
Older pets love to dose in the sun. Seniors are especially prone to heat stroke as they can fall into extremely deep sleep and not be aware that they are overheated. Supervise and wake your senior if they are sleeping for too long in a sunny location. This includes areas indoors right next to windows.
Know the signs of heat stroke:
Excessive panting or drooling. A dark purple tongue. Loss of control of bowels. Lethargic, difficulty focusing and unresponding. If you see your pet suffering from heat stroke, immediately move them to a cool area and cover them with a towel soaked in cold water. Don't submerse them in cold water in a tub as they can loose heat too quickly and go into shock. Offer your pet cool water to drink, and call the vet.
Take it from us!
Update: Bounce and Morgan have since passed away from unrelated illness. Although Bounce and Morgan are greatly missed by their Mom and Dad and the staff here at Marketplace, we take joy in the art Rhonda has provided us with of the girls and we have frequent visits from the family!
These pictures were snapped byour mom, Rhonda.
Check out her website for more of her amazing photographs at
http://fineartamerica.com/artists/rhonda+mcdougall
These pictures were snapped byour mom, Rhonda.
Check out her website for more of her amazing photographs at
http://fineartamerica.com/artists/rhonda+mcdougall
