106 Mutual Street Toronto, Ontario M5B 2R7

by appointment:

Mon to Fri 7:30am - 7pm

Sat 8am - 1pm

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Q&A

These are common questions pet owners may have about our clinic, pet care and more:

• What are your hospital's hours?
• What forms of payment do you accept?
• Do you offer payment plans?
• Do you have parking?
• Do you offer boarding?
• What is a wellness exam, and does my pet need one every year?
• I made sure my pet received all of the necessary vaccines when he was a puppy/kitten. Do I still need to take him in for vaccinations now that he's older?
• What are possible reactions to vaccines that my pet might experience?
• What is Wellness Lab Testing and how often should my pet have it done?
• What are some important things to remember when moving with your pet?
• My pet is overweight - should I be concerned?
• I'm worried that my pets may have fleas. What should I do?
• What is Heartworm Disease and how can my dog get it?
• I heard that pets can get arthritis - is this true?

What are your hospital's hours?

We are available by appointment:

Monday to Friday 7:30am - 7pm
Saturday 8am - 1pm

What forms of payment do you accept?

For your convenience, we accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Debit and Cash. Cheques will not be accepted.

Do you offer payment plans?

When unexpected illness strikes a pet, unexpected expense strikes as well. The Animal Clinic does not extend payment plans and we require full payment at the time our services are rendered. There are, however, a few options:

Assistance is available through the PetCard program. It takes just minutes to complete an application and will allow you to break down your payment into monthly installments through private veterinary financing. Apply yourself online at www.PetCard.ca or pick up a brochure at our office.

Another popular option is pet insurance coverage. Insurance should be obtained before accidents or illnesses occur or they may be excluded from coverage. To learn more, please visit the following pet insurance websites:

www.PetCareInsurance.com
www.PetSecure.com
www.VetInsurance.com

Do you have parking?

There are a number of options available for parking.

• Metered parking available on Mutual Street
• A parking lot located next to The Animal Clinic at the corner of Mutual Street and Dundas Street.
• A large parking lot across from The Animal Clinic on Mutual Street.

Do you offer boarding?

We are pleased to offer both overnight care and day boarding for your dogs and cats. Please contact us for more information or to schedule your pet's stay.

What is a wellness exam, and does my pet need one every year?

At The Animal Clinic we believe that the mainstay of preventive health care is a complete physical wellness examination at least once annually for young pets and every 6 months for pets over 8 years of age. With the knowledge gleaned from the physical wellness examination we can then make appropriate recommendations and help you select the most appropriate preventive health care options for your pet which might include:

• nutritional counseling for appropriate diets
• grooming and exercise requirements
• parasite control
• preventive dental care
• spaying and neutering
• wellness lab testing
• appropriate vaccinations

I made sure my pet received all of the necessary vaccines when he was a puppy/kitten. Do I still need to take him in for vaccinations now that he's older?

Dogs need protection.

Every pet that was properly vaccinated needs updated booster vaccinations either yearly or every three years depending on the vaccine. Vaccines need to be repeated because the immunity that the vaccine stimulates declines over time.

Some typical ongoing vaccinations for dogs include the following:

Some typical ongoing vaccinations for cats include the following:

Remember that vaccines are not the entire reason that an animal needs to go the veterinarian annually. A physical exam is critical, because this allows the veterinarian to detect any problems or diseases before it is too late to do anything about them.

What are possible reactions to vaccines that my pet might experience?

While there have been tremendous advances in the effectiveness and safety of vaccines, some pets do experience vaccine reactions. Mild reactions are most common and usually start within hours to a few days after vaccination, and last no more than several days. Examples include: diminished appetite and activity level, mild fever, or a small, non-painful, benign lump at the vaccine site that goes away within one month. Serious or allergic reactions are very rare and occur within minutes to an hour after vaccination. Examples are: severe shock, breathing difficulty and facial swelling. These reactions require immediate treatment by a Veterinarian.

All investigation done to date confirms that vaccines are much more beneficial than harmful to our pets. The risk of acquiring a fatal infection as a result of not vaccinating is considerably higher than the risk posed by vaccination. Our new vaccination protocols - designed to vaccinate only as frequently as necessary to protect pets from disease - are a good step towards minimizing vaccine reactions.

What is Wellness Lab Testing and how often should my pet have it done?

Wellness Lab Testing in pets helps detect underlying problems that are often not apparent to the pet owner or even to a veterinarian during a physical exam. If no problems are identified with the tests then the results serve as a baseline for comparison in the future. Wellness tests include two main components: blood counts and biochemical tests.

Many of the abnormalities detected by these blood tests cannot be appreciated by a pet owner or a veterinarian just by looking at a pet. Early detection is the key to preventive health care and these tests are a valuable first step in that direction. We recommend wellness lab testing every 1-2 years in young pets and annually for pets over 8 years of age.

What are some important things to remember when moving with your pet?

• 1. Take your pet to the veterinarian before you move for a complete check up and all necessary vaccinations. Take a copy of your pet's medical and inoculation records with you.
• 2. If your pet is on any medication or requires a special diet, make sure you have a sufficient supply.
• 3. Order new identification tags with your pet's new address and remember to put the new ID tags on your pet's collar. Better yet, have your pet micro chipped.
• 4. When moving, put your pet in a crate or carrier to ensure their safety. The crate or carrier should be large enough for your pet to stand up, turn around and lie down comfortably. If traveling by air, contact your airline well before you move so you can obtain an airline approved carrier.
• 5. Once you have arrived at your new home, keep meal times, walking times and play times the same as they were at your previous location. Supervise all trips your pet makes outdoors.

Moving is a stressful time but a little planning helps reduce the anxiety of moving with your pet.

My pet is overweight - should I be concerned?

Your pet is not alone in his struggle with obesity- it is the single most common nutritional disease in dogs and cats. An estimated 30% of dogs and 40% of cats are clinically obese (more than 15% above ideal body weight).

While your dog or cat may not worry about how he looks, there are many reasons why you should be concerned. Overweight pets are at increased risk for developing many health problems, including heart disease, respiratory disorders, diabetes, pancreatitis, liver disease and orthopedic problems. Sadly, overweight pets live shorter lives when compared to pets of healthy weight.

Returning your pet to a healthy weight will reduce the risk of illness and dramatically improve her quality of life. If your pet is getting a little soft around the middle, The Animal Clinic can help. We can develop a weight management program that works with pet parents to achieve lasting and healthy weight loss for their four-legged family members.

I'm worried that my pets may have fleas. What should I do?

These pesky little critters were once considered a warm weather problem but now our nice comfy homes provide a flea friendly environment year round. We see more flea infestations during Fall than at any other time of the year and if not eliminated the fleas will settle in for the winter.

Here is important information you need to know about fleas:

• A flea can live 100 days or more without a meal.
• A female flea can lay up to 2000 eggs in her lifetime; check your furniture & carpeting, if you see one flea, there are probably hundreds more (in various life stages) in your home.
• Cats and dogs can get an intestinal parasite called Tapeworm by ingesting fleas when grooming or biting to relieve the itching.
• Some pets suffer from an allergic reaction to the flea bites and will scratch day and night.

There are topical treatments available, such as Advantage and Revolution, to deal with fleas. Just a small amount applied to your pet's back every 3-4 weeks for 3 treatments will kill the adult fleas within 24-48 hours of each treatment and help eliminate the infestation. It is important to treat all of the pets in your home.

Prevention is really the key in avoiding fleas and these products, when applied monthly, are excellent at preventing fleas from ever taking up residence on your pet and in your home.

What is Heartworm Disease and how can my dog get it?

Mosquitoes are primarily responsible for transmission of heartworm disease. When a mosquito bites an infected pet it ingests an immature stage of the parasite called microfilaria. Over the next 2-3 weeks with the mosquito as a host, the immature worm develops into infective larvae which can be transmitted to other pets. Once a pet is infected with the disease, it takes about six months for the worms to mature.

In dogs, adult heartworms are found primarily in the pulmonary arteries and the right ventricle and atrium of the heart. Adult worms can obstruct blood flow and cause damage to the heart, lungs and liver. Outward signs of the disease are not usually apparent until severe organ damage has taken place. Some common signs of canine heartworm disease include: chronic, soft cough, labored breathing and exercise intolerance.

Although rare, heartworm has been found in Ontario cats in recent years. There are often no outward signs of the disease in cats and it is very difficult to diagnose by physical examination. The disease affects the lung and pulmonary arteries.

The best method of detecting heartworm disease at an early stage is to do a heartworm blood test. This involves collecting a blood sample which is then analyzed for evidence of mature heartworms.

Prevention is really the key to minimizing risk, and we have products available that will safely protect your pet from potentially fatal heartworm disease. Also, our knowledgeable staff are available to answer all of your questions.

I heard that pets can get arthritis - is this true?

Osteoarthritis or Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) is the leading cause of chronic pain in dogs and cats. Yet many of our furry companions suffer in silence because owners do not recognize the early signs of the disease, or simply attribute changes in their pets mobility or behaviour to old age. Fortunately, changes in nutrition and lifestyle can greatly improve the quality of your pet's life.

Early indicators of DJD include stiffness, difficulty rising, a reduction in activity and mobility, and behaviour changes related to chronic pain, such as aggression. As well, several factors may predispose your pet to DJD, including obesity, inactivity, injury to a joint and aging. Large breed dogs are also at a greater risk of developing DJD. If your pet is exhibiting any of the clinic signs of listed above, then schedule an appointment with your Veterinarian to determine the severity of the disease and the best treatment options available.

Most pets respond very well to changes in nutrition and lifestyle. There are a number of prescription diets available to help manage the discomfort. Most of the diets contain glucosamine and chondroitin to support healthy cartilage and omega-3 fatty acids to reduce inflammation in the joint. Hill's Prescription Diet j/d goes one step further and incorporates high levels of Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) into the diet to "turn off" the genes that cause damage to the cartilage. Nutritional supplements containing high levels of glucosamine, chondroitin and Omega-3 fatty acids are also very useful in the management of DJD.

The importance of exercise and healthy body weight in the management of DJD cannot be overstated. Daily moderate exercise strengthens muscles, maintains flexibility in tendons and ligaments, increases circulation to joints and guards against obesity. Every effort should be made to maintain your pet at a healthy weight to minimize stress on sore joints.

Over time, your pet may require medication to manage the pain associated with DJD. In such cases, your Veterinarian may prescribe a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) to minimize inflammation and discomfort. Avoid medicating your pet with human anti-inflammatory medications. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is toxic to cats even at low doses and aspirin is often poorly tolerated by cats and dogs. Talk to your Veterinarian about veterinary-specific NSAIDs that are safe for your pet.

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