It’s the time of year when kids go back to school and many parents’ weeks quickly become filled with car rides, extracurricular activities and PTA meetings. We know it’s a frantic and exciting first few months, but make sure your pets aren’t left out of all the fun!

1. Keep your dog social.

When it’s time for kids to go back to school, dogs may have a harder time adjusting than anyone else. Think about it; after receiving extra attention and social interaction for months, what kind of dog would want to give it all up? Since dogs who aren’t socially stimulated may turn to bad behaviors, we recommend looking into a doggy daycare program or setting up play dates for your pooch.

2. Keep your cat entertained

When cats are left alone during the day, there is very little to occupy their highly active minds. It may mean that your cat entertains themselves by shredding the curtains, or it may mean that they lay around feeling bored. Either way, the situation is anything but ideal. Fortunately, there are ways to interact with your cat even when nobody can be home with her. Ask your veterinarian about more ways to keep your cat entertained.

3. Keep your dog occupied

A bored dog can often times be a destructive dog. Don’t let your dog get frustrated now that the kids are out of the house. Have you considered a doggy day care, dog walker or an experienced pet sitter to come and entertain your canine friend?

4. Keep your cat inside

During the morning rush, it can sometimes be easy for your cat to slip quietly outside. It could be that you open the door, only to realize the kids’ lunch is still on the kitchen table; you go back to grab it and your crafty feline darts through the open door. Once outside, cats are prone to all sorts of trouble. They may run into traffic or decide to take a nap on a warm car engine. Know where your cat is in the morning.

5. Keep your dog on a leash

It’s always a good idea to keep your dog on a leash, regardless of the time of year. However, as your mornings get to be more hectic and kids go back to school, it’s possible for this life-saving tip to slip your mind. The dangers presented by traffic are obvious, but what many pet parents don’t think of is how much time could be wasted dealing with a lost dog or one that was sprayed by a skunk!

Importance of annual exams

Routine physical exams performed by a qualified veterinarian are crucial to maintaining your pet’s good health.

Unfortunately, since your pet can’t talk, you don’t always know when it’s not feeling well. Because predators in the wild tend to prey on the sick or the infirm, an animal’s natural instinct is to try to hide health problems.

You should take your pet to the veterinarian at least once a year for a complete physical examination. Since the life span of a typical pet is short (12.5 years for dogs, 15 years for cats), and your pet’s health can change a great deal over the course of a few months, many pet owners choose to have a physical exam done every six months.

Early disease detection

Examinations are important because they provide an opportunity to prevent diseases, detect disease early or avoid disease altogether. Unfortunately, many pet owners tend to underestimate the value of check-ups because their pets seem to be healthy. But often diseases and ailments, like high blood pressure or a heart murmur, aren’t apparent in the early stages.

A study by the Outcomes Research Team at Zoetis revealed that one out of every four outwardly healthy cats had abnormal lab results. The surveyed cat owners admitted there were warning signs in nearly 70% of the 1,197 cats checked. This shows that when cat owners are given questions relating to subtle signs in their cat, it can lead to prevention or early diagnosis and a better chance for management or recovery.

 Parasite Control 

Nothing makes people shudder more than to think there pet has something living on them, except maybe for something living IN them. Internal parasites can vary from the very long roundworm and the very tiny Giardia. Difference in size aside the ‘bugs’ have some commonalities: both have the potential to cause the oft dreaded diarrhea, both can be picked up from contaminated materials at the park and both can be detected in fecal parasite screens.

If you, or your pet, often drinks from ‘suspicious’ water sources or enjoys the occasional ‘poo’nut butter sandwich while out enjoying nature, then having a fecal sample checked for parasites is a great idea to ensure they are not suffering in silence.

~Dr. Sean Herzog

The National Wildlife Centre

Invites You To Their 1st Inaugural Gala

The National Wildlife Centre works at the intersection of humans, Canadian wildlife, and the environment. We exist to help wildlife through a variety of programs aimed to protect ecosystems, populations of wild animals, and the health of individual animals through educating the public, creating collaborative opportunities for scientists and rehabilitators, and by providing training to students, veterinarians, rehabilitators, and the public. Our fully accredited mobile wildlife hospital travels to rehabilitation centres around Ontario providing vital veterinary medical care to wildlife patients. In its short tenure, since 2014, the National Wildlife Centre has cared for over 1000 native wild animals, representing more than 50 different species, including those which are threatened and endangered.

The National Wildlife Centre is a non-profit charitable organization and, as such, relies entirely on grants and donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations to cover the costs of animal care, such as medical supplies and clinic operating costs. These funds allow us to perform life-saving orthopedic surgeries, as well as providing medications, diagnostic tests, and other medical care to our patients. As demand for our service has grown, we are now looking to increase the size of our operation by building a modular wildlife hospital which will include surgery, lab, ICU, pharmacy, treatment areas, and basic wards for post-op patient care. This will allow us to provide more care to a larger number of patients, as well as providing a facility for us to begin taking on students for training, so that they may go on into related fields with a better understanding of native wildlife from a medicine and rehabilitation perspective.

 You can help the National Wildlife Centre by donating goods or services to be auctioned at this event or by sponsoring associated costs, such as food and drink. We aim to have a selection of quality items to display and all donors and sponsors will be clearly identified with any corporate information that you have provided. We would welcome the opportunity to come and speak with you and answer any questions you may have.

To make a donation, puchase tickets or for more information on the event,

please call us at 416-577- 4372 or email: [email protected]

Vetoquinol has a wide variety of products to help during allergy season.

We will be offering promotional discounts on these Vetoquinol products and more!

When you purchase any Vetoquinol product you will be given a Loyalty Card which entitles everyone to purchase any 5 Vetoquinol products and receive a 6th Vetoquinol

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Description of Shampoo for Sensitive Skin

It doesn’t irritate and is soap-free, paraben-free, and silicone-free.

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