Top paw tips for your pet!

Exposure to winter’s dry, cold air and chilly rain, sleet and snow can cause chapped paws and itchy, flaking skin, but these aren’t the only discomforts pets can suffer. Winter walks can become downright dangerous if chemicals from ice-melting agents are licked off of bare paws.
During the winter, products used as de-icers on sidewalks and other areas can lead to trouble for our animal companions, potentially causing problems ranging from sore feet to internal toxicity. Pet parents should take precautions to minimize their furry friends' exposure to such agents.
To help prevent cold weather dangers from affecting your pet’s paws and skin, please heed the following advice from our experts:

• Repeatedly coming out of the cold into the dry heat can cause itchy, flaking skin. Keep your home humidified and towel dry your pet as soon as he comes inside, paying special attention to his feet and in between the toes.
  
• Trim long-haired dogs to minimize the clinging of ice balls, salt crystals and de-icing chemicals that can dry on the skin. (Don’t neglect the hair between the toes!)
  
• Bring a towel on long walks to clean off stinging, irritated paws. After each walk, wash and dry your pet’s feet to remove ice, salt and chemicals—and check for cracks in paw pads or redness between the toes.
  
• Bathe your pets as little as possible during cold spells. Washing too often can remove essential oils and increase the chance of developing dry, flaky skin. If your pooch must be bathed, ask your vet to recommend a moisturizing shampoo and/or rinse.
  
• Dressing your pet in a sweater or coat will help to retain body heat and prevent skin from getting dry.
  
• Booties help minimize contact with painful salt crystals, poisonous anti-freeze and chemical ice-melting agents. They can also help prevent sand and salt from getting lodged in between bare toes, causing irritation. Use pet-friendly ice melts whenever possible.
  
• Massaging petroleum jelly into paw pads before going outside helps to protect from salt and chemical agents. And moisturizing after a good toweling off helps to heal chapped paws.
  
• Brushing your pet regularly not only gets rid of dead hair, but also stimulates blood circulation, improving the skin’s overall condition.

• Pets burn extra energy by trying to stay warm in wintertime, sometimes causing dehydration. Feeding your pet a little bit more during the cold weather and making sure she has plenty of water to drink will help to keep her well-hydrated, and her skin less dry.
  
• Remember, if the weather’s too cold for you, it’s probably too cold for your pet. Animal companions should remain indoors as much as possible during the winter months and never be left alone in vehicles when the mercury drops.

Have a Pawsitively Safe and Happy Holiday!

Well the holidays are among us for cheer. Although as we look outside it looks more like early Novemeber instead of mid December. Things are underway here at the hospital.  The tropical Luxury boarding suite is completely done as well as our cabin suite. If your pet is boarding in one of our themed Luxury Boarding suites, in order to view your pet via internet you will be able to by the following way:

1. If using a pc- we will lend you a USB stick with the program already on it. You will also be  given a password for the room your pet is boarding in. The pasword will only be valid for  the amount of days you are using it. Log onto our website, click Pet Cam in the menu, then your password.
2. Our technical support is still working on the ability to use the program with mac products ( ipad, smartphones etc). We hope to resolve it soon.

Artist: Corrado Mallia

We recently finished our Rock N Roll suite, pictured here- is our Muralist ( artist Corrado Mallia) very talented artist!

To see more of Corrado's fantastic work you can log onto his website at the following address:
 http://www.corradomurals.com.

Enjoy Retirement Anita

In other news, we are sad to see Anita leave our team. Anita has been with us working alongside Dr. Lechten as her exam room technician for the  past 10 years. Anita has decided to retire. Anita's husband just recently retired and the two plan on spending time with their dogs" Boomer" and new addition to the family "Ryker".  Travel plans are near as the couple plan to spend some time in Arizona! You will be missed Anita!


Remember that as Christmas nears, keep the holiday chocolate out of the way of the pooches. White chocolate does not contain theobromine so it is not toxic, but the darker the chocolate the higher the theobromine levels area. So play it safe and hide it! IF your pet does come in contact and ingests chocolate but are unsure of the toxic level phone our office immediately! The longer you wait more damage can occur to your pet.


On Sat night we had our Annual Chritmas Party, held at Horseshoe Resort. The dinner was a buffet and as always-  very delicious. The desserts were even better ha ha! Here is a photo from the evening.

                                             From L-R: Melissa, Dr. Paquette, Lisa, Dr. Lechten, Carly and Dr. Rogers.

Time Flies

Wow, time is flying. It has been 3 weeks since we moved into our new location. In the meantime, we held an amazing Open House. It was overwhelming how many people showed up for it. Incredible to say the least. We were able to host some hydrotherapy demonstrations,  tours, prizes, cake and more.

We would like to sincerely thank each and every one of you that came out to our event. Pictured here is Dr. Lechten and Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman cutting the ceremonial ribbon.

In the meantime, Dr. Rogers flew to Florida on a week long course at a Canine Rehabilitation center. Exciting. 2 of our Luxury Boarding suites are complete. We added in a few photos here as well. Corrado Mallia is an amazing muralist.
Please reserve early for Christmas if you are planning to travel. All of our Luxury Suites will be available by then. Each room will also have a video camera, where you will be given a passcode, log into the interenet, enter your code, and you can check in on your pet 24 hrs day while away.

On Dec 1, we are errecting of Memorial Tree. It will be in our hallway. It is dedicated as a memory tree. For a donation of a minimum of 2$ you can write the name of a loved one on our ornaments to hang on the tree. Feel free to bring in a poem or photo of your lost loved one. You can choose to donate to the Cancer Care Center and/or WE CARE fund. It's a geat cause. Of course all of our Barrie Food Bank donations are placed under the tree.

Well we did it!

Getting radiology intsalled

Ahhhh finally the move is done! We moved the entire hospital with lots of manpower and muscle. It was completed in 9 hours! WOW. Thank you all who helped with the gigantic haul! We will be sifting through boxes still for several weeks until we find the proper place for everything, but it was well worth it! Make sure you come and tour the facility at our open house this Saturday 2-5 pm. Our ribbon cutting ceremony is at 2pm sharp! Here are a few pics from the move!

sorting, sorting, sorting!

watch your back!

We are very proud to be in our new hospital, that will service everyone much better with more space. Thank you to everyone who supported us during this move. Anytime you are in to see us and would like a tour of the facility please do not hestitate, we would love to show you around! Hope to see you soon!

The Allandale Team

MOVING THIS WEEKEND...

Allandale Veterinary Hospital small animal division will be closing its doors at the 484 Essa Rd location on Sat Oct 29th. There is a contest going on for the last appointments booked on that day. See our facebook page for all the details. We will be moving over the weekend to our new location at 66 Caplan ave, and will be ready to take appointments on Oct 31st! We are excited! be sure to come to our Open House scheduled for Nov 5th 2-5 pm, to see our ribbon cutting ceremony at 2 pm with the Mayor of Barrie, along with contests, prizes, cake and demos. Tour our new hospital. Our luxury boarding suites are in the works with our muralist/artist and will be hopefully ready to board very soon! We took the top six voting suites as polled on  this page and facebook. Hope to see everyone at the open house! Wish us luck on the move!

14 Common Disorders In Older Dogs...

Signs of aging are inevitable in older dogs. The body doesn't snap to quite as readily as it used to, and perhaps it may take Fido a little longer when called. Aging can also predispose dogs to certain illnesses. By being aware of some concerns regarding older dogs, you can be a more educated and prepared guardian for your aging companion.

Routine veterinary care is particularly important now. The following is an outline of some of the most commonly diagnosed illnesses known to afflict older dogs.

Nutritional Concerns.

A proper diet is very important in the care of a geriatric dog. Obesity is a very common and serious concern because it directly correlates to a decreased longevity, and may contribute to other problems. Proper nutritional management is a very important part of the care for your geriatric dog, especially since it is something that you can control.

Dental Disease. Dental disease and gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) are common findings in the older dog. Untreated dental disease usually leads to tooth loss, and may serve as a reservoir of infection for the rest of the body. In this manner, severe dental disease may pose a risk to other body systems.

Arthritis. Degenerative joint disease, also known as arthritis, is another very common issue affecting aging dogs. While it is to be expected that older animals will tend to slow down with age, animals with arthritis may feel much more comfortable if appropriately treated. Signs of arthritis in dogs include difficulty rising, trouble climbing stairs or jumping, falling on slippery floors, having difficulty getting comfortable or being restless at nights. There are many anti-inflammatory medications that your vet can prescribe that may improve your pet's quality of life and comfort level.

Eye Disorders. As dogs age, their vision worsens. Just as in people, cataracts can develop resulting in cloudy vision. Sometimes, tear production lessens and the surface of the eye is not properly lubricated. Dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca) is a common problem affecting older dogs, especially small dogs with bulging eyes such as the shih tzu, pekingese and pug.

Kidney Disease. Kidney disease is one of the most common metabolic diseases of older dogs. With early diagnosis through blood tests, some dogs can do quite well on a special diet and medications. The biggest key is to diagnose kidney disease early. This is one primary reason veterinarians recommend routine screening blood tests in older dogs.

Bladder Stones. Older dogs tend to have an increased risk of developing bladder stones. Often, these stones cause little problems but can cause an obstruction if the dog attempts to pass a large stone that becomes stuck in the urethra. Periodic abdominal X-rays can help determine if bladder stones are developing in your dog and if treatment is necessary.

Endocrine Disorders. The two most common endocrine disorders affecting older dogs are hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing's disease) and hypothyroidism. Cushing's disease is a disorder resulting in excessive secretion of cortisol resulting in illness. Hypothyroidism is an underactive thyroid gland, which also affects the health of your dog. Both disorders are treatable, and proper treatment may dramatically improve your dog's overall attitude and strength.

Heart Disease. The most common heart disease in the senior dog is chronic valvular heart disease. Thickening and irregularities of the valves of the heart may lead to abnormal blood flow within the heart chambers, eventually causing heart enlargement and heart failure. Early detection of this disease and proper therapy may slow the progression of the heart disease.

Diabetes. Aging dogs tend to have a higher risk of developing diabetes. Whether due to diet, poor insulin secretion or resistance to insulin, diabetic dogs can often be helped with medication.

Skin Tumors. Skin lumps and bumps are common findings on the elderly dog. On the basis of the size, location and aspiration results, your veterinarian may recommend removal of one or many skin masses. If not removed, monitor the lumps for changes in size or shape.

Urinary Incontinence. Older dogs may sometimes become incontinent, leaking small or even large amounts of urine when lying down or when sleeping. Medications can sometimes help.

Prostate Problems. If your dog is an intact male, he is at significant risk of prostatic disease. Prostatic infections, abnormal enlargement, abscesses, and cysts are all potential problems in the intact male. Tumors of the prostate occur with equal frequency in both neutered and intact males.

Cancer. Unfortunately, cancer is a significant problem facing the senior dog. Not all cancer needs to be fatal. Surgery, chemotherapy, even radiation therapy is available that can significantly extend your pet's quality time or produce a cure. The prognosis depends on the type and location of the cancer.

Behavioral and Cognitive Dysfunction. As dogs age they may become more "set in their ways," more inflexible, less patient and more irritable. Sometimes they will forget learned behaviors including normal urinary and defecation habits. Older dogs may sleep a lot more, and be less responsive to external stimuli. These signs may be related to underlying disease, or may be due to the gradual decline in their senses and cognition (thought process). Sometimes medication can help.

Other Concerns. As dogs age, their organs also age and do not function as well as they once did. Various liver diseases are common in aging dogs, including cirrhosis. Another concern with elderly dogs is the potential to develop anemia. Whether associated with kidney disease, cancer, chronic disease or primary bone marrow disorders, anemia can cause your dog to be profoundly weak and, without treatment, may even become so severe that emergency medical help is needed.

It's coming, and you are invited!

our front doors

Adding the flooring in the front

 It may seem like all we are talking about is the construction of the new facilty and moving.  We are all eager including our patients! The flooring has just gone in, and the walls are painted.  Getting close to the end. We will be moving over the last weekend of October, and will be open and ready for appointments on the Monday morning of October 31st.  Our official
           OPEN HOUSE will be
           Saturday Nov 5th, from
                  2 pm - 5 pm.

We will be having our Ribbon Cutting ceremony at 2pm sharp with Dr. Lechten and the Mayor of Barrie, Jeff Lehman. Following the ceremony, will be hospital tours, video slideshows, door prizes, contests, hydrotherapy demonstration, facepainting, cake and refreshments. Don't miss out on your chance of seeing behind the scene of our veterinary hospital! Hope to see you there!