Tick Talk!

How do ticks find their host?
Ticks find their hosts by detecting an animals breath and body odors or by sensing body heat, moisture and vibrations. Some species can even recognize a shadow. In addition, tick pick a place to wait by identifying well-used paths. Resting on the tips of grasses and shrubs they wait for a host. Ticks can't fly or jump, but many tick species wait in position known as "questing". While questing, tick hold onto leaves and grass by their third and fourth pair of legs. They hold their first pair of legs outstretched, waiting to climb onto their host. When the host brushes the spot where a tick is waiting, it quickly climbs aboard onto the host. Some ticks with attach quickly and others will wander, looking for places like the ear or other areas where the skin in thinner.

Tick removal

If you find a tick attached to your skin or your pets, there is no need to panic. There are tick removal devices on the market, but a plain set of tweezers will also do. Fine tip tweezers work best.

1. Use fin-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skins surface as possible.

2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk. Notice by the photo to grab gently at the base where the head is buried, and not the middle of the body. Twisting or jerking can cause mouth parts to break off. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.

3. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, or soap and water.

4. Dispose of the live tick by submersing it in rubbing alcohol, placing it in a sealed container or zip lock bag, wrapping it tightly in tape,  or flush it down the toilet.  Never crush a tick with your fingers.

If you are suspicious, or unsure you can bring it to your veterinarian, where they can determine the species,

Meet Breanne....

My name is Breanne and I have been working at Allandale Veterinary Hospital for just over two years now. I began as a veterinary assistant while I was still in school for the Veterinary Technician program at Georgian College. When I graduated in April and passed the VTNE, I got hired full time as an RVT.

I recently attended my very first veterinary conference, the VMX in Orlando Florida. The VMX is the world’s leading veterinary conference; thus, I felt very thankful for the opportunity to attend it so soon after graduating and becoming an RVT. Prior to the VMX, I did not really know what to expect, other than what co-workers told me about the conferences they had attended previously. Essentially, this entire conference was spread over five days (Saturday-Wednesday), with lectures running from 6:30am until 7-8 at night. In addition, there were celebrity lecturers and the country band, Little Big Town, put on a concert for all attendees on the Monday night.

            Ultimately, I was amazed by the number of topics that were discussed, as well as the fact that I could choose the lectures that interested me most. Specifically, I attended multiple dentistry lectures, a neonate care lecture, some nutrition lectures, and several more. I even had the opportunity to meet the Instagram famous “Kitten Lady” and listen to her lecture about fostering neonate kittens as well.

It would be difficult to choose a lecture more favorable than the others, as I enjoyed all of the topics equally and was interested in learning about each one. Having graduated so recently, I find it hard to choose an area of study that I prefer more than the others. In addition to the topics being amazing, all of the lecturers were specialists in the topics they were speaking about, so I was always very intrigued when listening because they all displayed the utmost passion and knowledge.

While we were in Orlando, we were lucky enough to be made a finalist for the Pet Plan Practice of the Year award. Because we were finalists, we were able to attend the black tie awards dinner, hosted by Youtube famous, Dr. Andy Roark. In addition, we were able to meet all finalists for pet parent of the year, receptionist of the year, veterinary nurse of the year, veterinarian of the year, as well as the other finalists for practice of the year. It was, without a doubt, a great night and all of us felt so fortunate to have had the opportunity to be present.

A selfie with Dr. Andy Roark!

Overall, I can say my very first veterinary conference was an amazing experience. I learned so much, and got to meet so many people who are experts in a number of different fields of veterinary medicine. Being able to continue my education and see how passionate so many people are in this field, only solidified my career choice more. I feel so lucky to have been a part of VMX 2019 and can’t wait to keep learning throughout my future years as an RVT.

Another journey...

The start of a new year. In case many of you were not aware, in late 2018 we were nominated for the Petplan award Practice of the Year. There are many categories within the Petplan awards tier, however we were nominated for the one (hospital of the year). We were notified that out of 5000 nominations ( for the entire award process of all tiers) we became the top 3 finalist in that category. Pretty exciting huh!? 

So in January Dr. Lcchten brought down a group to participate in the awards gala and dance. It just so happens that it co-ordinated with the NAVC Veterinary conference as well. So some of the team stayed down to also do some learning of the latest and greatest in the field of medicine.

We did become a finalist however we did not win the category. We were presented with a  plaque which we will humbly display on our awards wall as you walk into the hospital. Here  is a photo with Dr. Lechten presented last night in Orlando Florida.

2019 PetPlan finalist in the category "Practice of the Year"

One Love...

L-R Natalie, Melissa,Lisa, Dr. Lechten, and Maureen the founder of the Animal House of Jamaica

A group from The Global Alliance for Animals and People recently traveled to The Animal House Shelter in Jamaica.  The Animal House Shelter provides care and housing for stray dogs from across the island.  At the time of our visit, there were 132 dogs in residence with 5 full time caretakers. 

Our plan was to spay 41 females, neuter 5 male puppies, vaccinate some of the dogs for Distemper/Parvovirus, de-worm all of the dogs and test all of the dogs for Heartworm, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma and Lyme Disease. 

Unfortunately, the Jamaican veterinary regulator and Ministry of Health had other ideas.  At the last minute, the regulator declined to issue a temporary license due to inadequate time to make a determination (request was made over 4 months ago) and the Ministry of Health was unable to issue a permit for the drugs/vaccine to be brought into the country since we did not have a veterinary license.  This left us unable to do any surgery and without any antibiotics to treat the few infections of various types that we saw. 

We were able to de-worm the dogs and do the testing.  Sadly, there were 23 heartworm positive dogs, 52 Ehlichia positive dogs, and 6 Anaplasma positive dogs.  These dogs will all require treatment and run the risk of contracting the diseases again as the Shelter has inadequate funds for heartworm and tick prevention. 

 
The dogs at The Animal House Shelter are housed in groups and allowed time to roam in the large yard daily.  The dogs are happy and get along well with each other and any humans they come in contact with.  When arriving at the shelter, you are greeted with excited barks and tail wags.  Only a small percentage of dogs are placed in homes in Jamaica.  The majority of dogs that are adopted are flown to other Caribbean islands, Europe, the United States and Canada.  Many dogs are destined to live out their lives at The Animal House.  While the dogs have food, shelter and human companionship, one cannot help but be saddened by the fact that many will never know the joy of living in a household with a family that loves and cares for them. 

The Animal House does all it can with limited resources.  The majority of its funds are spent on food and emergency care for injured/ill animals.  There is little money left for elective surgeries such as spays and neuters, though every effort is made to neuter all male dogs to prevent unwanted pregnancies.  We are hoping to come to an agreement with the government and regulator so that we can try this trip again within the next year.

Weeding out the facts...

Many people have questions regarding the use of Cannabis and Cannabis oil on their pets. With the new Cannabis Act, there raises a concern within the pet health field. This act creates a new environment for Canadians which will increase their pet’s exposure to marijuana.  

Currently, there are no approved cannabis or cannabidiol (CBD) prescription drugs for animals, which is the safest pathway for veterinarians to prescribe cannabis to animals. There are veterinary health products (VHP) with hemp that are approved for sale in Canada; these are low risk substances used to maintain or promote the health and welfare of animals and do not make health claims. VHPs can contain ingredients such as hemp seed derivatives containing no more than 10 ppm THC, which will be exempt from the Cannabis Act. These products can be identified by a notification number on the label. Pet owners should be aware of unapproved products being marketed to consumers. If a cannabis product does not have a drug identification number (DIN) or a notification number (VHP) then its safety and efficacy cannot be verified. Anyone can visit Health Canada’s VHP web App and search the notification number or brand name.

Marijuana toxicities can occur when pets ingest the substance or if smoke is blown into their nose or face. Signs can include lethargy, disorientation, wobbliness, vomiting, increased salivation, and urinary incontinence. Marijuana toxicosis can be life threatening so please do not be afraid to let your veterinarian know you pet could have been exposed.