Our technicians, Sue and Crystal, recently attended a conference in Niagara Falls hosted by the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians. This particular conference is unique, as it is a series of lectures and labs for veterinary technicians, and the event is put on by veterinary technicians. There are guest speakers from all over North America talking about the latest in anesthesia, nursing, internal medication, radiographs and nutrition, among others. Technology is constantly changing as well, so this is also a great way for us to see what’s new and gives us a “hands-on” chance to see how things work at the conference’s trade show.

The doctors attended a few major conferences this past year, too. Dr. Lee went to the NAVC (North American Veterinary Conference) in January which gives lectures in small and large animal medicine. She also went to ExoticsCon in September which was all about birds, reptiles, and small mammals. Dr. Mantle and Dr. Lee both attended the OVMA (Ontario Veterinary Medical Association) conference in January that took place in Toronto.

Lifelong learning is crucial to keep us up to date with ever-evolving medicine. There is constantly new and emerging science-based knowledge and information in medicine and surgery that can help to improve your pet’s health, life span, and of course, quality of life.

Although Pet Dental Health Month is recognized in February, your pet’s oral health is very important to us year round. February is the month where most veterinarians across Canada focus on promoting dental care and educating clients about how they can manage their pet’s dental health at home.

Can you imagine what it would be like if you didn’t brush your teeth for months? No flossing, no mouthwash? Unfortunately for our 4 legged friends they can’t do that, so we have a number of ways to manage their oral health at home. The best way is to brush your pet’s teeth daily. There are toothbrushes and toothpastes that are specially designed for animals that are easy to use. If daily brushing isn’t for you, or your pet won’t let you do it, there are dental diets that can be fed that work just like a toothbrush, oral rinse, and flossing, all in one. All you have to do is feed your pet! A daily brushing regime, or dental diet (or both) along with periodic cleaning by your veterinarian can keep your pet’s teeth tartar free.

Brushing and dental diets greatly reduce the amount of tartar that will accumulate on your pet’s teeth. Bacteria that remains in the mouth for more than 24 hours will turn into plaque which will attach to the teeth and build up on the teeth over time, turning into tartar. You can easily see tartar on your pet’s teeth; it’s the brown accumulation that’s usually near the gum line. Often it can cause bad breath, and if allowed to continue accumulating can eventually cause dental disease, such as gum recession, bone loss, loose teeth, and infections.

For years we called a dental cleaning a “prophy”, short for prophylactic which means disease prevention. Nowadays it is known as a “COHAT” (Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment). In order to do this safely and effectively the procedure is done with your pet under general anesthesia. It is NEVER acceptable to scrape tartar off an animal’s teeth when it is awake. It is dangerous as it can cause injury by accidental cutting or stabbing with the instrument if the animal were to suddenly move. Also, the inside of the mouth cannot be cleaned properly this way and a thorough examination of the mouth is impossible.  While it does add cost to cleaning the teeth, a general anesthetic is actually the safest way to thoroughly examine, clean, and x-ray your pet’s teeth.

Before we start cleaning the teeth, we take full-mouth radiographs to determine the health status of each tooth. Many teeth may look perfectly healthy to the naked eye, while an Xray will show bone loss around the roots, root resorption and other root abnormalities, which would indicate that the tooth needs to be extracted. After extractions we always take another radiograph to determine that the entire root has been removed.

After the X-rays are done, the teeth are cleaned with an ultrasonic scaler, very much like what your dentist uses, to remove tartar.  Each tooth is then carefully polished.  The teeth and gums are carefully examined and a chart is created to record gum recession, missing teeth and any other abnormalities. We also take before and after photographs!

A dental exam will give us an idea of how much time will be needed for your pet’s cleaning. COHAT’s are graded from 1 to 3, with 1 being the least amount of tartar, some or no gingivitis and no expected extractions. Cleaning the teeth when they’re like this helps to keep them healthier longer, and shortens the length of time under general anesthesia.

If you are interested in bringing your pet in for an oral exam and quote for dentistry please call us at 519-752-3431 anytime. We care about the health of your pet.

Everyone here at Scott Veterinary Clinic would like to extend season’s greetings to you and your family!

What a year of growth and change we have had at the clinic since January! We have seen a huge increase in the number of avian and exotic pets that come through our doors. We love meeting new and exotic critters every day and helping to set them up for a lifetime of good health.

We have also seen a huge increase in the number of dental surgeries we are performing since upgrading our dental suite. We are able to complete much safer and more comprehensive dentistry, especially with the aid of the new dental x-ray.

This year we decided that we would like to use our skills and knowledge to give back to our community. We have developed a relationship with Hobbitstee Wildlife rescue. Hobbitstee is a registered wildlife custodian and a custodian of migratory birds. They rescue, treat, rehabilitate and release native Ontario wildlife of all sorts. Many of you have seen our posts on Facebook with some common and some not so common wildlife creatures. We help them by treating and caring for them as needed and hope with Hobbitstee’s skilled rehabilitation program they will one day be living wild again. This gives us great pleasure!

With all of this growth and change at the clinic we have decided that we needed more help. We gladly welcomed Dr. Justine Forbes to our clinic family in July.

Justine is a recent graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College and has a special interest in avian and exotic patients. She is very excited to begin getting to know all of our clients and patients. Sadly, Dr. Forbes had a motor vehicle accident in August which resulted in a badly fractured ankle. She has been off since then. She is recovering nicely at this point and you can expect to see her back in action early next year! We can’t wait!

You will also be seeing a new friendly face at the front desk over the next few weeks. We welcomed Laura to our clinic family just a few short weeks ago. Laura and her husband recently moved to Brantford. Laura gave up her veterinary receptionist position in Oakville to join us. Laura has 3 dogs Diego, Cash and Bailey and 4 cats Leonard, Sophie, Dexter and Manini. Laura is great with all types of pets and always has a smiling face to greet you. Please say hi to her the next time you visit.

The rest of the clinic family has all been doing well over the past year!

Dr. Lee’s twins, Aubrey and Colton turned 4 this year and have started Jr. Kindergarten. Her daughter Brooke has gone on to grade 4. Wow! Their puppy Max, that joined their family last year, has grown in leaps and bounds. He towers over all of the kids now and is especially adept at commandeering stuffed animals from them. (Santa is watching Max!) Dr. Lee attended the avian and exotic conference in Atlanta, Georgia this fall and brought back with her plenty of new knowledge and information that we will be able to use in our practice. She is also attending the North American Veterinary conference in Orlando in January which should be equally rewarding.

Dr. Mantle grew another beautiful flower and vegetable garden this year. Unfortunately, the deer that frequently visit her yard promptly ate most of it. Dr. Mantle still has her horse Victoria and her flock of chickens are doing well. All of her house felines keep her on her toes with their special needs. Dr. Mantle has also been to a conference this year. She attended the World Small Animal Conference in Singapore this fall. She plans to introduce some of the things that she learned to our practice next year.  

Holly spent the summer with her horse Frosty and her dogs Pepper and Willow. She kept busy practicing her riding skills and going to horse shows. She and Frosty worked hard and did very well. They are reserve champions in pole bending and dash for cash.  Holly has been very busy at the clinic developing new forms and charts for us to use with our patient care. She is so terrific at those things!

Sue has been doing a lot of work at home. She and her husband have been doing some renovations and home improvements. They also grew a beautiful garden this year that included a lot of Sue’s orchids that got to spend the summer outside. Sue’s cats Baxter and Rufous are constantly on the go. They are still young active cats and I suspect that they have something to do with all of these “home improvements”.

Sue is still the go to person for anything to do with surgery or dentistry. Sue has spent the last 25 years perfecting her skills in these areas and continues to learn new things every year.  Now if she would just give us a map to where she keeps everything!

Crystal is now settled into her new home. She and her husband Dave have been working on a few things too. Crystal has started doing some gardening and decorating and I think she’s got a knack for it! Everything always looks great! Crystal’s puppy Steve is all grown up now but continues to get into a lot of trouble. Her other dog, Tanner and cat, Baby just ignore him and go back to sleep.

Since Sue has been busy in surgery, Crystal has been in the lab and the radiology ward lately. Crystal always takes gentle care of your pets when getting a blood sample or taking a radiograph. She is a kind heart.

Kelly has been up to her usual stuff. She learned to surf in Hawaii this fall. Her pet family and human family are all well. Meadow is keeping Alejandro and Julian on their toes and Piper has been watching. Kelly’s chickens have cooped up for the winter. They are terrified of snow!  

Kelly continues to know all of your names and faces when you come in the door.   She has been working with the wellness plans as their numbers continue to grow. If you don’t have one yet, you should ask her about them the next time you are in.  

Our part time girls, Sam and Alyssa are still with us as well. Alyssa was married this summer to her fiancé Ryan. Alyssa and Ryan have a St Bernard named Nala, a Basset Hound named Willard and a cute kitty named Pickle. We are not sure when Nala is going to stop growing; the last time we saw her she was the size of a pony! 

Sam has also had an eventful year. She moved into a new place and adopted a crazy cat she named Chester to keep her other crazy cat Bandit busy. It worked out well-they are the best of friends, tearing up the house together! 

Spookie and Zeta have been keeping up their responsibilities around the clinic this year too. Zeta has been asking for a raise in her food rations because she feels her years of experience and her high skill level is deserving. That is debatable. The girls at the front think it would be a better idea to promote her to head technician so that she can work at the back and stay out of their paper work!

Spookie has entered her senior years, thus reducing her workload at the clinic. She is mostly in charge of monitoring the basement from a cozy stack of blankets. Occasionally Spookie makes a guest appearance in the exam rooms to do quality control of the cat treat (a job Zeta has been relieved of). 

Thank you for being part of our clinic family-we are so happy to have you.

We hope that we have served you well in the past year, and that we have in some small way made a difference in your life and the life of your pet. We truly care for each one of them as if they were our own. We wish you the happiest of holiday seasons and all the best for the New Year.

Did you know that you can buy all of your pet supplies including food, litter, toys, leashes and accessories through the Scott Veterinary clinic web store? And even better, you can have them delivered to your door! 

Our web store offers all veterinary approved products and it is a great option for busy lives. Once you have registered, you need only to log in and place your order. You can also opt for auto order so that you don’t even have to do that. The program will place the order for you, at an interval you have selected, then we will email you when your order is available for pick up at the clinic, or it will be delivered to your home. Delivery is free on orders of  $100.00 or more. We have several clients who do not live near the clinic using this service who find it very convenient.

   All of the products, prescriptions and approvals are strictly controlled by our clinic. You are ordering directly from us but with the convenience of ordering “on-line”.

Our Web Store uses secure transaction and encryption technology. Security is immediately activated when you log in. No one can access your personal information transmitted over the web. All names and personal information in our database is encrypted and unreadable without the proper security passwords and is not given out to anyone.

The web store will often have promotions as well. Right now Royal Canin is offering a 10% discount on all auto orders. 

Why not sign up and have a look around? You will be surprised at what is available!    

♪♪♫Summer time and the livin’ is easy…..♫♪♫

Once again the warm weather has arrived. Weather patterns in southern Ontario have changed so much in the last few years. One minute it’s winter and the next minute it’s summer. As we put our winter coats and boots away and get out our summer gear we need to remember that our four legged friends need to be protected from the heat.

Each summer we hear stories in the news about dogs that are left in hot cars. Don’t let your dog become a statistic. It take minutes for temperatures to rise to dangerous levels in a car, even parked in the shade with the windows cracked open and air conditioning running. Dogs that are housed outdoors need to be checked on a regular basis. Make sure they have lots of shade and lots of fresh water. Even a cool bath will help keep them comfortable. Trips to the vet or to the groomer on a super hot day should be avoided as well as stress can add to their body temperatures rising. Wait until the weather has cooled somewhat unless you absolutely have to go.

Dogs tend to be at higher risk than most other animals because we tend to take them with us wherever and whenever we can. Avoid exercise outdoors when temperatures are high. If you must, make sure you have plenty of water on hand and take frequent breaks for your pet to cool down.  When going for a walk remember that the pavement can be very hot and scorch your dog’s feet.

It’s important that you recognize the signs of heat exhaustion. Cats, birds and other small animals are at risk as well. Pet that suffer heat exhaustion may show the following signs:

• Excessive panting
• Pale gums
• Increased heart rate
• Drooling with thick, ropey saliva
• Vomiting

If you notice any of these signs provide emergency care and seek veterinary care as soon as possible.

Move your pet to a cooler place, wrap him in wet towels, or wet him with cool (not cold) water.

Heat exhaustion is life threatening. Your veterinarian will provide life-saving measures such as intravenous fluids, and medications to improve breathing and stabilize shock.

If you discover a pet left unattended in a hot vehicle, call 310-SPCA (7722) in Ontario, call your local SPCA or Humane Society, or your local police department.

Everyone wants to have fun in the sun-just remember to be safe.

This week’s entry is the American Dog Tick, also known as the wood tick. This tick is responsible for spreading several diseases. The American Dog Tick is responsible for spreading Rocky Mountain spotted fever in humans and dogs, and can cause tick paralysis in dogs. It is also responsible for spreading Anaplasma and Ehrlichia. This tick can also be exposed to Lyme disease but generally does not carry or spread the disease.

The American Dog Tick is usually found in areas with long grass, and highly wooded areas. By avoiding areas where these ticks thrive, by checking your dog daily for any ticks that he may have picked up while outside and using tick preventative products, the chances of your dog contracting any diseases from this tick are greatly reduced.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is found in North America, Central America and South America. The disease is not very common here in Canada, but can occur wherever this tick is found. Symptoms in dogs are vomiting, lethargy, fever, abdominal pain, coughing, poor appetite and joint pain. If the disease becomes severe enough the infecting organism can cause damage to blood vessels in the extremities resulting in gangrene (tissue death). It is usually treated with antibiotics and treatment is usually successful if the disease is caught early.

Ehrlichiosis is a bacterial infection that can cause swollen lymph nodes, breathing disorders and joint pain. If caught early it can be treated with antibiotics but if left untreated it can lead to life-threatening bleeding disorders. Anaplasma is also a bacterial infection, causing high fever, joint pain, vomiting and diarrhea and can be treated successfully if caught early.

Tick Paralysis is not caused by an infectious organism but by a neurotoxin that is found in the female tick’s saliva. The disease is spread by the tick latching on for a meal and spreading the toxin into the blood of its host. The symptoms include vomiting, muscle weakness, fast heartrate, high blood pressure, drooling and an inability to eat properly. In most cases removing the offending tick as soon as possible will reduce the symptoms with a full recovery usually within 72 hours. Serious cases, however, can lead to death through respiratory paralysis. The Black-Legged Tick and Lone-Star tick are responsible for tick paralysis as well. Uncommon in our area, tick paralysis is found mostly in the south eastern United States, Pacific Northwest, and Rocky Mountain states.

Annual blood testing with Snap 4DX Plus will aid in screening for exposure to ticks and can also help to rule out any tick-borne diseases if your dog becomes ill. Of course, prevention is the key to keeping your canine companion healthy. By using your prescribed heartworm, flea and tick prevention your dog can have a happy, pest-free summer. Contact us if you have any questions. One our Client Care Representatives will be more than happy to assist you.

This week we’re going to talk about the Black-Legged Tick, also known as the Deer Tick. 

This tick is of particular concern because it spreads Lyme disease. Dogs and humans are both susceptible to this disease.  Cats can get it but it is rare. Lyme disease is a debilitating disease that can be difficult to diagnose.  Early signs of the disease in humans are a rash (sometimes shaped like a target, or bull’s eye which is also known as Erythema migrans), fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and enlarged lymph nodes. If left untreated Lyme disease may have severe symptoms such as severe headaches, additional rashes, Bell’s palsy, intermittent joint, muscle and tendon aches, a heart disorder known as Lyme carditis, neurological disorders and arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling.

The Black-Legged Tick is a well-known vector of Lyme disease.  First discovered in the 1970s in the area of Lyme, Connecticut, this tick was found mostly in the eastern United States. Originally coming to Canada as a hitchhiker on a bird or a deer, the tick has finally taken hold and is now breeding here, no longer needing a mode of transportation. Researchers in Canada are warning that climate change is causing Canada to become increasingly habitable to the Black-Legged Tick and they expect these ticks to continually migrate to regions all across Canada.

A recent article in the Sachem, a Haldimand County publication, stated that Hamilton and a northern portion of Haldimand County (near Caledonia) have been deemed a risk area and have been added to a Public Health Ontario Lyme disease map which health care workers

 can refer to do during a diagnosis. Hamilton and Haldimand County have both launched an active tick surveillance program to track the number of black legged (deer) ticks in their area, and are no longer accepting ticks from the public for identification. Information about Lyme disease in Brantford can be found at the website of the Brant County Health Unit at https://www.bchu.org and the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation at https://canlyme.com/lyme-prevention/risk-areas/.  Please remember that even outside of known risk areas, Black Legged ticks can be found just about anywhere.

Less susceptible than us to Lyme disease, our 4 legged friends are still at risk when bitten by a Black-Legged tick. Just the same as humans, the disease can show intermittent signs and be difficult to diagnose.  Cats are less prone to contracting Lyme disease, or other tick-borne diseases, because they tend to remove ticks through the grooming process. Dogs are not so lucky. Lyme disease can manifest with achy, painful joints accompanied by lethargy and loss of appetite. In some cases signs may not show for months. In severe cases dogs can develop heart disease, central nervous system disorders and kidney failure.

There are four steps that you as a pet owner can take to reduce the chance of exposure to Lyme disease: 1. Avoidance:  Black-Legged ticks live in wooded, brushy areas, waiting for their host on the tips of low-lying vegetation and shrubs. 2. Tick checks and removal: Check your dog daily for ticks. If you find one that has attached itself within 24 hours it will not have had enough time to transmit Lyme disease. You can remove the tick yourself with a pair of tweezers. Grasp the head of the tick as close to the skin as possible and firmly pull straight out. This should remove the mouth parts. Try not to twist or crush the tick and do not try to kill it by smothering it in Vaseline or nail polish. 3. Tick prevention products: Our veterinarians and staff can help with deciding which one is best for your pet. 4. Vaccination: Vaccinating healthy dogs for Lyme disease as early as 12 weeks of age will protect them from contracting the disease.  Two vaccinations are required 3-4 weeks apart, then once a year after that. A physical examination and discussion with your veterinarian can determine if your dog is a good candidate for Lyme vaccine. 

Here at Scott Veterinary Clinic we can test for exposure to Lyme disease with a Snap 4DX Plus blood test. The Snap 4DX Plus test screens your dog for Lyme disease, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma which are all tick-borne diseases and tests for Heartworm disease as well. If your dog tests positive for Lyme disease further tests can determine if he actually has an active infection.

Contact us today for an appointment for your dog’s blood test. We can usually have the results before you leave the clinic, and flea and tick prevention can be started anytime. There are several flea and tick prevention products, some administered orally and some applied topically. During the summer months they can be used in conjunction with Heartworm prevention products. We can determine which product is best for your canine friend depending on his age, health status, and lifestyle. Since most types of ticks become active at temperatures above 3 degrees Celsius we are now recommending year round use of tick prevention products. 

Over the next few weeks we’re going to talk about the different types of ticks that are found in Southern Ontario.

The newest arrival to the area is the Lone Star tick. As a result of climate change they have made their way to Canada, arriving in just the past couple of years.

You have probably already heard that this tick causes a red meat allergy in humans because of their bite. They carry a sugar molecule in their saliva (commonly known as Alpha-Gal) which causes the infected human to respond with antibodies to attack this molecule. This can cause a serious allergic reaction when eating meat, in which the Alpha-Gal sugar molecule is abundant.

Fortunately for our four-legged friends, this meat allergy isn’t a concern, but the spread of Ehrlichiosis is. It’s a bacterial infection spread by these ticks that can manifest with symptoms such as fever, swollen lymph nodes, lethargy and bleeding disorders.

Fortunately for you as a pet owner, we can screen your pet for two types of Ehrlichiosis when running your pet’s annual heartworm test.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is an old adage that still holds true. We carry flea and tick products that are easy and safe to use. Some are given orally and some are applied topically and can be used in conjunction with your dog’s heartworm prevention.

Please call us if you have any questions about ticks, or preventative products, or to book your appointment for a Snap 4DX plus heartworm test. It’s a simple blood test that is run in-clinic and we can have results within 10 minutes.

It’s never too early to think about tick control, even in the winter! We had quite a few days in February where temperatures were well above 10 degrees C.  Over the past few years we have seen trends where the temperatures fluctuate frequently from cold to warm and back to cold.  Years ago we would typically have a January thaw and then back to steady cold weather until spring. 

Ticks become active as soon as temperatures reach 3 C, which means every time it warms up they’re lurking in all their usual spots waiting for some one to walk by.  There’s been a huge increase in the tick population in the Brantford area in the past few years and we’re also seeing the arrival of ticks that are native to the American south.   So for any of you who are concerned about ticks and the diseases they may spread when they bite we are now recommending year-round control. This way you won’t have to worry if there are sudden and unexpected temperature spikes during the winter.

Exposure to tick-borne diseases can be determined when we run your dog’s 4DX-plus heartworm test in the spring. Not only does it tell us if there’s been exposure to heartworm which is spread by mosquitos, but it also tells us if your dog has been exposed to Erhrlichia, Anaplasma or Lyme, which are spread by ticks.

If you would like more information about ticks and how to protect your pet please call us. One of our Client Care Representatives will be happy to answer any of your questions and can help to customize a tick control program that best meets the needs of you and your pet.