January 2019

Are you experiencing behaviour issues with your canine companion? Fear, aggression? Maybe your pup is a new rescue here in Canada for the first time and having difficulties adjusting? Well help has arrived in Bloor West Village! We are so excited to announce, Dr. Dawn Crandell DVM, DVSc, DACVECC, CTC!

Dr. Crandell is a critical care specialist who has been helping pets in the ICU for many years. She has been there in their time of need and helped counsel their families through their most difficult times.  After adopting a young small dog with a multitude of behaviour issues, she realized she had a lot to learn about training and behaviour problems.  Working with trainers and doing her own research to help her own dog, she discovered a passion for canine behaviour.

After studying with Jean Donaldson, one of the best in the field of canine behaviour and owner counseling and graduating from her 2 year course in the Academy for Dog Trainers, she immersed herself in the veterinary behaviour community and studied the behaviour literature, texts and journals.

Armed with a wealth of veterinary experience to understand the interplay of medicine and behaviour, a solid understanding of normal and abnormal canine behaviour, proven and safe behaviour modification techniques, along with familiarity with the common pharmaceuticals used in select cases, Dr. Crandell is available to help people with their dog’s behaviour problems.

If you have a dog who is experiencing behaviour issues and would like Dr. Crandell’s guidance, please contact us today. We can facilitate a consult with Dr. Crandell right here in our clinic!

To learn more about Dr. Crandell, check out her website: https://www.veterinarybehaviourconsulting.ca

My pet’s body Condition Score is a 7/9, now what?

Now that you have accessed your pet’s Body Condition Score (BCS) and determined they can benefit from weight loss, what’s the next step? Well we can help! Based on your pet’s medical history and diet preferences we can develop a tailored plan unique to your pet. 

Bloor Animal Hospital Weight Loss Program:

• Based on your pet’s physical exam and medical history, a diet formulated for weight loss would be prescribed.
• Using your pet’s current weight, we will calculate exactly how much food your pet would need to eat every day, we can even include the occasional treat.
• Increasing exercise. We will provide tips to try to increase your pet’s activity level. The amount of activity will be determined based on how overweight your pet is. Avoiding injuries is paramount.
• Tracking: Once your pet is on the program it is important that we track their progress. Rechecking their weight at least every 4 weeks is crucial. This allows us to tweak their meal calculations or even the type of food they are eating. Not every diet works for every pet, it is not uncommon to have to try a couple different types to find the one that works best with their metabolism.

Weight Loss FAQ:

• Can’t I just feed less of my pet’s current food?

This is a common question. For successful weight loss we have to decrease the number of calories they are consuming. If we were to use a regular diet and just feed less, we would also be feeding less nutrience.  This can lead to malnutrition and is a very unhealthy method of weight loss.

• How do weight loss foods work?

The Veterinary weight loss formulas we recommend work by lowering the calories, have increased fiber to help them feel full. Some formulas have increased protein or added supplements to maintain muscle mass. All are nutritionally balanced and proven to be effective if fed appropriately.

• Can’t I just feed the ‘Light’ version of their current food?

‘Light’ means there are less calories than the original formula.  This is similar to a light cream cheese, although it has slightly less calories than the original, it is still high in fat and calories and not effective for weight loss.

• Can I still give treats?

Absolutely! During your consult we will discuss what treats you are currently giving and we will either incorporate those calories into their plan, or we can recommend an alternative.

If you would like to get started on your pets weight loss journey, we can help! Call us to schedule their weight consultation. 

How do you know if your pet needs to loose weight?  One way is the number on the scale. For most pets, if they are at a healthy weight at 1 year of age, that is the weight they should maintain throughout their lives. We can look back through their weight history and monitor their changes. This will also give us a weight loss target when we are setting their goals.

Although the scale is a good place to start, it is just a number. During your pet’s physical exam we assess their Body Condition Score (BCS). This is a scale from 1-9, 1 being too thin all the way to 9 being obese. Checking your pet’s body condition is something that you can easily do at home, here’s how:

1. Run your hand along your pet’s rib cage: you should be able to feel their ribs under a thin layer of flesh but not see them.
2. While standing over your pet: run your hands down their sides from their shoulders to their hips. They should have a nice hour glass figure.
3. When looking at your pet from the side, their stomach should be tucked up under their rib cage. *cats can develop ‘fat aprons’. This is a fat pad on their bellies. This is very difficult area to trim down…unless you can teach your kitty to do crunches, they will probably have that for life.

Using the chart below, you can gauge your pet’s BCS:

Using their BCS we can tailor a weight loss or maintenance program for your pet.  Monthly weigh in’s will help track your pets progress and allow us to tweak their plan.

If you would like to discuss your pet’s weight, contact us to schedule a consult with one of our medical team members.  We can help get your pet on the right track to a healthy weight.