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Chewzing Safe Dental Chews for Your Dog

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Time and time again in the exam room we are asked if a particular teeth cleaning chew is appropriate for dogs.  Clients describe anything from bones, to particular products marketed exclusively for teeth to other chew toys commonly found in pet stores.  There are too many products out there to be familiar with all, but we can offer some helpful hints in order to choose safe options for your pets.  Careful selection of appropriate chews is very important to your pet’s oral health, not just for the purpose of cleaning their teeth, but to not cause damage to your pet’s teeth as well.  When dog’s chew a chew toy, they do so with great strength using the large 4th premolar, also known as the Carnassial tooth.  It is the largest tooth in their mouths and is the main tooth used for chewing and grinding up food.  Dogs that chew hard chews may fracture the exterior part of the tooth.  This is called a slab fracture.  This type of fracture exposes the sensitive “pulp chamber” inside the tooth which contains the blood vessel and nerve.  It is a painful lesion and places the tooth at high risk for abscess/infection.

slab fracture

X rays of the tooth are required to determine if the pulp chamber is exposed, giving bacteria access to the root and other sensitive structures of the tooth and to ensure that surrounding teeth have not been damaged as well.

xray

 

Treatment options include a root canal if the tooth meets criteria or surgical extraction of the tooth.  This tooth contains three roots which extend deeply into the jaw bone.  It is a painful lesion and requires extraction.  Dental fractures caused by hard chews are one of the most common reasons for extractions in dogs.

Obviously we want to try to avoid these injuries and extractions at all costs.  Although most people feel hard chews will help clean their pet’s teeth, they will likely fracture them as well.

 Here are some helpful hints to keep in mind when choosing a dental chew:

  • The Veterinary Oral Health Care Specialists (VOHC) is a group of board certified veterinary dental specialists.  They have a “kneecap” rule.  If you wouldn’t want to be hit in the kneecap by a chew you are contemplating giving your dog, then it is too hard and should not be given to them, as it can fracture their teeth.  Bones, antlers and other synthetic hard chews are good examples of this.
  • Rawhide chews are a good example of a safe chew.
  • You can look for the VOHC seal on any dental product to see if they have approved it as a safe and effective part of your pet’s health care routine.
  • Never leave your dog unattended with a chew. They can become small and slippery and can potentially be a choking hazard.
  • Some individually packaged chews become very hard once exposed to air for more than 24 hours.  Inspect the chew and do the kneecap test before they chew.
  • Remember that chews have calories too. Some of the large chews can have upwards of 520 calories! If your dog is an avid chewer of chews, it is often a good idea to cut back their kibble by ½ cup to compensate for the additional calories.

If you have any questions regarding safe chew toys or fractured teeth please call or make an appointment to speak to one of our veterinarians or veterinary technicians.  Happy chewing!

chewie

 

 

The Power of the Human Animal Bond

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A while back we called upon our Bloor Animal Hospital family and friends to join us in participating to help raise money for a very worthy cause.  “Bark for life” is an annual event put on by the Canadian Cancer Society to raise money for cancer research.  It is one of the few events of its kind where people can participate along with their canine family members to help in the fight to end cancer and to help individuals currently fighting the disease.  Nearby High Park is one of the locations of this great event.
The research and new therapies being worked on by doctors and researches benefits people fighting cancer and works to find new therapies to extend the lives and improve the quality of life of cancer patients.   In veterinary medicine, we use the same research, information and therapies to assistant in the treatment of dogs and cats with cancer and undergoing cancer treatments as well, thus making this research invaluable to us all.
We are proud to have raised over $500 for the Canadian Cancer Society this year through Bark for Life and are excited to participate again next year.
Another very important role that our furry family play in our lives is the strong supportive role they take on when their human family needs them. They provide unconditional love, happiness, companionship and joy.  They provide emotional and tactile comforts and a relationship unlike many human relationships that remains unchanged upon diagnosis of a serious illness.  Bark for life also allow owners to celebrate their own battle and thank their canine counterparts for all they have done to help in their battle and victories in their own fight against cancer.
We are honored to have one very important canine and his human family share their story with us.  Chandler is a 2 year old Shih-tzu-Yorkie cross who has provided an invaluable measure of support to his dad in his battle and victory against prostate cancer.  They shared their story in an episode of “Dog park tales” which Chandler’s owners have been kind enough to share with us as well.  The emotion and bond that Chandler and his family share is amazing and very touching as you can clearly see by clicking on the video below!
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Stay tuned next fall when we organize the Bloor Animal Hospital Team for the 2015 Bark for Life event.  To find out more about the Canadian Cancer Socitey and Bark for Life visit http://www.cancer.ca/en/?region=on

 

2015 Calendar Photo Contest Winners!

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Thank you to everyone who submitted all their wonderful pet photos for our 2015 calendar contest. We need 15 photos for our calendar. The photos that had the most Facebook ‘likes’ will make it into our 2015 calendar. Check out all the winners! Congratulations to everyone who submitted such fabulous photos!

1. maddison 89 Likes

2. ruffle 76 Likes

3. cole 59 Likes

4. rocky 44 Likes

5. toby bronco maggie 43 Likes

6. phil 41 Likes

7. pig pen 35 Likes

8. pepe 34 Likes

9. mio 33 Likes

10. abby 32 Likes

11. chloe 31 Likes

12. contessa 31 Likes

13. booker and nala 30 Likes

14. bosun 28 Likes

15. muci 28 Likes


 

Honorable Mentions!

16. tuesday 25 Likes

17. mina 25 Likes

18. ensign 23 Likes

19. furgus and hamish 23 Likes

20. ghillie 21 Likes

21. leeandra dog 21 Likes

22.  echo 21 Likes

23. henry 15 Likes

24. niko 15 Likes

25.  kiera 14 Likes

26. lilly 14 Likes

27. aiden 14 Likes

28. magie downer 14 Likes

29. rosie 13 Likes

30. jem 13 Likes

31. alice 12 Likes

32. gracie 12 Likes

33. jessie 11 Likes

34. amber 10 Likes

Bark for Life High Park Dog Walk!

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bloor-west-village-veterinary-hospital-pic-12

On September 21st at 10 am we are walking through High Park in support of The Canadian Cancer Society Bark for Life Dog Walk. We would love to see as many of our furry patients out in High Park as possible so we are spreading the word! Help us tell cancer it barked up the wrong tree.

If you are able to donate to our team please visit our Bark For Life Walk Page: http://convio.cancer.ca/site/TR/UnitFundraisingEvent/UFE_ON_even_?team_id=320870&pg=team&fr_id=16983#.VBBhC8JdWSo

We are also raffling off tickets for this fabulous basket. Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased at Bloor Animal Hospital until September 19th.

bark for life basket

 

Thank you for your support, we hope to see you there!

 

Welcome Dr. Aimee Bachand to our Team!

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Dr. Aimee Bachand, DVM

Veterinarian

We would like to announce and give a warm welcome to Dr. Aimee Bachand as the newest addition to our veterinary team! After completing a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Molecular Virology at he University of Guelph, she graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 2007 and became a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Bachand enjoys all areas of small animal veterinary practice. She is excited to be part of a team that focuses on high quality preventative medicine and is dedicated to keeping your furry family members happy and healthy.

When not at work Dr. Bachand enjoys spending time with her 2 dogs, Finnigan the Papillon and Linus the West Highland Terrier, and her 2 cats, Abbey and Sadie. She loves yoga and enjoys travelling to sunny beaches or exploring new cities. Dr. Bachand is excited to experience all the wonderful shops and restaurants in Bloor West Village and Finnigan and Linus are antsy to explore beautiful High Park.

When you are out enjoying a nice walk through Bloor West Village, pop in to say hello to Dr. Aimee Bachand, she is looking forward to meeting all of our wonderful patients!

 

De-Skunk Shampoo Recipe

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Living in the Bloor West and High Park area we are surrounded by all kinds of wildlife. Occasionally our curious dogs can get a bit too close to some of our wild skunk friends resulting in a very unpleasant spray. Preventing these encounters is always better then treating them. We recommend keeping your dogs on a leash under supervision at all times. However,  if your dog is sprayed by a skunk, quick treatment of the smell is imperative. We have found this recipe to be the most effective in the removal of that horrid skunk smell.

Ingredients:

4 cups 3% hydrogen peroxide

½ cup baking soda

1 tsp dish soap

 Directions:

1. In a large bowl mix the above ingredients as close to application as possible.

2. Pour the solution over your dog, lather and leave for 5 minutes before rinsing. Be careful not to get the solution in your pet’s eyes or mouth.

3. Can follow with regular dog shampoo.

If your dog is sprayed directly in the face they may need to be seen by their veterinarian. Watch for red, swollen eyes and vomiting. Otherwise, a bath at home with this recipe should do the trick.

 

A Letter From Dr. Julie Downer

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Addendum

I would like to thank everyone for all their best wishes but want to let everyone know that I have had to withdraw from the internship in Houston. I will be taking the summer to spend time with my family and will be returning in September on a part time basis.

Julie Downer

 

A letter from Dr. Downer:

To all the wonderful clients, pets, doctors and staff at Bloor Animal Hospital:

I would like to take this opportunity to let everyone know that I will be leaving Bloor Animal Hospital as of June 22, 2014. I am very excited to be starting an Internal Medicine and Critical Care Internship at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists in Houston, Texas. I am looking forward to this new challenge and to starting a new phase of my career but at the same time I am sad to say goodbye to all the people and the pets that I have had the pleasure to meet at Bloor Animal Hospital.

I started at Bloor Animal Hospital shortly after I graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1997. I have had the privilege to care for your pets from their first visits as puppies and kittens through their middle and senior years.

Sadly in many cases I have been with you as you have said goodbye to a much loved friend. I would like to thank you for letting me be a part of your lives and entrusting me with the care of your furry friends.

I would also like to thank all the staff past and present with whom I have worked. You have made my time at Bloor both enjoyable and rewarding. Many of you have been like family. The team members at Bloor Animal Hospital are some of the most compassionate and caring people I have met. They consistently go above and beyond to provide exemplary patient care.

Last, I would like to thank Dr Suzy Lyons and Dr Ted Morris with whom I have had the good fortune to work. They are outstanding Veterinarians and will continue to provide exceptional care to all the patients at Bloor Animal Hospital.

Thank you again for your trust in me during my time at Bloor Animal Hospital and

for helping to make the clinic the wonderful place that it is. I will miss you all and hope that our paths may cross again in the future.

 

Julie Downer, DVM

The Healing Power of Pets

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It is common to find ourselves thinking of what we need to do to provide for our pets, but how often do we think about or even consider what our pets give to us?  

Our furry family members quickly become invaluable and cherished parts of our family.  They are there when we need them, on good days or bad, and they are an ear to listen when needed, to put a smile on our face, or to share in a celebration.   

Research shows that people with pets live longer, are more active, more social, have less stress and lower blood pressure.   Growing up with a pet can even help boost immunity and decrease risk of developing allergies.

Every pet and their family have a story, each one unique and equally as special.  There is however a very special dog and family who’s story we felt we needed to share. That is the one of our patients, a Golden Retriever by the name of Cleo.

cleo

Cleo is a dog with a very special role.  She was hand selected in Newburyport, Maine by a group of people who wanted to help a family they had never even met.  They had Cleo vaccinated and purchased toys and a blanket for her and put her on an Air Canada flight headed to Toronto.  This group was put in contact with the Bebenek family by a good friend, Lynda Campbell, who wanted to give something back to the Bebenek family.  The Bebenek family had just gone through the unimaginable, the loss of their 5 year old daughter Meagan from a brain stem glioma, a cancerous and inoperable brain tumour.   

Cleo was sent as a gift, to give hope to a grieving family. Meagan’s mother Denise still remembers the day they picked Cleo up at the airport as a “moment she will never forget”.  The Bebeneks drove to the cargo area of Air Canada.  They watched lobster crate after lobster crate unloaded from the aircraft and then suddenly they announced “Puppy Cleo” – and the Bebenek’s family  life was changed forever!

Cleo was a gift beyond measure, immediately becoming a very special part of the Bebenek family, filling their hearts with love and happiness in the midst of the saddest of any life-circumstance to be given to a family.  Now 11 years later, Cleo is a devoted and loyal family member, and fills a very special role. 

Denise Bebenek agreed to share her story as an example of the powerful role and love that our furry family members can play in our lives, and an example of how people can extend themselves so selflessly to someone in need.  She has continued this tradition of giving by creating  “Meagan’s Walk: Creating a Circle of Hope”, to spread awareness and give hope to children living with brain tumours and to honour her daughter Meagan. Now in it’s 13th year, Meagan’s Walk is a 5k walk from Fort York  to the Hospital for Sick Children.  It is at Sick Kids that participants join hands and form a “human hug” around the hospital,  a “Circle of Hope” and as a message of love and support that can be viewed by all those within.

Meagan’s Walk has raised more than $3.1 million, directly helping the dedicated doctors and researchers who are making global advancements in brain tumour research and patient care.  This year the 13th Annual Meagan’s Walk will be held on Saturday May 10th.  

Bloor Animal Hospital is proud to support Meagan’s Walk.  If you are interested in finding out more, participating or making a donation, please visit their website at www.meaganswalk.com.

meagans walk picture

 

Thinking About Getting Some Lilies? Cat Lovers, Read This First!

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As we say hello to spring, many of us choose to brighten up our homes with a fresh bouquet of flowers. Some flowers are relatively harmless while others can cause stomach upset. There are some flowers which can be very toxic to your pet – even fatal.

One of the most common and popular of which is the Lily. All lily flowers and all plant parts should be considered toxic, and even just a nibble can be fatal. Vomiting, lethargy and decreased appetite are the most common initial signs. They are followed by increased drinking and urination. This can progress to complete kidney failure, which is characterized by the lack of production of urine.Our kidneys are essential to life and we cannot live without them, thus this severe degree of kidney failure can only be followed by death.

What can be done you ask? If there is any suspicion that your cat has consumed a lily, we recommend visiting your veterinarian ASAP. They will likely run a blood and urine test to access the current state of the kidneys and start your pet in intravenous fluid therapy. Your vet can also provide additional medication to help with the stomach upset associated with this toxicity. After a couple of days of fluid therapy your vet will likely recheck your cat’s blood work to access kidney health. Some cats are able to recover with full kidney function, while others are left with some with some degree of kidney failure that they will carry with them through life. Some cats are not so lucky and despite the best of care end up in end stage kidney failure ultimately resulting in death.

Our advice to cat owners: no lilies in the home…..not even out of reach, as most cats are quite agile and able to access pretty much any region or surface of your home. There are plenty of beautiful flowers out there, which can decorate your home without harm to your cat. Don’t hesitate to contact your veterinarian if you have questions about the safety of a particular plant or flower in your home – it just might save your pet’s life!

-Suzanne Lyons, D.V.M and Practice Owner at Bloor Animal Hospital.

 

Let it flow – urinary health and your pet

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We’re sure that you’ve seen the food bags on the shelf while visiting our clinic with the urinary health, urine pH control etc..  What’s the big fuss you ask?  Do I really need to buy a special food to help my pet urinate?.  

Cats tend to be over represented with respect to lower urinary tract disease, although dogs can be affected as well.  Feline lower urinary tract disease, or FLUTD for short, refers to a group of symptoms that can affect the bladder and urethra.  You might notice your cat licking his/her hind end excessively or you find that your cat is urinating outside the litter box.  This is due to discomfort and trying to avoid the place of pain (ie the litter box).  Middle age, overweight cats in multicat households that eat store brand dry diets are at greater risk.  Stress such as a change in routine can be an additional risk factor as well.

If your pet is experiencing these symptoms, it is important to seek veterinary care promptly.  After a thorough physical exam, your veterinarian will likely obtain a urine sample to look for evidence of infection, inflammation, crystals or blood.  Depending on the results of the urinalysis, a urine culture (to check for infection), blood profile or x-rays of the urinary tract may be recommended. 

The most common cause of FLUTD is Feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC).  This is usually a diagnosis of exclusion, once all other potential causes are ruled out.  Put simply, FIC is essentially an inflammation of the urinary tract that is not bacterial in origin.  Urethral muscle spasm and bladder discomfort causes affected cats to strain to urinate, often urinating small frequent amounts of bloody urine.  The good news is that it often resolves on its own in a couple of weeks.  Treatment usually involves pain medication and antispasmodics as well at the recommendation to feed a prescription canned urinary diet and plenty of access to fresh water to prevent recurrence of clinical signs and obstruction.   

 

Urinary stones are another possible cause of FLUTD.  These can be detected by x-ray or ultrasound.  The two most common stones are calcium oxylate and struvite, but unfortunately the stone identity can only be determined once the stone is retrieved – usually by surgery.  

  • Struvite stones often arise secondary to a urinary tract infection.   It is possible for these stones to dissolve with a special dissolution diet and resolution of the antibiotic with the appropriate antibiotic.  If the stones fail to dissolve with medial management, surgery to remove the stones would be necessary.  
  • Calcium oxylate stones will not dissolve with medical management alone.   Surgery is necessary to remove these stones.  Once recovered from surgery a prescription urinary pH control diet and increasing water intake is key to trying to prevent these stones from reoccurring.                                                                                                                  

Urinary obstruction occurs when the urethra (a small tube which drains the bladder) becomes partially or completely blocked secondary to a stone, grit (a collection of minerals/cells), or a mucus like plug.  Males are at a higher risk due to their long, narrow urethras.  If the obstruction is not relieved it can result in a build up of toxins in the body, as they can no longer be eliminated by the kidneys.  It is a very painful condition, and if left untreated it can result in bladder rupture, urethral tear, kidney damage, heart failure and/or death.  Urinary obstruction is a medical emergency and requires treatment immediately.   If you notice your cat crying, going in and out of the litter box with little/no urine production, licking his/her hind end excessively or trying to urinate out of the box – take you cat to your veterinarian ASAP!

So what can be done to prevent your cat from experiencing FLUTD?  

  • Feeding your cat a high quality pH control diet
  • plenty of access to fresh water is an important place to start.  
  • Keeping the litter box clean
  • having an adequate number of litter boxes (one more than the number of cats in the home)
  • keeping the litter box in a quiet place and trying to minimize stress/changes in routine can help as well.

Similarly to their feline counterparts, dogs can also experience urinary tract infections and urinary stones and the above information can be applied to them as well.  If you have additional questions about your pet’s urinary health, contact your veterinarian to see what you can to to maintain urinary health in your pet.

 Written by Suzanne Lyons, D.V.M Bloor Animal Hospital Practice Owner