Later this week I have the pleasure of taking a special trip to the Hill’s Pet Nutrition Center in Topeka, Kansas. As part of my due diligence I have always wanted to actually go, see and tour their facilities, meet the professionals (veterinarians, scientists, nutritionists, internists) who have dedicated their own careers to the progression […]
Does your pet ever give you a look that makes you wonder what they might have just eaten?? Other than pet food and treats, pets end up eating some very strange things! It is amazing how curious our furry friends can be and in the midst of exploring your home there are plenty of things […]
Most of us with pets love the idea of bringing them along on a road-trip. Whether it be camping, to the cottage, or down into the United States – the trip doesn’t feel complete without them! However, traveling with pets takes some thoughtful preparation, as it can be stressful for you and your four-legged companion […]
In veterinary medicine, much of what we do revolves around the concept of reducing risk. Veterinary medicine is similar to human pediatric medicine – our patients cannot express themselves and so we are left to assess and figure out what is going on without knowledge of what hurts, how long it has hurt, what kind […]
In Part 1 of our blog on Aging Cats I outlined several things to watch for at home as well as a list of reasons older cats require routine veterinary care. I wanted to take the time to fully explain each of these points so that, as a cat lover, you can truly appreciate and […]
Did you know that about half of the cats in Canada are over the age of 8 years old? Cats between 7-10 years are considered mature while cats between 10-14 years are considered senior, and over 15 years, cats are considered geriatric. Knowing that 25% of mature cats and 50% of geriatric cats develop at […]
Anybody who reads our blogs or is a client of ours knows that our goal at Westway Animal Clinic is always to minimize risk of disease and focus on prevention. It is impossible to talk about preventive care and not discuss parasites, so our April blog is on two very common parasites – fleas and […]
Declawing has become a very controversial topic of conversation in the animal welfare world. It is an elective procedure that has been banned in many countries and, while it isn’t banned in Canada where veterinarians have the choice within their practices, there is growing pressure for us to formally ban the procedure across the board. […]
February is traditionally Dental Health Awareness Month and so, this year, I thought I’d raise awareness by commenting on some myths we commonly hear from our clients regarding pet dental care. 1) Bad breath is just a “pet” thing – all pets have it! Bad breath is caused by bacteria living in your pets’ […]
Can you believe that 2015 has passed us by? I feel like it was only a few months ago that I was preparing my blog on pet toxicity… as it turns out, I wrote it on December 30th, 2014! As a veterinarian I started writing these blogs as a way to connect with pet owners […]