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In light of recent events in the world we wanted to address the pandemic we are facing. The COVID-19 is unfortunately impacting many people both with the rate of infection as well as the number of people facing quarantine.
We want to be here for you and your pets if needed and will remain available for our clients day and night. We may look at working at a reduced capacity in order to limit risk to staff and their families but we will have someone available if your pet is in need. In order to stay up to date we encourage everyone to install our app PETDESK where we will send out up to date information if we are facing closure or reduced appointment availability. At present we are working at full capacity and ask anyone that is experiencing fever, respiratory illness or feeling unwell they cancel their appointment with us. If your pet is suffering an illness or injury that requires immediate care, and you are unwell please call us and speak to one of our team members. Main points in relation to our current clinic policies
We have instituted a large number of protocols involving sharing of equipment and spaces in order to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our spaces in order to protect staff, clients and patients. We have fielded a number of parvo cases and wanted to just wanted to help pet owners compare the risk and cost. This is why we recommend a full puppy series of vaccinations to try and save puppies and money too.
The Bottom LineWhen you look at the facts keeping your puppy isolated and well vaccinated is a small price to pay when looking at the extensive treatment needed for a pup with parvo. Have more questions? Ask below and we will be sure to answer them.
With the recent outbreak in parvo we wanted to address some common questions we have heard and what the answers are. Have more questions, comment on the blog and we will address them.  How can my dog catch Parvo?Quite simply exposure to the fecal material of a positive dog or a carrier can result in transmission of the disease. Dogs carry fecal material on their feet and fur often when they are young and in large groups making transfer very easy. Fecal oral transmission can occur with any dog. What are the symptoms of Parvo?
How can I prevent my puppy from catching Parvo?Isolation and vaccination are the only two ways to prevent your puppy from being at risk for catching the parvo virus. When dogs are young and unvaccinated they are at high risk and this is why we recommend keeping young pets isolated and off city streets and out of parks ect. Until your puppy receives their final booster or has a strong titre they are considered at risk. Someone I know has been in contact with me and they have the virus, what should I do next?Bleach effectively kills the parvo virus and is used in clinics world wide during outbreaks. Clean every surface that person touched, walked on and had their pets. You can use a weak bleach solution safely on dog runs and yards even. How long is my puppy contagious for?The standard time frame is approximately 10 days after symptoms subside dogs are considered to be no longer shedding the virus. They shed the virus for 4-5 days prior to any symptoms are present so this puts many dogs at risk if you are taking unvaccinated pets out of the home. If you think your puppy has been exposed and may be a carrier or is developing symptoms they need to be quarantined completely and kept off the ground anywhere any other dogs may be, especially unvaccinated dogs
Kohv and Teague's Journey This is all to unfamiliar for us in the industry. It is estimated that 60% of cats and 56% of dogs are overweight or obese. Kohv and Teague were just one of our many success cases when it comes to weight loss. Their amazing progress was a team effort and Mom and Dad ramped up exercise once they were feeling up to it kicking their weight loss into full gear. They went from having two dogs showing joint pain and other symptoms of obesity to having two active great looking labs again. This did not happen overnight they have been working at this amazing transformation for about a year.  Where do I start?To start we need to evaluate your pet and what their current weight, body score and muscle score is. Once all of these are done we turn to food. We recommend a number of diets after seeing success from these specific options. Sometimes we may choose something out of clinic based on other factors such as allergies etc but will have very specific feeding requirements for all choices. Food needs to be measured precisely and if possible weighed to ensure your pet is getting its exact nutrient requirements and not a kcal more. This bodes especially true in small breed dogs and cats but can really make a big difference in any weight management situation. Is that all ?Exercise can play a valuable role in every weight loss plan and we like to gradually increase exercise in our patients in order to limit stress on already stressed joints. We even encourage scheduled play times for your cats on diets as getting them active for even an extra 10 minutes a few times a day can be a real game changer for both your bond with them but also their overall mental and physical health. With having stress on joints we may prescribe specialty food for joint health or other joint supplements in order to lessen the stress on joints to allow for increased exercise tolerance. If you think your pet is sore as well as overweight this is an important thing to mention during your nutrition consultation. But what about treats?When we here at Animal Medical Centre South make a weight loss plan we like to keep your routine as familiar to your pet as possible. We will talk about what a normal day is to you and do our best to keep everything the same if at all possible. Weight loss does not have to be painful or negative for your pet, we strive to make the experience as positive as possible to ensure you have the best chance of success.  What are the benefits of weight loss?For many pets they will become more comfortable overall. In the instance of these two they were showing signs of lameness and this became significantly less obvious once they were on a diet that not only promoted weight loss but also cared for their joints. Excess weight has been linked to everything from respiratory depression, cancer, kidney disease, chronic inflammation, orthopedic disease and reduced life expectancy. Purina has completed a study called the lifespan study that showed a trim in shape dog lived an average of 15% longer or 1.8 years longer in a dog the size of a Labrador.
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April 2020
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Animal Medical Centre South59 East 3rd Ave
Dunmore, AB T1B 0L2 Available 24/7 for emergencies.
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