Hear ye! Hear ye!  We would like to announce that during the month of October, your Thornhill Veterinary Hospital will be holding a Halloween costume contest.  If you have a picture of your cat, dog, rabbit etc., in a Halloween costume, please send it to us by email or upload it to our Facebook page for our consideration.

 As we all know, Halloween is not only for children.  People of all ages like to dress up.  Many of our pets also look forward to dressing up as little devils or princesses. 

 If you do not happen to possess a costume for your little devil or princess, take advantage of our selection at the Summeridge Animal Clinic, your local Thornhill Veterinary Clinic.  We have an array of costumes in different sizes from xtras small to xtra large.  Come on in and let your pet try on our the costume of your or their choice and we’ll take a picture.

 Halloween is a fun time – for both children and adults as well as their pets.  Let’s celebrate the special bond we have with our four-legged friends by capturing the essence of their characters through a costume.

  Post your photo on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/summeridgeanimalclinic

If you have any questions, please call us at Summeridge Animal Clinic at 905-731-1225 or visit our website at www.summeridgeanimalclinic.com.

Our Thornhill Vet wants to bring to your attention a recent incident which demonstrates the importance of making sure your pet is safe from unknown dangers.

 An owner of three cats was given a sample of treats from a well-known pet food manufacturer by a stranger handing out sample bags while walking along the waterfront adjacent to the Burlington Ribfest.  The treats were consumed by his cats and within hours exhibited signs of distress.  One of the cats died and the other two subsequently had to be euthanized.

The manufacturer of the cat treats had nothing to do with the Burlington Ribfest and it was subsequently discovered that the packaging given to the owner was not used in any sampling promotion.  It was later discovered that the treats were laced with Acetaminophen (Tylenol) which is toxic to dogs and extremely toxic to cats.

Our Thornhill Vet wants you to be informed of the signs of acetaminophen toxicity.  The clinical signs of Acetaminophen poisoning in dogs are:  progressive depression, vomiting within a few hours of ingestion, abdominal pain, and dark-coloured urine.  Death can occur within 2-5 days.  In cats, the signs are more severe.  The effects develop within 1-2 hours of ingestion and include anorexia, salivation, vomiting, depression, dark chocolate-coloured urine and swelling of face or paws.  Death can occur within 18-36 hours.  The prognosis for cats is poor but more favourable in dogs.  If you see any signs, please bring your pet to see our Thornhill Vet.

This incident illustrates that one should be extremely careful when confronted by someone giving out so-called sample bags of pet food.  You should not accept bags of pet food or treats from anyone you either do not know personally or has not identification indicating that they represent a pet food manufacturer.  It is also useful to know that it is extremely rare for pet food manufacturers these days to give out sample bags of their products.

If your pet is suffering from any of the symptoms listed above, please call us at 905-731-1225 or visit our website www.summeridgeanimalclinic.com or our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Summeridge Animal Clinic.

Summeridge Animal Clinic, your Thornhill Vaughan Animal Hospital, wants to share some valuable information regarding ticks and how they can affect your pet’s health.

 Ticks are probably most notable for being the carrier of Lyme disease.  Lyme disease affects people as well as dogs.  Most common signs of Lyme disease are: lameness, fever, swollen joints, and lack of appetite.  Some veterinary clinics recommend yearly screening tests in all dogs for Lyme disease.  We, at the Thornhill, Vaughan Animal Hospital, do not.

Here are some reasons why?:

1.    Although Lyme disease does happen in our patients, it is very uncommon.  This may change in the future as ticks are spreading and becoming more of a threat.   
2. At present, there is no consensus on the treatment of a healthy dog that has a positive test for Lyme disease.  There is insufficient information about whether to treat or not.  What we do know at Thornhill, Vaughan Animal Hospital is that a large majority of infected dogs will not become ill.
3. It is more useful to test on a dog showing the signs of Lyme disease.  If a dog has the following signs of fever, lameness, lethargy, we at Thornhill, Vaughan Animal Hospital, will test for Lyme disease.

Our goal, at the Thornhill, Vaughan Animal Hospital, is to prevent your dog from being bitten from a tick.  

1. Keep your dog away from tall grass or brush.
2.  Use an effective tick preventive product for your dog.
3.  Inspect your dog for ticks daily.  In order for your dog to acquire Lyme disease, the tick needs to be attached for at least 48 hours.  Daily inspection for ticks is the best way to ensure that they never have a chance to cause harm in your dog.

 We have an informative video on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/summeridgeanimalclinic

If you have any questions, please call us at Summeridge Animal Clinic at 905-731-1225 or visit our website to schedule an appointment today!