The Holiday Season is coming up fast! Along with it come holiday decorations, family gatherings, big family feasts, gifts, and lots of busy, busy schedules. All of us at Goldenvale hope that you have a wonderful, relaxing holiday but sometimes that isn’t the case and we want you to be prepared for emergencies that may come up with your pets. Dr. Steph has put together a list of things that are true emergencies; things that can’t wait until the morning, or the next day. If any of these situations arise, your pet needs to take a trip to the vet immediately, or if we aren’t open, head to the emergency clinic. Read more …

As a student of veterinary medicine, one of the first things you come to accept is that cats are, well… different.  Most of us had worked in clinics prior to starting vet school and owned cats ourselves so we were already aware of their staggering difference compared to dogs as a pet/companion/couch ornament/furry thing that lives in your house and you see on occasion at feeding time or for 2am cuddles; but the differences don’t stop there.  First year vet school is all about basic anatomy and physiology and it’s here we discover just how unique our feline friends are.   Read more …

Recently, we had one of our feline patients come in to get a limp checked out.  Art, a middle aged Domestic Shorthair had some arthritis in his knee causing his limp (arthritis in cats is a separate blog post all together, and we will be addressing it in a few weeks) but when Dr. T checked his mouth (as part of her routine exam) she found something much more worrisome.  Art had large holes in his teeth… and in some cases, entire teeth were just … missing!  Read more …

Besides the everyday concerns we have to watch out for around our homes, the holidays bring additional dangers for our furry friends. 

The Pet Poison Helpline provides lots of very useful information to pet owners and pet health professionals alike. 

Below is an excerpt from the helpful staff.

How to Keep Pets Safe this Holiday Season

We love the holidays for celebrating some of life’s happiest moments and making memories with loved ones. Dogs and cats love the holidays too, especially when their owners and guests share extra time and pet treats with them. But all the interesting foods and decorations in our homes during the holidays can be irresistible to pets, sometimes landing them in emergency pet hospitals after tasting or eating them.

“Every year during the holidays, calls to Pet Poison Helpline increase substantially,” said Ahna Brutlag, DVM, MS, DABT, DABVT and associate director of veterinary services at Pet Poison Helpline. “Certain foods and items that bring holiday cheer to our homes can have the opposite effect on pets when ingested, making them very sick.”

Armed with knowledge, pet owners can keep their beloved best friends out of harm’s way this holiday season. To inform pet owners, and also to debunk some age-old myths, the veterinarians and toxicology experts at Pet Poison Helpline offer these tips for pet owners.

  Read more …

How many dog owners out there have secret cats that your veterinarian doesn’t know about? All cats, even totally indoor cats, should have an examination every year. With annual check-ups we can detect subtle changes that maybe your cat has been hiding from you. Cats are masters at hiding problems. We know you want to keep your pet happy and healthy so we hope to see you and your cat soon. Call me, Jill, anytime – 905-895-2278.