Vet Edmonton

Your veterinarian can recommend the vaccination program that is best suited to your geographic area. No matter where you live, puppies and kittens need their initial series of vaccinations, called core vaccines, for diseases such as rabies, feline panleukopenia (distemper), feline viral rhinotracheitis rhinotracheitis, feline calicivirus infection, canine distemper, canine parvovirus, and canine hepatitis. After those core vaccinations, what your pet needs depends on where you live and what lifestyle you and your pet lead (i.e., do you take your pet on trips, stay in one geographic area, have busy play-dates, rarely leave your yard, etc.).

Spaying your dog or cat at an appropriate age, which can be determined by your veterinarian, can help prevent numerous health and behavioral concerns. Spayed females have a low to no risk of mammary gland tumors / cancer, pyometra, uterine/ovarian cancers, and uterine infections. It also costs less than caring for a litter. Neutering male dogs and cats reduces marking/spraying, aggression, and roaming. Your veterinarian can help you decide on the appropriate age for this procedure.

Your pet should have at least an annual checkup with your veterinarian. It's the equivalent of your annual physical. (Some pets may need more frequent checkups, due to on-going health problems, age-related diseases, etc.) Your pet's doctor will do a physical exam and feel the skin, muscles, bones, etc. for problems; check his teeth; and make sure his health appears to be good. Finding a potential problem sooner, rather than later, is always best for your pet’s health. (And often, it saves you money over the long run.) The older your pet gets, the more important this preventive care becomes.

Bad breath isn't an accident; our pets get it for the same reasons we do, and one of those reasons is poor oral health. However, the need for dental care goes far beyond the importance of treating “bad” teeth that are painful and thus can make pets reluctant to eat or drink. The bacteria involved in the infection can travel through the body, causing problems in other organs. You can help to prevent dental disease by brushing your pet's teeth regularly at home with a toothpaste made for pets, not humans, and by making sure your veterinarian checks your pet's teeth at every appointment. Your pet may need a dental cleaning under anesthesia for such concerns as gingivitis, periodontal disease, or tooth resorption.

Internal and external parasites can make your pet (and, in some cases, your family) sick, so using preventatives can keep your pet comfortable and save you a lot of money. It is important to control fleas, ticks, tapeworms, ascarids, other intestinal worms, and heartworms. An infestation of fleas can suck so much blood that your pet can become anemic. They also can cause skin problems. Ticks can transmit Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, and Cytauxzoonosis. In ALBERTA we advise treatment for pets that frequent the outdoors between the months of March - October (When the temperatures are above 4 Degrees for the most part) An annual exam within the past 6-12 months is required for us to dispense these medications.

We are set up for emergencies at our hospital. If an emergency came in, we try to stabilize the patient and prepare for further procedure.

Our clinic has onsite X-rays. X-rays will be ordered for bones, ligaments and other hard parts of the body. They are even used to look at things your pet may have accidentally swallowed.

We are able to schedule ultrasounds through our referral partner FVS. For emergencies requiring ultrasound we direct you to go through emergency triage at VCA Guardian or Pulse Vet.

Dogs are living longer these days than ever before due to advanced veterinary care and better nutrition. However, as they get older, age-related diseases such as arthritis, dental disease, diabetes, Cushing’s disease, thyroid disease, cancer, and decreases in vision and hearing can all result in subtle or more obvious behavioral changes in dogs. These changes can include decreased activity, loss of appetite, and even aggression. If you are observing behavior changes in your older dog, a trip to the veterinarian is encouraged. What you are seeing may not just be your dog slowing down. There may be more to the picture than meets the eye or assuming that’s the way it goes; you may be able to significantly enhance your dog’s quality of life in their senior years.

Hospice and Palliative Care for Pets The goal of hospice care, sometimes referred to as palliative care or end-of-life care, is to improve comfort at the end of your pet's life. Some diseases are incurable or would involve uncomfortable or expensive treatments that your family may choose not to pursue. Even so, there are still simple steps you can take to make your pet comfortable and peaceful. With hospice care, you can help them enjoy life as much as possible until their time comes. How Do I Know if Hospice Care Is Right for My Pet? If your pet's condition has progressed to the point where curative treatment is no longer your first choice, you can talk to your veterinarian about hospice care. They can discuss the symptoms your pet has, what you can expect for your pet's health as time goes on, and options for care.

Lakeview Animal Hospital can help with laser therapy ad acupuncture for orthopaedic issues.

Pets deserve to have a Fear Free death as much as they deserve to have a Fear Free life. By considering your pet’s emotional health during their final days, you’ll help make their passing as compassionate as possible. You’ll remember your pet’s euthanasia for the rest of your life, and if your pet is agitated or anxious, you’ll remember that, too. Taking these few simple steps to plan ahead will make help make the experience easier for your pet and your family. When you make the difficult decision to euthanize your pet, there are many other smaller decisions you’ll have to make, like when to schedule and whether you or your children should be present. Among these details that should be considered is how you can lower your pet’s fear, anxiety, and stress during their final moments. Please book a consultation appointment with our medical team to discuss this further.

5 Reasons to Microchip Your Pet “The whole goal is to keep pets with their families,” 1. You’ll improve your chance of being reunited with your pet. “Microchipping your pet dramatically increases your odds of being reunited if he or she goes missing or is stolen. In fact, a study by The Ohio State University found the return-to-owner rate at shelters for microchipped cats was 20 times higher, and 2.5 times greater for microchipped dogs,” she says. 2. It’s quick. Microchipping takes less than a minute. If you’re concerned that the injection will be painful, ask your veterinarian to implant the microchip when your pet will be under anesthesia for spay/neuter surgery or a dental cleaning. 3. It’s inexpensive and registration fees are nominal or included in the price of the microchip. 4. It helps provide proof of ownership if your pet is stolen. 5. Since the information is stored in a database, you are able to update the information when you move or change numbers. Also, most microchips are traceable North-America wide.

What does it mean when a veterinarian says they needs to run some blood work on your pet? Blood work - presurgical or otherwise - is usually a combination of a complete blood count (CBC) and a blood chemical analysis. Blood work is a basic evaluation tool. Pets, particularly senior ones, should have a CBC at every annual examination. In addition, blood work allows a veterinarian to monitor the progression of a pet's disease.

CryoProbe uses cartridges containing nitrous oxide, which is then applied to the lesion or affected area to make it reach below-freezing temperatures rapidly, resulting in the removal of the lesion.