The "Toy Story"

A big shout out and tonnes of thanks to a very very loyal customer of ours for spoiling our clinic kitties with a new tree-house-scratch-pole. 

Though we are really big on letting our kitties have whatever toy they want, we would like to take the opportunity to remind owners to be aware that there are risks to toys. Choking hazards and ingesting a foreign objects is always a concern for me when it comes to choosing the right toy for my furry friends. So do consider ones that are more durable with minimal to no small parts. Grab something that involves your animal working hard for the treat. There are now toys that is more like a puzzle for the animals with the treats hidden inside. Fun, food, and exercise all-in-ones. :)

And if by chance your furry bugger swallowed a toy (or any foreign objects), look for signs of vomiting, pain and discomfort, diarrhea or constipation. These are signs telling you to take your animal to a veterinarian. At Norgate Animal Hospital, we have our in-house X-ray machine which can help us find out what we should do next. In case your baby is choking on a foreign body, do not wait, get to a nearby hospital as soon as possible. These foreign objects can suffocate your animal by blocking the airway. Other complications such as the foreign object pressing on the trachea causing discomfort or tearing of the windpipe.

If in doubt, please contact us (604) 980-2222 to book and appointment if you think your...

I am sure a lot of pet owners out there are experience the same thing as I am right now. 

Is your pet not letting you work? 

Well, Oreo (our clinic cat/queen) is making herself very useful by telling me that I should stop working or at least stop looking at the screen. With her mighty paws and her soft white tummy, it was were persuasive that I should focus on her for the next little while. Which of course, I am very happy to oblige :).

It's about dressing up, trick-or-treating, and staying safe while having fun.

Hallowe'en's coming up and we have finally come to a consensus as to what our lovely Oreo and Hunk will be this year. Let's keep it a secret until the time comes :).

And while having lots of 'kodak moments' for ourselves, lets make sure our beloved companions also stay safe. If you're out trick-or-treating around the neighbourhood with your furry buddies, make sure they are well seen so there are no accidents.

Another pointer, I can't stress this enough: DO NOT PUT CHOCOLATES or CANDIES OUT lying around. Pets can choke on candies, leading to suffocation and possibly death. As for chocolates, kitties and doggies cannot process cocoa like humans. They can throw up, have heart problems and may result in death. "Death by Chocolate" is what we don't want to see.

Are you having friends over for dinner? Make sure you don't give your pets and human food. It's not good for your animals and they often end up with an allergic reaction or diarrhea. If you give homeopathic recipes to your pets, that fine, but limit that to poaching or steaming the food.

Are you dressing up your little cutie pie? It's a great idea, especially during the Hallowe'en! But make sure you remove any dangling things or ornaments that your baby might want to swallow, bite or chew on. Remove all choking hazards just to be on the safe side.

Last but not least, have tonnes of fun and take lots of...