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Hello, it’s Dr. Krägeloh! Spring is here, and despite Covid-19 restrictions life goes on, and it goes fast! Today I would like to outline why we perform health exams with our routine vaccinations.

Vaccinations are an important part of health care, for humans as well as for our pets. Don’t we refer to them often as “fur-babies”? Preventative care is supposed to protect against (mostly) viral diseases which can be quite severe or even deadly to our pets. Vaccinations work by helping the pet’s body, or specifically their immune system, to create a defense mechanism against viruses which can invade their bodies. With booster vaccinations the (immune) system gets a “reminder” to refresh these defences.

Since these vaccinations directly affect and stimulate the immune system, we want to be sure that our pets are healthy at the time when they receive the vaccines. The way we determine this is with a health exam. The added benefit of this is that the information we gather can help us pick up early on changes in the pet’s body, and discuss these changes with you, the pet owner. We can discuss what the changes mean and how we can prevent these changes from becoming a problem, or how to intervene early with developing problems like dental disease, kidney disease or metabolic diseases.

The best terminology for this kind of exam would be “annual health examination with vaccinations”. Often this is all that is required to keep our pets healthy and happy, at least during adulthood into early mature years. It also helps us to find the best solutions for evolving problems, if caught early. For us as health professionals it is mandatory to keep records of our patients and findings, which in turn also make it easier to tailor any necessary treatment plans. Having records of vital signs and findings on physical examinations helps to trend these findings, for example weight, and address changes. This is the added benefit of the health exams. It is not solely about the vaccinations, it is about maintaining good health for our pets, and helping them and you in their journey through life!

In this sense, I hope everyone has a great start into spring!

By Dr. Susanne Krägeloh

It seems that time is flying, and New Years resolutions were made and sometimes already forgotten. One of the most popular resolutions is weight loss and paying attention to better health.

Apparently, we are more successful with New Years resolutions if we have a friend we can strive for success with. So why not make our pet this friend? Maintaining a good weight (or achieving weight loss) and striving for healthy lifestyle will benefit our best friends as well.

But how do we address weight loss in a pet? It is not that different from us. The key is often in how much is consumed. But how much is too much? So, the first thing to do would be to look at how much food your pet consumes in one day. How much food is offered, and how much food is consumed? Are there any treats given or food items outside mealtimes?  Anything offered besides regular meals will increase the calorie count per day, and often treats are more calorie dense than we think they are. Also, our pets are in most cases much smaller than us, and a small treat for our small dog could be for us as much as a full chocolate bar or an extra cheeseburger.

Then we need to calculate how much should be fed. Here again, we often miscalculate how much we need to feed. All pet foods come with some instructions how much to feed. But often this is quite generous since no manufacturer wants animals to starve while being fed their product. Also, these are guidelines only. If your pet is already overweight, we need to feed for less than their actual weight. The rule of thumb is to look at the ideal weight (or a target weight) and feed for 2/3 of that. But please do not decrease the amount fed suddenly significantly! Slowly reduce the amount until we are at the amount we want to feed.

The next step is exercise. Typically, physical activity does have an indirect influence on weight management by kick-starting metabolism and to help maintain, sometimes even increase, muscle mass. Here again we want to start slow and steady and continue raising our bar. Please do not take your pet on a 3-hour hike after a 3 month down period! This can cause discomfort or worse, injury. It is much better to set achievable goals and proceed from there!

As always, when in doubt, ask us for advice if needed. There are multiple options available when it comes to weight management foods (for our pets), and we can also weigh your pet regularly to keep track of success!

By Dr. Alysson Macedo

I hope you’re just as excited as I am for Valentine’s Day. I know that Christmas was not that long ago, but there’s no such thing as too much chocolate, is there?

I mean, at least not for us. However, did you know that chocolate is highly toxic to our furry Valentines?

Here are a few things you should know about chocolates:

These delicious piece of heaven on earth contain methylxanthines (theobromine and caffeine). The more methylxanthines in the chocolate, the more toxic it is to pets. Keep in mind the following order of toxicity: Baking chocolate > semisweet and dark chocolate > milk chocolate > chocolate flavoured cakes and cookies. Ingestion of any of these may lead to vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, tremors, seizures, racing heart rhythm progressing to abnormal rhythms, and even death in severe cases.

We know sometimes our pets decide to share a few treats without our permission, so if that happens at your home, please make sure to contact us for assistance. The Doctors and staff at Leduc Animal Clinic are always here for you!

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

By Dr. Susanne Krägeloh

Hello again, it is Dr. Susanne Krägeloh. This crazy year is drawing to an end, and despite increased measures to contain Covid19 we all hope for a peaceful Christmas and holiday season.

Typically around this time there are warnings about foods which can be poisonous or dangerous to our pets when consumed; this is a huge concern but I just would like to give everyone a helpful link: good information and an extensive list of toxins and what to look for when ingested are to be found at petpoisonhelpline.com. Also, you can always contact your veterinarian!

I would like to address a few misconceptions which are widespread when it comes to pet food. We all want the best for our pets. There are literally hundreds of different options, brands, and formulations, as well as thousands of opinions. What about the legal side of it with labelling, though? What do the words on the label mean?

First, the label must include the common or generic name (“dog food”/”cat food”), the amount of product, and the information of the manufacturer or importer. Additionally, the following information should be included: list of ingredients, feeding instructions, guaranteed analysis and nutritional adequacy or intended life stage. The ingredients must be listed by their common name. If an ingredient or combination of ingredients add up to 90% of the total weight of the ingredients it may form part of the name. That means if the food contains 90% chicken it can have “chicken” in its name (“House Brand Chicken Cat Food”). (See: Consumer packaging and Labelling Act)

Then there are a host of different claims which are used on the labels.  The claim “natural” is often found – the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has a definition what can be called “natural”; in essence it is free of artificial flavours, colours, and preservatives. “Natural” also is not to be confused with “organic”, which refers to the conditions under which the plants were grown, or animals where raised. Currently there are no official rules to be applied to the term “organic” other than said conditions. 

What do we expect from out pet food? We often hear that people do not want “fillers”. What do we think fillers are? Especially for “weight control” or “light” foods, but also for all others it is important to have good fibre in the formulation. Fibre is an ingredient with a purpose – it helps the digestive process in a very desired way, and also can make our pets feel full longer – who likes a pet begging for food because the digestive process went too fast! So – fibre has a place in our pet food!

And why is meat not always the first ingredient? First of all: dogs (not cats though) are omnivores, which means their nutrition contains animals as well as plant-based foods (fruit and vegetables as well as grains and other starchy foods). So, they need a variety of food items, not just meat. Then the processing comes into play: ingredients have to be listed by weight, and during processing water is removed from the ingredients, which makes up a good chunk of meat. So, a food with a non-meat ingredient in first place can still be a qualitative high-ranking food!

All in all, pet food labels contain a lot of information, just sometimes not what we expect or read into it! For the readers who want to delve in detail into this: more information can be found here: Guide for the Labelling and Advertising of Pet Foods (Government of Canada); the website of AAFCO; and also worthwhile looking at, is the website of the FDA (pet food labels). Or have a chat with your veterinarian!

Summer is over, and winter is knocking on our door. We are staying indoors more, and so are our pets. We as veterinary professionals often get asked: why is it important to deworm our pets, even in the winter months? And even if we do not see any worms in their stools?

The answer is: we usually do not see worms in the feces.  Only if we have severe infestation with them do we see worms or pieces exiting our pets. A good routine with deworming helps us keep our pets worm free, and healthy. And it protects us as humans, as well.

Here is some short information on different types or worms and what this means for our pets and ourselves:

Roundworms:  Those are the worms we are mostly concerned about with young puppies. They can be transmitted already in the womb, or with the mothers’ milk. The life cycle of roundworms can be complicated, but we know that they can also infect humans, and transmission is not depending on direct contact with feces or the animal carrying the parasites. Especially young children and immunocompromised people are at risk. Therefore, it is advisable to deworm dogs regularly.  

Hookworms: Just like with roundworms, these worms can affect our pets from the time they are babies. These guys can be contracted by ingesting an infectious egg or even by larvae penetrating the skin, and the adult worms usually live in the intestines of their host, where they feed on the blood of their host. This can lead to anemia in severely infected animals. Here again: these worms can be transmitted to humans, either by ingesting infectious eggs or by larvae penetrating the skin. The good news is that they can be treated readily with the same products we use for roundworms.

Tapeworms: Typically, we think of cats which are hunting and eating mice as carriers of tapeworms, and it is right to want to deworm mousing cats for tapeworms. Recently another tapeworm is also more in the spotlight: Echinococcus, or the fox-tapeworm. While the “usual” tapeworm which affects dogs and cats is gross, echinococcus can be a huge health concern in humans.  Echinococcus can affect inner organs (liver, even the brain) where it can form cysts and lead to extensive damage. Fortunately, that seems to be relatively rare, but we want to be proactive and not risk severe health consequences from these critters. Treating tapeworms requires specific medication, which is in several, but not all products, for deworming. These products are generally prescription products.

To sum it up:  Deworming our animals regularly is necessary to keep our pets (and ourselves) healthy and free of parasites. We can help you find the right products and the right regimen for your pets.

The mornings are getting cooler, the wind is getting stronger, and the sun is setting earlier. That can only mean one thing; school is almost back in session. After months of upheaval, for better or for worse, the world is starting to return to normal. With this return to normalcy, our pets are going to be left alone at home more often. For all the COVID puppies out there, this will likely be the first time they have been left alone, and that will present certain challenges. Lets explore how we can help our furry friends through this difficult time.

1. Start Early: The time to start leaving your dog alone isn’t on the first day of school, its weeks to months before. You want to start with small trips away from home at first, so that your dog doesn’t think each time you leave you will be gone for hours. You can gradually work up how long you are gone each trip.
2. Create a Routine: Just like humans, dogs thrive on routine, and it can be very comforting for them. Start to develop a routine for when you leave in the morning. This includes the little details; like where you grab your car keys from before you leave. Try to make your entrances and exits as boring as possible, so they learn it’s no big deal.
3. Film It: When you first start leaving your dog alone, do like they do in the movies, and set up a nanny cam. This way you can see how your dog reacts when you are gone, see how anxious they are, and learn how much work you have left to do to make the experience more positive for them.
4. Create Distraction: Fill your house or crate with items that are safe for them to be left alone with, and that make for good long-lasting toys/treats. This is where those frozen Kongs come in handy!
5. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help: Teaching your dog to be alone is not an easy task, especially if they are anxious by nature. Don’t be afraid to contact a trainer to help with these issues. At Leduc Animal Clinic we are more than happy to connect you with a positive-methods trainer, or discuss if medications may be needed.

Happy learning! Best of luck to all the little humans starting their school year!

By Dr. Megan Forgan

Well, it appears as though summer weather is finally upon us. The sun is out, the temperatures are in the 20’s, and there is humidity galore. While this positive change is very much welcome, and provides us with wonderful opportunities to get outside with our dogs, there are some safety rules we need to carefully consider.

Honk-Honk: We say this every year, but every year we still see cases. Don’t leave your dogs in cars during the summer! The temperature outside is nowhere near how hot it can climb to in the cars. Only a few short moments in a car can be deadly. So if you are going out with your dog, plan accordingly, and make sure you aren’t planning to run any errands during that time.

Sidewalk Safety: It’s not just cars that can become too hot, even the sidewalks can pose a threat in hot weather. The cement and pavement can quickly heat up, becoming similar to a stovetop burner. A few short steps, and your pets’ paws can actually burn on the pavement, resulting in a lot of pain and trauma. If you put your hand on the cement and it’s too hot for you, then it’s too hot for your dog as well.

Running Wild: It’s not just the pavement/cement that can be a problem, it’s exercising during the heat in general. Too much exercise during the hot hours of the day can cause heat stroke in any dog, but especially in our little squishy-faced friends. Signs of heat stroke can include excessive panting, vomiting, lethargy, and collapse. These dogs need to be treated by a veterinarian immediately, and in the case of brachycephalic dogs, they can sometimes go into such severe respiratory distress that they need to be ventilated. On the hot days, make sure you are going for your walks in the early morning, or late evening when the temperatures are the coolest.

As always, remember that we at the Leduc Animal Clinic are here to help! If you have any questions regarding pets and the heat, or think your pet may be experiencing a heat related injury, please feel free to give us a call.

By Dr. Devan Boss

TICK SEASON

Temperatures are rising.  It’s a great time to enjoy the outdoors with your pets.  Its also a great time for ticks!   Ticks can become active at 4 degrees Celsius, therefore tick season in Alberta starts approximately mid-late April and doesn’t end until October.   

While tick bites themselves pose minimal threat to pets, some types of ticks can carry disease.  The most important tick-borne disease in Alberta is Lyme disease, which is carried by specific types of ticks.

LYME DISEASE

Symptoms of Lyme disease can include a “bulls-eye” rash at the bite site, nausea, decreased appetite, muscle and joint pain and a fever.  In 2018 only approximately 4% of all ticks tested in Alberta were positive for Lyme disease, therefore the risk of infection Alberta at this time is considered low.

PREVENTION

Using a monthly parasite prevention program can help decrease the likelihood of your pet contracting tick-born disease.  Speak to your veterinarian about what medications would be best for your pet.

Avoiding walking in tall grassy or wooded areas, instead stick to cleared trails.   Check yourself and pets for ticks after being outside.

TESTING

If you do find a tick on your pet, it is important to remove the entire tick, including the head that can sometimes get stuck in the skin.   If you are concerned about removal, contact your veterinarian’s office for assistance.  Your veterinarian can help identify the tick and, if applicable, submit it for testing to determine if it is carrying disease.    

If you are concerned that your pet is exhibiting symptoms of Lyme disease, or if they were previously exposed to ticks, ask your veterinarian about testing options for your pet.