Christmas Dreams

Guelph Humane Society "Toy Drive"

 The Guelph Humane Society is a non-profit organization and as such they rely heavily on donations in order to operate. 

This holiday season we will be collecting donations of supplies and delivering them to the shelter. 

Your generosity will help the Humane Society continue to care for lost and abandoned animals and provide them with the love and attention they deserve

Here are a few items from their wish list. If you have any items around the house or wish to purchase something from the list, feel free to bring it to the hospital and we will make a special Santa delivery in time for Christmas.

•Unscented, non clumping cat litter
•Large newspapers for lining cages
•Shredded paper for bedding (No Staples)
•Hay and treats for Rabbits
•High value training treats (Rollover, dehydrated liver etc.)
•Peanut Butter
•Stimulating dog toys (Kong, Buster cube, treat balls)
•Furminator grooming tools
•Bleach, all purpose cleaner
•Laundry soap, dish soap
•Disinfecting wipes
•Hand Sanitizer

•Large, heavy duty garbage bags

•Paper towels, Kleenex, Toilet paper 

•Cotton pads/balls 

•Plastic bags 

•Brooms, dustpans, cleaning supplies 

•Rubber gloves, latex gloves 

•Work gloves, welding gloves 

•Duct tape 

•Office supplies (pens, paper, tape, sharpies etc)

•USB drives 

•Postage stamps 

•Reflective vests 

•Gift cards (Canadian Tire, Zellers, Staples etc)

                                                                                                                    

Cuba Canines

I recently spent a week in Varadero, Cuba where we went off our 5-star resort to explore the local streets.  Eating where the locals eat and experiencing the local culture can be challenging in the tourist town of Varadero.

The one thing that we found was not part of the ‘tourist trap’, were the local canines.  They seemed very much at ease criss-crossing the streets, greeting  all of the tourists as if they were employed by the local hotels to promote their business. Of course none of them were spayed or neutered, but they all seemed in good health.  Someone is looking out for each and every one of them I think. 

It was nice for us to get our ‘canine fix’ as we like to call it when we are away from our own canine companions.  It was truly a pleasure meeting each and every one who crossed our paths!

by: Martha, Pet Care Coordinator

Meet Jenny - our new dog groomer

Please check out the BEFORE and AFTER pics of my Toy Poodle, Honey!  She had her ‘spa day’ with Jenny today.  Doesn't she look absolutely beautiful! I am fairly fussy when it comes to my poodle and like her to be perfectly coiffed.  Honey is a bit nervous when here, but Jenny made her feel comfortable enough to give her kisses when she was done.

Thank you, Jenny for a wonderful job on my Honey!

Jenny Treutlein has 7 years of all breed grooming experience and we are happy to have her join the Royal City Grooming Centre team. She looks forward to meeting you and your dog too, so she can pamper them the way she pampered my Honey. 

 To book your dog’s ‘spa day’ with Jenny, please call us at 519-763-5788

by: Martha - pet care coordinator

Happy Birthday Lisa

Today is Lisa's Birthday. 
Which Lisa is that, you ask? After all we have 3 who work here.
That would be Lisa E., the technician.
Today she turns...............(i dare not say)
Perhaps someone will bake her a delicious home made cake for her special day.
ooopss...she is the baker - does that mean she has to bake her own cake for the rest of us to enjoy? I have no problem with that.

Have a Fabulous day Lisa. 

Happy Birthday from all of your friends and coworkers at Royal City Animal Hospital.

Pet Nutrition

With so much variety on the market today, which pet food should I choose?

There has been an exponential increase in the number of different pet food companies in the past few years.  Although all pet foods sold in stores must adhere to regulations set by AAFCO (regulator of pet food), the restrictions are quite lax.  This means that there is a huge variety in the type and quality of ingredients used.  For example, a certain brand can make a claim to have glucosamine but the amount in the bag may not be at therapeutic levels.  This means it is essentially useless in helping to relieve the pain of arthritis.  Also many pet food companies will spend a large majority of their budget on marketing and advertising to appeal to the owners, whereas other pet food companies spend more money on research and development to ensure that the food is indeed the best for the animal.

If you are considering a specific type of food, or if you have any questions or concerns about pet nutrition, we encourage you to discuss this with your veterinary team.  We know your pet and may be able to offer some useful suggestions based on your pet's specific needs.                    



mmmm ...delicious AND nutritious

Holiday Pet Emergencies

Holiday Pet Safety Tips

The holidays can be a fun and exciting time of year for everyone, including your furry little friends.  Unfortunately we see a lot of emergencies at this time of year. Chocolates are common gifts but can be quite toxic and even fatal to dogs.  Theobromine, the active ingredient in chocolate that is toxic to dogs, can be quite damaging to the heart so make sure you keep those tasty treats well out of reach.

Pets love turkey but we urge you not to give your dog or cat any of the trimmings or bones from the carcass.  Trimmings tend to be high in fat and can cause pancreatitis, a very painful inflammation of the abdomen often requiring hospitalization and intensive care.  Bones (cooked or raw) can be harmful as well.  Raw bones have the tendency to fracture teeth requiring them to be surgically extracted while cooked bones will splinter into tiny bits and can act like little razor blades on the inside of the gut (ouch!).

Try to keep these bits of information in mind while you are enjoying this festive time of year.
For a more detailed list of Holiday Hazards - please check out this link from the ASPCA. 

We wish you and your pet(s) a safe and happy holiday!!

 



Definitely a bad idea.