Check out this video that takes you behind-the-scenes of a dental cleaning.  The patient is left in our care at the clinic Then a sample of the patients’ blood is taken by our registered veterinary technicians to evaluate liver, kidney, etc. and a complete blood count prior to surgery. A pressure bandage is usually applied in order to stop the bleeding, this is the same as we get when we get our blood taken The patient is then examined by a doctor. The doctor does an overall exam which includes listening to the patient’s heart to ensure there is no murmur or arrhythmias as well as any is ..read more

Did you know that pet’s during an emergency may need a blood donation just like in humans?  Veterinary medicine has progressed to the point that we can perform blood transfusions in pets that require more blood or blood products.  There is also a national blood bank just for animals! The Canadian Animal Blood Bank (CABB) is a non-profit organization who strives to supply high-quality blood products to Canadian veterinarians and help educate veterinary professionals on transfusion medicine.  All of the blood at the blood bank comes from donations from pets, just like yours! There ..read more

Lately, there had been a lot of chatter about the link between grain-free diets and heart disease. Where is this information coming from, and what do you need to know?  Cardiologists across the US have been noticing a rise in a condition called Dilated Cardiomyopathy in breeds that are not known for this condition – most notably in Golden Retrievers. There have been more than 70 deaths associated with this condition. After many lab tests, genetics tests, etc., the one common link was their diet. Almost all of the dogs were fed a grain-free +/- novel protein diets that were high ..read more

Mountain Road Animal Hospital has been a member of AAHA since 2012. You may have heard how proud we are to have passed our recent evaluation and can continue serving our clients as an AAHA accredited hospital. What does that mean and why is it so important? AAHA stands for the American Animal Hospital Association. It is the only association that is exclusive to companion animals and was formed by leaders in the veterinary profession. Their focus is to guide our profession in providing the highest quality of care for our patients, improving the standards of care (i.e. Developing guidelines for ..read more

Your veterinarian will want to collect a lot of information from you during the appointment. The more information you can provide will help them determine which diagnostic procedures and subsequently treatments they will recommend for your pet. Be prepared to provide information about: Current concerns – what problems brought you to the vet, when they first started, any treatments you have tried or are currently using. Environmental history – travel history, exercise (swimming, beach, etc.), indoor vs outdoor or both, grooming/bathing, other pets and how is their skin, anyone in the house hav ..read more

As many of you know, the Oscar Fund is an account that is filled by donations to be used solely for the purpose of the clinic to be able to provide medical care to a patient whose owner(s) are financially strained and cannot afford treatment. In the past, many of these unfortunate pets were inevitably euthanized due to the owner’s financial restraints. This is a very heartbreaking situation regardless of the circumstance, especially for a young and otherwise healthy pet. A brilliant mind started this initiative at Van Isle Veterinary Hospital in Western Canada. It has gained popularity all ove ..read more

Mountain Road Animal Hospital strives to provide top quality medicine to all of our patients. One way in which we provide this care is by using a carbon dioxide laser for the majority of our surgery patients. The laser produces an invisible beam of light that can very precisely cut through one layer of tissue at a time. This laser is used instead of the traditional scalpel blade and has many benefits for your pet, including: Less Pain: The laser seals the nerve endings as it cuts, so your pet will have less discomfort both during and after their surgery. Less Bleeding: The laser also seals sm ..read more