About Veterinary Health Care

• I've heard that there may be pet health insurance available. Is my pet eligible and what is covered?
• My veterinarian says my pet's office visit/vaccinations/surgery/medication, et. adds up to a couple hundred dollars or more! I just don't have that kind of money all at once. What about terms...a payment plan that's fair to both parties?
• Is it okay to give my pet Tylenol?

• Why should I spay or neuter my pet? Why does it cost what it does?
• My cat appears healthy and rarely, if ever, goes outdoors. Are an annual check-up and/or vaccinations really necessary?

• Dentistry

• Why do pets need professional dental care?
• My pet's teeth are relatively white. How can a dental cleaning be necessary?
• Is my pet too old for dental care?

• Heartworm and Wellness testing

• What is heartworm?
• What is a heartworm test?
• What is wellness testing?

• Education

• What is a veterinarian?
• What sort of education must a veterinarian have?
• Is it difficult to get into a veterinary program?

• Weight Loss Program - Slim Fit!

• How long will it take for me to see weight loss?
• How long will it take to achieve the target weight?
• Why are regular weigh-ins important?
• My pet has been on the program for a few weeks and I’m not seeing any weight loss. What should I do?
• Can my pet lose weight too quickly?
• Why can’t I just feed less of a regular diet?
• Do I really need a veterinary diet or can I just buy a reduced-calorie diet from a pet store?
• Why does my pet ask for food even if he/she is not hungry?
• What if my pet won’t eat the recommended diet?
• How often should I feed my pet?
• What treats can I feed my pet?

Third party health insurance is available for pets. As with human health insurance, different companies offer various levels of coverage which have a wide range of deductibles and premiums. There are also certain restrictions on which conditions, injuries and procedures are covered.  

Please contact your veterinary facility which may have more information on this type of insurance.

Like most other professional offices you visit (your dentist, chiropractor, lawyer, etc.) fees are payable at the time service is rendered.

Your best course of action is to call your veterinary hospital ahead of time and inquire about alternative payment methods. The hospital manager will be happy to clarify the payment policy of the individual hospital.

We recommend you try to budget for veterinary care in your household budget.

Many veterinary preventive health care services can be staggered over a period of time, rather than doing "everything" in one visit. Your veterinarian can best advise you which procedures can be deferred, if necessary.

Most veterinary facilities accept payment by major credit cards. This is especially helpful at the time of a medical emergency.

NO. Tylenol contains the active ingredient acetaminophen, and acetaminophen should never be administered to cats or dogs.

There are long term health benefits to your pet when it is spayed or neutered. Ask your veterinarian to explain these. Obviously, the primary benefit is controlling the pet population and reducing the numbers of unplanned, unwanted pets.

Spay and neuter procedures are major surgery for your pet. The average spay or neuter costs less than an automobile tune-up. The procedure requires the time of a veterinarian and a surgical technician, newly-sterilized surgical instruments, general anesthesia, drapes, suture material, and hospitalization. When measured against the cost of feeding and nurturing unwanted kittens or puppies, spaying/neutering is much more cost-effective.

Annual physical examinations are recommended for every pet, regardless of whether they venture outdoors. The early stages of dental disease, kidney disease, eye problems, heart problems, etc., may not be observable to even the most conscientious pet owner, but may be detected by your veterinarian. Through physical examination alone or in combination with blood tests that assess organ function, the opportunity to diagnose and initiate preventive measures or treatment in the early stages of any condition is ideal.

Yes, it is possible that some pets may not require vaccinations every year. Every pet and their family differ in lifestyles, so we tailor each vaccine protocol to meet the needs of the individual. Vaccinating an indoor pet against the upper respiratory viruses as well is a good idea. These viruses are sneezed or coughed into the air by an infected animal and could be transmitted to an indoor cat through an open window. As well, your cat could accidentally escape from home or could require hospitalization some day. Vaccination increases your cat’s protection against exposure to these air born viruses.

Rabies is the most important vaccine for even an indoor cat. Rabies is a fatal disease to cats as well as being transmissible to people. The wild animals responsible for carrying rabies include raccoons and bats, both of which could potentially enter your house. In addition, it is a by-law in Mississauga that all dogs and cats be vaccinated for rabies.

For the same reason that humans do. Their teeth are subject to many of the same problems that ours are. Traditionally, we left our pet’s teeth alone, and extracted them when serious problems arose. Today, we know enough to care for our pets’ teeth with regular brushing and oral health exams. The most common disease in pets over the age of 5 is dental disease! If left untreated, dental disease can lead to many secondary problems including oral pain, abscess and organ disease. Good dental health can be achieved in many ways… more

The primary purpose of a dental cleaning & polishing is not to ensure white teeth. The purpose is to treat the dental disease process which is occurring beneath the gum line. Regardless of the appearance of the visible portion of the tooth, bacteria and plaque/tartar accumulates beneath the gum line, resulting in inflammation of the gums which, untreated, leads to gum loss, bone loss, pain/discomfort and eventual tooth loss.

From the perspective of life expectancy and quality of life (pain-free, etc.), an otherwise-healthy senior pet stands to benefit most from dental care. With advances in general anesthesia, anesthetic monitoring, protocols that include pre-anesthetic bloodwork and IV fluids, the benefits of dental care outweigh the associated risks.

Heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis) are parasites that are found in the blood and spread by mosquitos. Dogs and cats of any age and breed are susceptible to infection. These worms live in the right side of the heart and arteries of the lungs. Heartworm infection can cause serious damage to the heart and arteries, eventually leading to heart failure. In severe cases, damage to other organs such as the liver and kidneys occur... more

A heartworm test requires the collection of a sample of blood from your pet. This sample is then examined for evidence of either microfilariae or adult heartworms.

Don’t take your pet’s health for granted! Wellness testing allows your veterinarian to better evaluate your pet’s current health status. Blood tests can help identify potentially hidden illness in pets that appear healthy. Wellness evaluation will usually include a complete physical examination, along with an evaluation of your pet’s blood, urine and feces... more

Today's veterinarian is dedicated to protecting the health and welfare of both animals and people. Veterinarians are highly educated and skilled in preventing, diagnosing and treating animal health problems. Because their knowledge and training extends to a number of closely-related areas, veterinarians are often involved in more than animal medicine.

They provide a wide variety of services in private practice, teaching and research, regulatory veterinary medicine, public health, private industry and other specialized services.

In order to earn a veterinary medical degree, a man or woman must generally complete at least six years of university education. This includes a minimum of two years of pre-veterinary university education and four years in a program of veterinary medicine.

A typical veterinary medical student spends about 4,000 hours in classroom, laboratory and clinical study. In many ways, a veterinarian's education only begins with a degree. New scientific knowledge and techniques are constantly being developed and a veterinarian must keep his/her knowledge current by reading scientific journals and attending professional meetings, short courses and seminars.

Yes. For many years, the number of students applying to veterinary school has exceeded the number of available positions.

Men and women who hope to get into a veterinary medical program must complete their pre-veterinary study with high grades. Practical experience with animals or extra years of college can help.

Pets are as unique as humans in the way they lose weight. Most pets will start to lose weight after the first month. Typically, dogs will take 12-14 weeks and cats will take 18-20 weeks to achieve a target weight (85% of their starting weight, i.e. a 15% weight loss).

The key to success for your pet’s weight loss program is regular weigh-ins with your veterinary team. Each pet is unique and we are prepared to coach you on the adjustments that may be required to keep your pet on track to successful weight loss.
Your pet’s weight will be recorded at each visit to see if there are any changes required to the daily feeding or exercise schedule. Each weigh-in is an opportunity to discuss the progress of your pet’s weight loss and to address your specific questions or concerns. Our veterinary team has a number of helpful hints and additional resources to assist you.
In some instances, your pet may reach a ‘plateau’ and may not lose any weight over a period of time. It is important to catch this early and make minor adjustments to your pet’s program to resume the weight loss. If your pet continues to successfully lose weight – it’s a time to celebrate with everyone in the veterinary clinic!

The first thing to do is verify your pet’s energy intake from all sources. Check that the recommended amount of food is being measured out daily and that treats do not exceed 10% of the total daily calorie intake. If the recommended amount of food is being fed and there is no weight loss after several weeks, you pet may have a slower metabolic rate and therefore be a candidate for a modified program. Please contact us. We will provide a number of suggestions to meet the specific energy requirements of your pet. Healthy weight loss is our priority. Ensure that you visit regularly to have your pet’s progress closely monitored.

Yes. Our goal is to have your pet lose excess body fat while maintaining or building muscle. In addition, we want to ensure that your pet is benefiting from the required nutrients while eating fewer calories so that your pet’s immune system and overall health are not compromised. Rapid weight loss in cats can result in a serious medical condition (hepatic lipidosis). Following the recommendations of the SlimFit program under the guidance of our veterinary team will ensure safe, effective and sustainable weight loss.

When you feed less of a regular diet, you are reducing calories – but you are also reducing all of the essential nutrients including protein, vitamins and minerals. Regular diets are designed for pets of average body weight with average energy requirements. They are not formulated to provide all the essential nutrients when reduced calories are fed, like SlimFit diets are.

The calories per cup or can (caloric density) of different reduced-calorie diets vary widely. Diets that are marketed as reduced-calorie diets may contain MORE calories than regular maintenance diets.
Reducing formula, Fibre Formula and Calorie Control diets have a greater restriction in calories and have been clinically proven to produce and sustain healthy weight loss. For safety and efficacy, it is best if a veterinarian monitors your pet’s weight loss program

Are you sure you pet is asking for food? In many cases, your pet is simply seeking your attention and love. If you reward this behaviour by always offering food, you will train your pet to expect food every time they display this behaviour. Replace the food with some interactive time with our pet.
Cats are, by nature, hunters. Much more of their time is spent in the act of searching for and stalking their prey than in eating their meal. Much of the behaviours exhibited by cats can be related to the hunting ritual rather than true hunger.

When changing to the recommended diet, gradually introduce it by mixing the new diet with your pet’s previous diet over a 5-7 day period. This will give your pet time to get familiar with the new diet.
Adding warm water to dry diets a few minutes before feeding or slightly warming canned or pouch diets may increase acceptance of the new food. You may also create more interest in the food by mixing canned or pouch diet with dry diet.
Please contact us if your pet is not eating the entire recommended feeding amount. This is essential for overweight cats, as they are prone to liver disease if they don’t eat.

We recommend feeding several times a day. Multiple meals help to alleviate hunger and increase the energy expenditure. The calories burned while digesting a meal can represent up to 10% of the pet’s daily energy expenditure. Feeding several small meals a day burns more calories and may contribute to faster weight loss. In all cases, pets need to be carefully portion-fed with the prescribed amount being measured out daily.

Feeding your pet treats can continue to be a part of your daily routine if you offer low calorie options. Feline and Canine Medi-Treats are highly palatable, low calorie treats, suitable to include in a weight loss program (1 kcal/feline; 14 kcal/canine Medi-Treats). Other options include: baby carrots, rice caked, frozen peas and flavoured ice cubes.
Treats of any kind should not make up more than 10% of total daily caloric intake. Our veterinary team will guide you on the daily allowance of an appropriate treat.