What's New at SVH?

We’re CELEBRATING SENIORS!!!
It's Senior Month at SVH

Introducing the new Senior Package exclusively at the Smith Veterinary Hospital
(It’s like a senior’s discount for your pet!)

This special offer starts in October and will be honoured through the end of November. Try this fantastic new package. Why? This package is specifically designed to screen older animals and give us information about their medical status. For healthy pets at annual check ups, it helps confirm health and provides us with a very useful baseline specific to your pet (so even for healthy pets these tests can have tremendous benefits). If there are any changes in the future, we have a comparison on hand to better understand and address your pet’s health. As well, apparently healthy pets might show changes which we cannot outwardly see and if so, we can address these at the earliest possible point. For animals who have just become sick, it helps to have these tests to better manage them and support them through any illness. For patients with ongoing chronic health conditions, we can stay on top of the disease and slow its progression. Don’t forget too that painful conditions like arthritis can be slowing your pets down and pain management can be implemented. And if your pet requires an anaesthetic at any point as senior-hood sets in, having an extended history helps make anaesthesia safer. We all know that seniors really make great pets! They have been with us through thick and thin, they know our good moods and bad moods and are used to our daily schedule, and let’s face it- they know all our secrets! So let’s keep them healthy for many years to come!

The senior package includes:
For DOGS: Complete physical examination, blood work (Senior Wellness Panel-it screens the blood as well as serum enzymes which let us know how the organ systems are doing and includes thyroid function), urine testing, abdominal and chest X-rays, and an ECG (electrocardiogram), and even a free bag of a senior diet.
For CATS: Complete physical examination, blood work (Senior Wellness Panel-it screens the blood as well as serum enzymes which let us know how the organ systems are doing and includes thyroid function), urine testing, blood pressure measurements, abdominal and chest X-rays,), and even a free bag of a senior diet.

**Come in anytime to talk to us about why this package is a great idea for you beloved pet!

WELCOME our new nurse (technician) Amanda!!!

Amanda Craig has been working in the veterinary field since 2000. She is dedicated and passionate about the patients she cares for. She is especially interested in client education. Amanda lives in Pefferlaw and commutes to SVH to be with us. She has a beautiful 4 year old daughter Zoey who keeps her smiling and she also has 2 dogs for company—Magnum a 16 month old Great Dane and Tonka a 6 year old Chocolate Labrador. When Amanda is not working with animals she enjoys photography, dance, and a good record!

Pet Memorials

We are lucky here at SVH to have so many wonderful clients and pets who we really think of as family. For those of us who have ever dealt with losing a pet it never gets any easier. You continue to think of them and miss them and so do we. Our memorials on the website are a way of honouring our friends and beloved pets. If you have tried recently to light a candle for a pet memorial and had trouble please please try again! We have the candles and memorial page up and running. It means a tremendous amount to us to see those candles and to share your stories.

Diets and Nutrition

Animal nutrition is a very important aspect of animal health. Getting the right nutrition for your pet is our aim here at SVH. We have some new diets available that you might be interested to hear about.

Hills y/d—this diet is newly available and initial research is showing that this diet when used in the right patients can help if not completely manage hyperthyroidism in cats. The diet contains lower levels of iodine which is needed for the production of thyroid hormone. It presents an alternative therapy for hyperthyroidism. Please call in and book an appointment to speak to a doctor if you think this diet might be right for your cat.

MEDI-CAL Mobility—this diet can make a big difference for patients suffering from conditions like arthritis or degenerative joint disease. The diet helps control weight to reduce the stress on the bones and joints, as well as containing glucosamine, chondroitin, and other ingredients which can help reduce inflammation and pain. Please don’t hesitate to call us if you think this diet might be right for your pet. Similarly Hill j/d is another veterinary diet which has been around now for a few years and is used by a number of patients for the same conditions. It too is great for joint disease.

At SVH we carry a very comprehensive line of veterinary diets from a variety of companies. There are specialized diets available for the different life stages of your pet, as well as diets available for many of the common animal conditions we see day in and day out. Getting the right diet is important. Not every diet will be suitable for your pet so it is important to talk to your doctor about which diet is right for you. Come talk to us about nutrition!

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Jamie Drooker to our SVH family.
Dr. Drooker graduated with distinction from University of Edinburgh in 2011 where he was awarded the James T. Baxter Prize as the best final year student in rotations and the Walter Buchanan Milburn Prize for the graduate with highest aptitude for clinical and practical skills. Before veterinary school, Dr. Drooker completed his Bachelor of Science with Honours at Dalhousie University studying Oceanography and animal life in the marine world.
Dr. Drooker's veterinary interests are widespread, centering on oncology and surgery. Though Dr. Drooker might miss the sheep and highland cattle he is used to treating in the U.K. he is excited to join the team at the SVH. He is looking forward to establishing long term relationships with caring owners in the Thornhill community from which he is from. In line with the vision of the SVH, Jamie is dedicated to providing comfort, care, and compassion for his clients and patients alike.
Out of the office, Jamie plays and builds guitars, and makes a dynamite blueberry pancake.

OFFERING THE LATEST IN TECHNOLOGY

We are pleased to update all of our in-house laboratory blood analyzers to the new, most accurate equipment on the market. This means that we can perform rapid and accurate diagnostic blood tests on your pet - and have results in minutes!

Did you know that in addition to Digital Radiography, we offer Dental Radiography? Dental xrays are an important part of your pets regular dental prophy, to detect dental problems that are hidden within the tooth or beneath the gumline. Please visit our upcoming Newsletter for more on Dental Disease in Pets

NEW VACCINATION PROTOCOLS

Keeping current... We are excited to transition our canine patients to the most up to date recommended Vaccination Schedule. "Over-vaccinating" is a concern for many pet owners, and finally we have the support of the College and Pharmaceutical Companies to extend our core vaccine recommendations to an every 3 year protocol. This means that each year you dog will receive one of the following important vaccinations: Rabies, Parvo Virus, or Distemper Virus. As usual, Leptospirosis and Bordetella (Canine Cough) vaccinations are required annually. Annual and semi-annual examinations and consultations are a vital part of your dog's health, and vaccination recommendations will be tailored your your dog's risk and health status

DR KINERET ALONI GOLDMAN

Kineret is originally from Israel and moved to Canada in 2002. After obtaining a Bachelor of Science from York University, she completed her veterinary degree at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph. Before graduation she volunteered with various rescue groups and even went all the way to Thailand to volunteer at a neuter/spay clinic for dogs and cats. Kineret enjoys alll aspects of small animal medicine with particular interest in the areas of internal medicine, preventive medicine, geriatrics and rehabilitation.

When not a the hospital, Kineret enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, travelling and horseback riding (Dressage discipline)

THANK YOU!!

Thanks so very much for continuing to refer your family and friends to our hospital. As a token of our appreciation, we will send you and SVH Gift Card for everyone you send our way!

AND

Thanks for your feedback! If you have filled out and handed back a Customer Satisfaction survey on your recent visit to our hospital, Thank you! Your positive comments and thoughtful feedback are extremely useful for us to continue to strive to provide the best service possible for your and your pet. As promised, we will be making our draw on October 1st, from all entries, for a $50 gift card for services at our hospital. Stay tuned to hear the winner!

NOVEMBER IS CELEBRATING SENIORS MONTH

Senior dogs and cats are the best. They know you well, you know them well, they are smart and seasoned and worth their weight in gold. They’re also worth special care to keep them well and happy for as long as possible. If you have a senior pet, you will soon be receiving a letter from us explaining the special needs of seniors, common health problems, and simple tests that can help to uncover them. Come visit us next month with your beloved senior and learn more about our Celebrating Seniors promotions.

OCTOBER IS FUND RAISE FOR FARLEY MONTH

It's every pet owner's worst nightmare. A beloved pet needs veterinary care, but the owner can't afford treatment. For many seniors and people with disabilities, this scenario is a sad reality.
That's where the Farley Foundation steps in.
The Farley Foundation helps sick and injured pets that belong to low-income seniors and people with disabilities.
The Foundation offers financial assistance to veterinary clinics in Ontario to help cover the cost of providing necessary veterinary care for pets belonging to seniors receiving the Federal Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) or people with disabilities who receive the Ontario Disability Support Payment (ODSP), and who cannot otherwise afford treatment for their pets.

February is Dental Health Month at SVH!!!!

Keep an eye out for our dental letters which should be arriving shortly! Please also check out this month’s Newsletter which has a lot of great information about dental disease in dogs and cats and dental procedures here at the hospital. Let’s keep on smiling!!

A Very Warm Welcome to our New Nurse (technician) Karolina!!!

Karolina Szymanska has been working in the veterinary field since 2002. She earned the Veterinary Nutritional Advocate diploma in 2009 and is very passionate about pet nutrition and client care and education. Karolina has a 5 year old son named Noah who keeps her on her toes, and her beloved Boxer “Filos” and grumpy but lovable Siamese named “Bo”. When Karolina is not working, she enjoys reading, crafts, spending time with the family and running with her super energetic dog.

GOING ON MATERNITY LEAVE!!!

Our fantastic practice manager, Becky Milton, will be going on maternity leave. She will be missed for sure, but she will be preparing for a new arrival at home and we are so happy for her and her family.