Lac Ste. Anne Veterinary Clinic
410-55022 Ste. Anne Trail, Gunn, AB T0E1A0

RIP PEGGY We are sad to have to announce the passing of one of our earliest team members: our former people-greeter cat, Peggy. Many of our long term clients will remember our 3 legged feline who joined us the year we opened the clinic after an accident left her as an amputee. Having spent many months being treated daily for her injuries, all the staff decided she had to be part of the clinic, and she spent over 10 years working for us.... She had retired to live full time with Dr Sarah, Bob and their four legged family a few years ago as her mobility was not quite sharp enough to keep away from energetic dogs - as much as she loved them. She spent the last few living a life of leisure. Her years finally caught up with her recently, and although she was still able to enjoy her wood stove and curling up with her buddies over the holidays, her body was failing fast and we said goodbye this week. Sharing a photo taken just a few months ago, curled up with her best friend Bramble. We would love to hear any memories from those of you that knew her. She certainly earned her wages keeping people happy and cuddling on laps during stressful visits, and entertained us teasing those big dogs that wanted to play!

PHONE OUTAGE ISSUES!! WEDNESDAY JANUARY 12TH We are currently having issues with the phones due to the major Telus outage for landlines at Onoway. We can call out but incoming calls are not being transmitted. Telus have been working on it for over 24 hours but have no ETA for repair. We are trying to work around it, but are limited to a single incoming line. Please be patient if you are calling and can not get through. If you have an emergency situation between 10 am and 5 pm today, please call the Beach Cottage Vet Clinic at 780 924-2339 and they can pass on messages to us.

HAPPY NEW YEAR Wishing you and your pets all a happy and healthy 2022. Thank you again to our long term and newer clients and patients for being such great critters to work with. We love seeing you - although hoping it will be for happy, healthy exams and vaccination visits.... Thank you for supporting us, and for being so understanding about giving myself and my staff a week to spend with our families each year. I have really enjoyed the wonderful Alberta sunshine! Hoping that in 2022 we can actually see your faces without masks, and be able to lift the restrictions so that we can all be in the exam room together again. We appreciate your cooperation through this difficult year. The main clinic will be open again on Tuesday January 4th, but if you need help before then, the Beach Cottage Clinic with be up and running on Sunday January 2nd 2022! Dr Sarah (and my friend Pippa!)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! We will be closing for the Christmas week as usual to give everyone a break. The main clinic is open until 12:30 pm Christmas Eve and then re-opens on Tuesday January 4th at 9 am.... If you have any emergencies or urgent concerns over the break please call 780 967-5152 and leave a detailed message so that Dr Sarah can get back to you and discuss options. Thank you for all your support and for your patience through another year COVID precautions. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

"Santa is coming today to Lac Ste Anne Veterinary services, come donate to help us feed some hungry animals this new year and have your PETS (sorry no people due to covid restrictions) picture taken with Santa! Call when you arrive before you enter the clinic, drop in from 1:30 to 4pm this afternoon Saturday Dec 18 th. "

Fundraiser at Lac Ste Anne Veterinary Clinic this Saturday! Bring you furry friend and help us feed some hungry animals this Christmas!

NO PHONES. We are currently experiencing problems with our phone lines. We are working with TELUS to get this resolved ASAP. We thank you for your patience.

Christmas Holidays!! As in previous years, both our clinics will be closed from Christmas to New Year to give our staff time with family and friends. Both Clinics will be close from December 24th until January 2nd.... We would like to remind our regular clients to check their stocks of food and medication to make sure that you have enough to last over the holiday. Call us if you need a refill. Our last date to order is Tuesday December 14th. Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season.

STAY SAFE With the freezing rain this morning the roads are not safe. If you have an appointment today please call us before heading in as we will have a delayed start. Stay home and safe until things improve out there!

S'No Day to be on the roads! Having problems getting staff in so please do not come to the clinic without calling first. We will update situation later

Lest we forget...... We will closed on Thursday November 11,2021 for Remembrance Day.

CHANGING TO WINTER HOURS Starting on Tuesday October 26th we will be closing half an hour earlier on weekdays, while continuing our regular hours on Saturdays. New hours will be 9 am to 5:30pm Tuesday through Friday, 9 am to 4pm on Saturdays, closing for lunch from 12:30 to 1:30 pm each day.... Please pass this information on to friends and family who may not follow us here on Facebook.

THANKSGIVING WEEKEND We will be closed over Thanksgiving weekend to give staff a chance to travel to visit family and friends. The main clinic will be closed on Saturday October 9th, so if you anticipate needing food or prescription refills please call in advance to pick up by Friday.... If you have an emergency over the weekend please call 780 967 5152 and leave a message with your contact number. Dr Fryer will return your call to discuss the best options for you pet. We wish all our clients a wonderful holiday weekend and hope you can get out with your pets to enjoy the beautiful fall.

KITTEN IN A PICKLE GETS SOME HELP! This young kitten was abandoned in a cardboard box at the end of one our our clients' driveway with a badly infected injured eye. When their seven year old daughter found it, she knew it needed help. She brought it to us, ready and willing to use her own money to get it treated. Sadly, the eye was so badly damaged that it had to be removed, and little Pickle was brought in for surgery yesterday.... Our team has donated our time and services to help this young Good Samaritan who is now taking good care of recovering "Pickle" at home. We look forward to watching this very lucky kitten as he comes in for aftercare. She is ready to take on full responsibility of getting him fit and healthy, and coming in for his vaccinations and neuter when he is ready. Her family are able to let her keep it and give it a good home.

We have made the difficult decision to temporarily close the Beach Cottage Vet Clinic until after Easter break. We plan to re-open as soon as possible. Please s...tay tuned for updates. All medication and food for your pets will be available at the Lac Ste Anne Vet Clinic. If you have any questions please call 780-967-5152. Thank you for all your support during this time.

UPDATE ON OUR CURRENT SERVICES We are still operating on our normal schedule at this point. However, in order to protect our staff and clients, and to preserve supplies for emergency use, we have modified our operations. Please call ahead if you are coming in to the clinic for any reason and do not have an appointment. We are limiting access so that we can maintain a safe distance between people and sanitize between visitors. Please remain in your vehicle when you arrive u...ntil someone signals for you to come inside. If you, or anyone in your household, is currently in self isolation you will be asked to stay home and we will try and work out a way to help you and your pets. If you are in a high risk group we can arrange for you to remain in your vehicle and either bring your pet in for any procedures, or bring food and supplies out to you. We are operating with reduced staff and will not be able to make appointments for routine visits including nail trims at this time. If you are uncertain whether your pet needs assistance, please call and our Veterinarians will give you advice. Please share this information with your friends. We are working hard to stay open to serve our great clients and their pets and appreciate your patience and understanding.

COVID-19 PLANS We would like to reassure all our clients that we intend to stay open to serve you and your pets during the current COVID-19 crisis. With probable staff shortages as some take care of family members at home, we may need to modify our opening hours. Any changes will be announced as early as possible through our Facebook pages. In order to protect our clients and staff members, we will be instituting some changes to enhance infection control... - hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance and at reception and we ask that you use this as you enter and before you check out with reception - our already stringent cleaning protocols will be expanded to frequent disinfection of all areas in between clients including our point of sale terminals - we will make every effort to decrease the number of people in the clinic at any one time by spreading out appointments. We request that you help us by limiting the number of people accompanying your pet to their appointment - if you are in a high risk group, please inform our staff prior to your appointment and we can make arrangements for you to remain in your vehicle while we bring your pet in to the clinic for its exam and any procedures to minimize your contact with other people in the clinic - if you are currently under self isolation due to recent travel, contact with COVID-19 patients, or are experiencing clinical signs please call ahead so we can assess the need for your pet to visit the clinic. We may need to arrange for someone else to transport it for you and will take extra precautions for our staff members handling your pet - if you are coming in for prescription or food refills, please call ahead so that we can have everything ready for you on your arrival As you are probably aware, we are currently facing a shortage of personal protection equipment such as surgical gloves, masks and gowns as stocks are being preserved for human health facilities. This may lead us to delaying some elective procedures in the future to preserve equipment for emergency and urgent surgeries over the next few months. Our Veterinarians will be using their professional judgement to make the best decisions for the treatment of your pet. As the situation evolves we will post any updates on Facebook. Please share these posts so that we can reach as many of our clients and other local pet owners as possible to keep them informed.

LAST CHANCE FOR HOLIDAY ORDERS! Quick reminder if you need any food, treats or medication refills please call the clinic and place you order by Tuesday Dec 17th. Both locations will be closed for the holidays from Dec 24@4pm until Jan 2nd. Emergency services are still available.

THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN!! No problem with the right winter gear says Raffles!! We have a good selection of Foggy Mountain coats in stock and tough booties in all sizes. Come in and try them on for size. Raffles had just been out for an hour at -15C and was ready for more. His coat is just starting its 11th winter!

Their dreams became your tomorrow’s. All they would ask is that you should never forget what they gave. For those who leave and never return, for those who return but are never the same. We remember - unknown

ENDING HORSE SERVICES I am very sad to have to inform our wonderful clients that we will no longer be providing services for equines. With Dr Greydanus moving back east with her family, we have been left without a Veterinarian who is able to provide full care for our larger patients. Dr Jim did a wonderful job helping over the summer, but as planned he has moved on to start a new phase in his career.... While my recovery from the sudden paralysis from my spinal stroke a few years ago has been beyond expectation, I am left with weakness and lack of coordination that makes me prone to falling, especially in situations where I need to move suddenly. I have to accept that it is not safe for me to return to working around sick and injured large animals. This has been a difficult decision for me and the whole clinic, but we have decided to move forward and concentrate on working with your dogs and cats. We will be extending out home visits which we are finding beneficial to many of our geriatric patients where car rides can be uncomfortable. We can also help evaluate their home environment so see if there are changes that can be made to help them as mobility becomes an issue. Our home euthanasia service is also available to help ease the stress of saying goodbye for the whole family. I will continue to work on sheep and goats, although only at our clinic facility. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported me through my medical issues - family, staff and other local veterinary clinics. You have been amazing and helped me get as far as I have. Adjustments have to be made, but I have no plans on stopping doing what I love, and serving this wonderful community by caring for your pets in the years to come. Dr Sarah Fryer

ARRIVING SOON!! ORIE - "The Flying Meatloaf" Sportdog extraordinaire and official fastest Boston Terrier in Canada is about to touch down in Alberta. And she is bringing her Mom - who happens to be a Veterinarian - who will be joining our team at Lac Ste. Anne Veterinary Services just as soon as she can get over here.... They are heading in from Saskatchewan, and looking for a place to rent. We have some leads, but would like to investigate others if anyone has a property available close to Gunn or Alberta Beach. If you know of anything please give us a call at the main clinic (780 967-5152)

Thanks to Honey's Greenhouse Even with such a challenging year as we are having, Marilyn has done a fantastic job at filling our planters again. Not easy with a north facing location, each year she comes up with something slightly different and even more spectacular. The plants are really enjoying this rare sunny morning.

THANKSGIVING WEEKEND We will be giving all our staff a long weekend break to allow them to spend time with their families. The clinic will be closed on Saturday October 10th, so if you have any need for medications or food please give us a call early this week. We hope you will be able to spend some time with your loved ones - 2 legged and 4!

We often get compliments on our plants in front of the clinic. Every year we have a local family owned business - Honey’s Greenhouse - supply the wonderful beds in front of the clinic. Yesterday, the owner Marilyn Nordlund brought her pup Harley into the clinic for her pre- spay checkup, and managed to get this wonderful shot of Marilyn and Harley with the fruits of her labour. We, being a local business ourselves, are proud to support and showcase a fellow local business. ... Cooperation and support of our area friends and family are what make the Lac Ste Anne Area so very special - we wouldn’t have it any other way! Thank you to Marilyn Nordlund and family at Honey’s Greenhouse for giving us a beautiful storefront every year.

UPDATE ON SERVICED DURING THE COVID RESTRICTIONS As physical distancing and stay at home recommendations continue, we want to reassure you that we are still available to help with your pets' health needs. We are continuing to maintain our regular opening hours at the main clinic, but have diverted all services from our Alberta Beach location so that we can maximize use of our limited pool of staff. Please call ahead if you have any medication or food needs and we can arrange... for delivery out at your vehicle to reduce contact within the building. We are still dealing with all medical situations that are of an urgent nature. Determination of need can be made by phone call during regular hours. Dr Fryer can also respond to phone messages after hours if you find yourself faced with an emergency, but please avoid leaving non urgent messages that can wait until we are open. Facebook messages are NOT a reliable way of contacting us as we do not have our mobile devices with us through the day. We request that you inform us if you are under self isolation or are considered high risk. Knowing in advance helps us protect both you and our staff.

Easter Weekend We will be closing as usual for the Easter long weekend to give our staff a well deserved break. We may not be able to visit family and friends, but hopefully everyone can enjoy some time outdoors while maintaining your social distancing. We will be closed Friday and Saturday, reopening on Tuesday April 14th. Dr Sarah will be available to respond to emergency calls from our regular clients right through the weekend. Call 780 967-5152 and leave a message fo...r her to get back to you. She can then discuss the best option for your pet. Please check your stocks of food and medications to make sure you have enough to last until we re open.