Waterloo West Animal Hospital
414 Erb St W N2L 1W8 Waterloo, ON, Canada

Poinsettias, while beautiful, can be mildly toxic to cats and dogs. If you have a Poinsettia in your home this holiday season check out Pet Poison Helplines link below for more information. https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/poinsettia/

Introducing Waterloo Wests newest staff member, Maple. Dr. Padmini recently adopted this little cutie and brought her in for a quick check up yesterday. As you can tell, Maple was very content to be passed around from arm to arm and to receive all the snuggles from the staff. How sweet is she?!

Dr. Padmini made a tiny new friend! This baby Chameleon was quite curious and loved climbing the staffs arms and gripping the many different objects we offered it. How cool is he? Fun Fact: Contrary to popular belief, When Chameleons change their colour its not for camouflage purposes but for temperature regulation and to communicate to mates in the wild.

How neat is this educational graphic! There are so many dangerous foods for dogs and this is a great guide to reference if you are ever unsure. If you think your pet may have ingested something he or she shouldn't have, always contact your vet or poison control for more information/next steps.

Today is World Kindness Day! While 2020 has been a very tumultuous year for us all, today we celebrate the people and the little creatures who helped get us through it. Let us take a note from all our pets and their continuous show of love and spread it to others today. #WorldKindnessDay

Ever wonder what happens when you drop your pet off at the vet? Are they getting their daily quota of cuddles? Are they getting enough exercise? Champ ( our unofficial mascot of Wat West) will tell you that if you ask for attention here at WWAH, you will definitely receive it. During his hospital stay, he acquired many face scratches from all of the staff, as well as regular morning strolls around the clinic with our RVT Megan. Seriously though, how cute is he guys!?

Happy HOWLoween everyone! For your viewing pleasure we've collected just a few photos of our staffs pets "celebrating" the spooky night. Don't forget to be safe, practice proper social distancing protocols and as always, keep your chocolate and other treats up high and away from hungry hounds!

What is Diabetes? Diabetes Mellitus is a disease that occurs when the blood glucose or blood sugar in the body is too high. Blood glucose is the main source of energy for the body and it comes from food that is ingested. The pancreas plays a crucial role in glucose regulation as it creates a hormone called Insulin which is in charge of controlling glucose levels in the body. How does the body convert food to glucose in the blood? ... When food passes through the intestines, sugars from food become absorbed. These sugars become converted into simple sugars such as glucose. They then are absorbed into the bloodstream to be delivered to the whole body’s tissues and cells as a source of energy. Why is Insulin so important? Think of Insulin as a fancy limo driver delivering an important celebrity to an important event. Without Insulin to transfer glucose to the cells, the glucose can accumulate in high levels within the blood also known as hyperglycemia. When the blood glucose reaches a certain level in the body, the glucose then moves into the urine bringing large amounts of water with it. This is why diabetic pets often drink more water and urinate more frequently and in larger quantities. What does this mean for my newly diagnosed pet? In patients with Diabetes, no matter how much sugar or what kind of sugar in the blood there is not enough glucose being transported to the body’s cells. This means there is not enough energy for the cells to function normally; therefore the tissues become starved for energy causing the breakdown fat and muscle tissue, which is then converted by the liver to sugar. Without daily injections of insulin to supplement the lack of levels, the brain becomes sugar deprived and the animal is constantly hungry, yet they may lose weight due to improper use of nutrients from the diet.[ Untreated diabetic pets are also more likely to develop infections such as bladder, kidney, or skin infections, cataracts, weakness in the legs, dehydration and can even be fatal. What symptoms should I watch for in my pet if I suspect Diabetes? - Increased urination - Excessive drinking - Weight loss - Increase/decrease in appetite Pets managed with a proper diet, regular blood glucose testing and daily insulin injections can live a relatively normal life and have the same expected lifespan and non diabetic animals. How can I prevent Diabetes in my pet? Weight management, proper exercise and a complete and balanced diet are all important measures to be taken in preventing diabetes. Upon a physical examination with any of our Veterinarians, a body condition score can be taken to determine where your pet is sitting in terms of body fat in a few key locations, as well as a recommendation for the ideal weight for your pet. If you are concerned about your pet’s diet, our team can also recommend weight management or maintenance diets as well!

Robin (pictured here at 8 weeks old ) had no problem entertaining himself while waiting for his check up. Now he just has to remember to think outside of the box.