Puppy and Kitten Visits

We love meeting new puppies and kittens! During the course of your appointments, we will be discussing topics such as:

• Core and lifestyle vaccination options
• De-worming and parasite control
• Spaying and neutering
• Micro-chipping
• Nutrition
• Grooming (including nail care)
• Basic training including socialization
• House training

Many of our team members are involved in welcoming new puppies and kittens to our practice. Please expect at least half an hour for each your puppy appointment and remember to bring a fresh stool sample from your pet. We will be happy to provide you with a collection container prior to your visit for your convenience. During your visit, an individualized health care program with be designed to address the specific needs of your puppy or kitten. We look forward to meeting your new family addition!

Adult Preventative Care Appointments (1 – 7 years of age)

We recommend annual wellness examinations for both cats and dogs. Please let our client service representatives know if you have any health or behaviour concerns at the time of booking so that we can allocate enough time for your appointment. During our wellness appointments, in addition to any physical findings, we will discuss body condition, dental health and nutrition. Appropriate vaccines will be administered and we will plan an individualized parasite control program to suit both your pet’s and your family’s needs. We will also perform a complimentary nail trim, if you wish.

Please remember to bring a fresh stool sample from your pet to your appointment. Our office will be happy to provide you with a collection container prior to your visit.

Senior Care Appointments (7+ years of age)

Pets are living longer than ever due to ongoing veterinary care and balanced nutrition. We want our clients to understand that age is not a disease, and many of the common diseases of aging animals can be easily managed if detected early.

We have recently launched a Senior Care program at Dufferin Veterinary Hospital, which endeavours to optimize the health and quality of life of your aging pets. Semi-annual health visits and appropriate wellness testing form the backbone of this program which encompasses owner education and early detection of disease.

There is no one program that suits every animal’s needs. At Dufferin Veterinary Hospital we design individual parasite control programs based on your family’s lifestyle and your pet’s exposure risks.

Pets are exposed to two types of parasites:

1. those that live inside their body (internal), and
2. those that live on the skin and hair coat (external)

The most common internal parasites that we diagnose are intestinal worms (such as roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms and whipworms) and protozoal parasites (such as giardia and coccidia). Since these infections are almost impossible to diagnose with the naked eye, we recommend that owners bring a fresh sample of their pet’s feces to each wellness appointment, and anytime when their pet has diarrhea. Complimentary fecal collection containers are available in our office, if desired.

Fleas, ticks and mites are the most common external parasites. Ticks are an emerging problem in Ontario, and because of this we are seeing an increase in tick-borne infectious disease, such as Lyme disease.

Some clients may have misconceptions about parasites and their control. It is worth mentioning:

• Parasitic infections can occur in animals that live in indoors only
• Some parasitic infections can be transmitted to people, with children, the elderly and immune-compromised individuals being most at risk
• Parasites are not just a summer concern – some animals can be exposed year-round

We have a large variety of safe and effective parasite control products available. Our veterinary team will be pleased to help design a comprehensive parasite control program to meet your pet’s and family’s needs.

In addition to the services listed above, our hospital provides a large range of diagnostic, medical, and surgical services. Our hospital is open five nights a week and provides Saturday appointments at both of our locations. We also offer house calls for your convenience.

We endeavor to do our best to provide our own emergency care for as many of our clients as we can and refer to the Highway 10 Emergency Clinic, (905) 495-9907, for after-hours care.

Oral care is as vitally important to the overall health of your pets as it is to humans. For many animals, dental concerns can be both the cause and the result of other illnesses in the body.

Dental disease can be treated with home care options such as specially designed diets, tooth brushes, some types of treats and oral rinses. We can also help to correct dental problems through routine dental cleaning and, sometimes, by extracting diseased teeth. We will discuss the dental care of your pets during wellness visits, and we also encourage you to speak to a member of our veterinary team if you have concerns about your pet’s bad breath or diseased teeth.

It is estimated that 40% of pets are overweight, with 25% being considered obese. This can lead to a variety of health issues such as accelerated ageing, mobility problems, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, to name a few.

Overweight and obese animals also have a much higher risk of complications under anesthesia. Many of these problems can be reversed once animals lose the extra pounds. We are pleased to provide nutritional and lifestyle counseling for our patients with “extra jiggle”.

Unsure if your pet is overweight? Please call the office to book a consultation with a member of our veterinary team who can explain body condition scoring and help to design an individualized weight management program for your pet(s).

We are pleased to assist you in husbandry and basic medical care of your rabbits, ferrets and pocket pets. When bringing your pocket pet to Dufferin Veterinary Hospital, it is important to bring a list of what is being fed to your pet, and detailed information about their cage, beddings, toys, and exercise area.