www.mountainvistavet.com
Mountain Vista Veterinary Hospital
Spring Newsletter 2020
Dear Friends of Mountain Vista Veterinary Hospital,

This is certainly a spring like no other in the history of our hospital. COVID-19 has changed the way we work in many ways and has changed all of our lives in a blink of an eye.

In March, the Ontario government deemed Veterinary Hospitals an essential service. In doing so, the government recognized the importance of ongoing animal care and how pets play a key role in the health and well-being of their human counterparts during these trying times.

Our in-hospital services have been limited to urgent care only and this will remain in effect until the authorities lift their restrictions. What does this mean? Routine appointments for wellness care, non-urgent dental procedures and some spay/neuters services have been rescheduled to future dates. In booking procedures, we are using our medical judgement for the health and well-being of the patient and any detrimental consequences that may arise down the road. We have also modified the way we handle in clinic appointments to play our part in flattening the curve by practicing social distancing and limiting exposure to our clients and staff. This includes curbside check-ins and the utilization of telehealth when appropriate.

We are doing our part to protect the most vulnerable in our community and will continue to follow the guidelines set out by our governing bodies and public health experts. These new mechanisms of veterinary care have been an adjustment for all, and we appreciate the patience extended by everyone as we continue to work through technical and time constraints.

These are tough times, but through cooperation we will continue to be here for the sake of your fur-family. Stay safe, stay healthy and please enjoy the rest of our newsletter to keep you updated on the latest news in veterinary medicine as well as new services we offer to help get through the pandemic. We look forward to the day when we can see your smiling faces in our clinic again!
Pet Telehealth Has Arrived!
In March we launched our Pet Telehealth service which has been extremely popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pet Telehealth allows our veterinarians address many non-urgent pet concerns from the comfort of your home. Telehealth allows our Dr's to assess, prescribe and order diagnostics just as in a traditional appointment.

Text, telephone and video consultations are available daily during regular office hours. This easy to use platform utilizes your cell phone, tablet or personal computer. Pictures and videos can be uploaded prior to the consultation but we can also see your pet live once the consultation commences.

Just call the office as you normally would to set up an appointment 705 446-0261. We will be happy to help you decide if a Pet Telehealth consultation is right for your pet! For more information visit
Why Telehealth?

  • Limits traffic through our hospital, which is safest for you, the public and our staff.
  • Diagnostic testing can still be ordered through this consultation.
  • Medications can still be prescribed as normal and picked up via curbside procedures.
  • If needed, consultations can move to curbside with the telehealth consult serving as a safe start for the case, limiting time spent in our hospital.
Order Your Pet Food and Other Supplies Online - Home Delivery
The pet food supply chain has been a little slower during this time which means pet owners should plan ahead to ensure that they don't run out. The Canadian Academy of Veterinary Nutrition is recommending that you keep at least a 2 week supply of pet food on hand.

We can arrange curbside pick-up at our hospital but please consider ordering from our online store. Delivery is direct to your home and you may get your order a little faster than ordering through our hospital.
You can sign up for a FREE account and start browsing right away. There are many, many other items to choose from including treats, supplements and supplies such as collars, leashes and grooming tools to keep your pet in tip-top shape until grooming services can open up again. 
It is Time to Start Your Pet's Parasite Prevention Medication!
As the weather gets warmer, we must look toward protecting our pets against fleas, ticks, heartworm disease, and a variety of internal parasites. Pet parents may also be spending more time with pets during this time with extra walks and finding more remote regions to avoid crowds and parks.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year is a little different in that we are postponing our Pet Spring Tune-Up promotion, heartworm and Lyme disease screening. This will cut down traffic into our hospital as we follow social distancing guidelines set out by the OVMA and public health.

Patients that need to be seen will still be able to benefit from this testing while in the hospital. But don't worry! Once restrictions are lifted, we will make sure those who were not able to come in will benefit from this program. In the meantime, here is our Emergency Parasite Dispensing Medication Protocol:

FAST FACT: Can cats get ticks?

Yes they can! Although cats do not appear to be affected by Lyme disease exposure in the same way as dogs and humans, ticks do like to feed on cats and may transmit other types of infections to our lovely felines. For this reason, we do recommend that cats are protected from ticks in our region.

FAST FACT: Should indoor cats go on parasite prevention?

Even pets that live indoors can be exposed to parasites such as fleas and disease carrying mosquitoes. Although the potential for heartworm disease in our cats is low in our region, there is still a small risk. with mosquitoes entering our homes. Fleas are just sneaky tand can come in on our shoes, jump through open screens and live indoors through their egg, pupal and larvae forms. Indoor pets are not immune to the risk of parasites.


2020 Parasite Prevention Dispensing Protocol

  • Medications can be dispensed without a HW/Lyme screen this year.
  • We can dispense medications to pets that we have seen in the office within 16 months without an exam.
  • A weight can be estimated based on last year or using your scale at home.
  • If we have not seen your within 16 months, we can dispense prevention following a consultation with one of our doctors using our Pet Telehealth service.
  • We ask that medications be prepaid over the phone prior to pick up in order to limit social interactions at our hospital.
  • Once paid, we will drop the medication in our outdoor dispensing bins for safe pick up.
I think My Pet is due for a check-up but I haven't heard from you?
Don't worry! We are keeping track. Routine check-ups and vaccine appointments are being delayed until COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

We are still seeing PUPPIES and KITTENS, as these are very vulnerable groups where delaying examinations, vaccines and deworming could be detrimental to their health and that of their human caregivers.


Lyme Disease Update
Every year we are seeing the tick population spread in Ontario. The blacklegged tick or the deer tick is the most common tick in our region and is the species that can carry and spread Lyme disease to humans and dogs. We must be extra diligent when walking in long grass and wooded regions and as there is no 100% effective method from preventing Lyme disease in our pets. There are several things you can do, however, to decrease the risk of exposure:
Lyme Disease Prevention
  • DO regularly check yourself and your pet after walks
  • DO remove ticks immediately ensuring you get the entire tick including the mouth parts buried in the skin
  • DO NOT try to burn or apply chemicals that could harm your pet
  • DO start your pet on a parasite prevention medication
  • DO have your pet tested for Lyme disease yearly
  • DO visit https://ticktalkcanada.com/ for the most up to date information on ticks in our region
Rebate Programs For Parasite Prevention This Year!
In these trying times, we can all use a little cash back! This year the makers of Nexguard and Nexguard Spectra are offering rebates up to $30 on product purchased through our hospital this season. Nexguard Spectra is an all-in-on monthly chewable that protects dogs from ticks, fleas, heartworms and internal parasites. We also have a variety of other parasite prevention products available, but this one has been particularly popular this year. Call the office for curbside pick-up today and we will issue the coupon to get your cash back!

We have a limited number of "tick twisters" that we are dispensing with Nexguard Spectra this year. These are a great tool to have in your pet's first-aid kit to help ensure complete removal of a tick from you pet.
Heartworm Season is a bit different this year
The COVID-19 Pandemic has placed veterinarians in a dubious position this year when it comes to heartworm disease annual screening and the dispensing of heartworm prevention. Because of the possible devastating effects of heartworm in our pets, routine screening has been the gold standard as early detection is key to the success of treating for the disease. A pet can be an asymptomatic carrier for a long time while the parasites grow and replicate. Left unchecked, heart failure can lead to death. Heartworm disease screening results in a huge increase in foot traffic in Ontario Veterinary hospitals.This of course, is not ideal in our current situation. As a result, public health and veterinary infectious diseaseexperts have mandated that we delay testing to a future date.
Some Heartworm Disease Facts

  • Heartworm is spread through biting mosquitoes

  • Mosquitoes are ubquitous in our region and can even end up indoors

  • Both domestic and wild canine populations (ex. coyotes) can habour the disease

  • Pets carrying the disease can be detected with a heartworm test when there are no signs of the disease

  • Treatment is more successful if detected BEFORE there is heart damage

  • Treatment is quite unpleasant and risky for the patient and can be costly

  • Prevention is easy with monthly heartworm medications and recommended during mosquito season

  • Although very effective, some pets may not respond as well as thought to all medications and sometimes pet owners forget to give the medications - for this reason even pets who have been on protection should be tested - why chance it!





So What Are We to Do?

  • Currently we are dispensing parasite prevention during COVID-19 restrictions without heartworm testing

  • During this time, we are not requiring a waiver to be signed as in previous years

  • This is considered "off-label" use of the medication but veterinary health experts indicate risks of a problem is quite low

  • If a patient is already infected with the disease, the preventative will not clear the disease however (and we won't know because we have not tested!)

  • As soon as we are allowed to test we will test! This could be later this summer or next year depending on COVID-19

  • Because we are not testing, we are recommending that pet owners be EXTRA DILIGENT with giving parasite prevention this year

  • We have easy curbside dispensing and pick-up; just call the office to get started
What about surgery during COVID-19?

Surgery is being performed on a case by case basis. Less urgent procedures are being delayed to a later date.Spays and neuters are being performed based on the circumstances behind each case. Dental procedures are also being assessed on a case by case basis.
Laparoscopic Spays At Mountain Vista
When it comes to having your pet spayed, you now have important choices. We have been performing laparosocpic spays or "lap spays" at Mountain Vista for three years now and we are one of only a few general practices in Ontario, and the first in our region, to have invested in the equipment and training in order to provide this service in our hospital. Minimally invasive surgery has been the standard of care in human medicine for some time now, so we are very pleased to bring this technology to our veterinary patients. A smaller incision, less pain and much faster recovery are the advantages of performing a lap spay. For more information, visit our website at Laparoscopic Spay or call the office to discuss with one of our team members. We have set up a FREE lap spay consultation service through our Pet Telehealth platform to discuss the benefits of laparoscopic surgery with pet owners.
PRP and Regenerative Medicine
Another new technology we have introduced to our hospital last year is a form of regenerative medicine called Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy or PRP. PRP uses the body's own component of the blood, the platelet-rich fraction, in order to decrease pain and inflammation as well as recruit healing factors to the region of concern. We have been using PRP therapy in osteroarthritis cases and as an aid to surgical procedures such as cruciate repair to decreased post-operative pain and to increase healing factors to the site of surgery. You can learn more about this all-natural, non-drug therapy at PRP Therapy.
A New Standard in Pain Management in Veterinary Patients - PBMT Laser Therapy
PBMT Laser Therapy
As members of the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM) we are always seeking out new and innovative approaches to treating acute and chronic pain in our patients.

Traditionally, pain medications have been the mainstay of pain management in veterinary patients. Veterinary pain management experts are now recognizing that there is more that we can be doing for our patients. Treatment modalities that were once considered on the "fringe" are considered valid and useful with scientific studies to back their routine use in our patients. Examples include acupuncture and Photobiomodulation (PBMT therapy).

PBMT, also commonly referred to as laser therapy. This technology uses light waves on the infrared spectrum to decrease pain and inflammation as well as to bring healing factors to the site of injury or degeneration. PBMT is now the standard of care in our hospital as a multi-modal approach to the treatment of pain. We are using PBMT to treat chronic osteoarthritis, skin wounds and post-operative incisions. PBMT is used extensively in rehabilitative medicine to get patients up and moving again.

More information on how PBMT is benefiting our patients can be found at PBMT Laser Therapy.
Pets and COVID-19
Should we be concerned?
It seems like everyday we are learning new things about the novel COVID-19 virus - and there is still no doubt lots to learn!

We do know that there is evidence to support that humans infected with COVID-19 can transmit the virus to their pets (cats more likely than dogs). However, there is no evidence to suggest that dogs and cats can transmit the disease to humans.

Testing for COVID-19 is now available for pets but routine testing is not advisable nor helpful in the current situation. Contagious disease expert and veterinarian Dr. Scott Weese from the University of Guelph is keeping on top of information as it arises through his daily Worms and Germs Blog. We recognize this as the most reliable source of information right now.

We will be the first to let our clients know if further concerns arise. Please LIKE and follow our Facebook Page which is continually updated with the most current news and information.
For Up to Date Hospital Information Please LIKE and follow our Facebook Page