For many years, we have advocated feeding as optimum nutrition a well-balanced fresh food diet for your pet. This nutrition is derived from species appropriate foods, i.e. raw organ meats, raw meaty bones, and raw vegetables.

We are excited to announce that we now have available new products for feeding cats and dogs! In addition, we can also provide you with supplements and advice on how to create healthy meals for your pet.

In Canada, rabies vaccines are available with one, two and three-year labels for duration of immunity. At the East York Animal Clinic we are currently using a three-year rabies vaccine.

Annual revaccination is not required by law in Ontario. Compulsory rabies vaccination is governed by Ontario Regulation 567/90, which requires all cat or dog owners to ensure that their pets are immunized against rabies.

Although vaccination may be compulsory in a given area, there is no requirement for annual revaccination. Revaccination is determined by the type of vaccine used. Under provincial legislation, a pet is considered vaccinated against rabies if the time that has elapsed since the vaccination was given is less than the duration of immunity as set out on the vaccine's label.

Parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. They include, but are not limited to, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brains, livers, blood, bone, partially-defatted low-temperature fatty tissue, and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents.

The rendered product from mammal tissues, including bone, manure, stomach and rumen contents, except in such amounts as may occur unavoidably in good processing practices. (Rendering is the separation of fat from meat tissue and water under the influence of heat and pressure. Fat cells are broken down so that fat is released.)

The dry rendered product from a combination of clean flesh and skin with or without accompanying bone, derived from the parts of whole carcasses of poultry or a combination thereof. (Rendering is the separation of fat from meat tissue and water under the influence of heat and pressure. Fat cells are broken down so that fat is released.)

The ground rendered parts of the carcass of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts that might occur unavoidably in good processing practices. (Rendering is the separation of fat from meat tissue and water under the influence of heat and pressure. Fat cells are broken down so that fat is released.)

The dried, non-fermentative, non-extracted yeast of the botanical classification Saccharomyces resulting as a by-produce from the brewing of beer and ale.

Heartworm is a blood parasite that poses a serious threat to dogs. Heartworms are large roundworms that inhabit the chambers of a dog's heart and adjoining blood vessels. Adult worms grow up to 35 cm long, and produce larvae which enter the bloodstream. The larvae which are transmitted by mosquito bites, eventually develop into new worms and find their way to the heart.

Bring your dog into our clinic for his/her annual heartworm blood test (mid-April-May). If the test results are negative, you may choose to put your dog on preventive medication. Always have the blood test done before starting your pet on medication, since administering preventive drugs to an infected dog can cause shock and possibly death. No medication is 100% effective. Therefore, a blood test must be performed. Preventive medication may not be needed, however, if your dog lives his/her life in a fairly confined environment with little chance of exposure to mosquitoes. During your visit, please check with us to find out if your dog requires heartworm medication.

During heartworm season, our clinic will be offering Diagnostic Screening for dogs and cats. Diagnostic Screening helps detect health problems that may not yet be evident, and provides baseline values that can be used later for faster, more accurate diagnosis and treatment should an illness occur.

A Diagnostic Screen includes blood chemistry tests which provide an assessment of your pet's vital organs, such as the liver and kidneys to determine if they are functioning properly. In addition, hematology tests provide an assessment of the blood cells themselves.

Scheduling a Diagnostic Screen along with your dog's heartworm test eliminates the need to schedule two separate appointments. This results in less stress on your pet, as well as a monetary savings by having both screens performed at the same time.

Reiki, an ancient healing art, is the process of channeling intensified life force energy through the hands onto the body by way of the body's energy centres. This life force energy can promote healing on all levels ... physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Reiki has the potential to relieve pain and speed the healing process while working to maintain a balance within the body.

This process involves the placement of a practitioner's hands on the animal, which requires the healing. The energy then flows and is channeled towards the places on the animal which require it the most.

Hands are first placed around the neck and shoulder area of the animal. Next, they are moved to the middle of the back and one hand on each side of the spine. Finally, they are placed on their hips and lower back area. A Reiki session generally lasts 15 minutes. Please contact our clinic if you're interested in having a Reiki session for your pet.

The routine use of vaccines has contributed dramatically to a reduction in many serious illnesses in animals. In recent years, however, a debate has emerged about the need of mandatory annual vaccination. Issues of concern include vaccine efficacy, duration of immunity, and the risks of adverse side effects such as liver disease, seizures and injection-site fibrosarcoma in cats.

There have been several studies involving viral diseases that indicate immunity persists in the majority of animals for at least 3 to 5 years, and likely longer, after the initial vaccination series given to a puppy or kitten.

Vaccine titre tests provide an alternative for our clients who have concerns regarding the potential for adverse side effects associated with annual vaccination. Vaccine titres determine the need for revaccination in healthy pets. A simple blood test allows serum antibody titres to be measured in dogs and cats. This provides a way of establishing whether an animal has had an adequate antibody response to a specific disease agent.

In general, a titre of 1:5 or greater, in a pet without clinical signs of disease, indicates there's been an immunological response to vaccination, and revaccination may be unnecessary. A titre of less than 1:5 indicates poor immunological response to vaccination, and revaccination should be considered, unless the pet has a history for adverse vaccine reactions.

Please note that like a vaccination, an adequate titre does not guarantee protection, but is only an indication of immunological memory response. We recommend having a vaccine titre test done annually.

If you're interested in vaccine titre testing for your pet, please discuss this with one of our veterinarians during your pet's next visit to our clinic.

A young animal that has a reasonably sound genetic background, and lives in a relatively healthy environment, has an immune system and metabolic facility to cope with nearly anything ... the imperfect feeding, detrimental preservatives, rancid oils, chemicals, environmental stress, and pollution. As your pet ages, it will be less able to handle these things without suffering some damage. The result is an epidemic of modern diseases, including cancer, heart disease, allergies, and autoimmune disorders.

Often, in maturing pets over the age of seven, we see decline and minor problems. A seven-year old dog has already reached middle age in human years (please see the chart below). Imperfections such as cysts and fatty lumps develop and the haircoat and colour begins to fade. The teeth become loose and develop calculus build-up, and the gums begin to degenerate. The digestive system may indicate decline with changes in appetite, diarrhea and/or constipation and increased incidence of vomiting. Mobility will be reduced with arthritic formation, and muscular and nerve function decline.

Many problems that we see, such as heart conditions, lameness, kidney degeneration, and liver pathology are manifestations of chronic 'hidden' conditions that we must try to detect before they become significant.

You, the conscientious pet owner, should make an assessment of the changes as they occur. In order for us to make a judgment of how significant these changes are, and to provide benchmarks for ongoing assessments, we recommend the following geriatric screening as a starting point:

How Old is Your Dog in 'Human' Years?
Dog's Age (Years)	Human Age
Dog's Age (Years)	Small Dog	Giant Breed
1	15	12
2	24	19
3	28	26
4	32	33
5	36	40
6	40	47
7	44	54
8	48	61
9	52	68
10	56	75
11	60	82
12	64	89
13	68	96
14	72	103
15	76	110

How Old is Your Cat in 'Human' Years?
Cat's Age (Years)	Human Age
1	15
2	24
3	28
4	32
5	36
6	40
7	44
8	48
9	52
10	56
11	60
12	64
13	68
14	72
15	76

West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne disease that affects mainly birds and horses. The virus can be spread to humans and other animals by the bite of an infected mosquito. Some people never experience symptoms, while others may experience flu-like symptoms.

The numbers of reported cases of this virus in cats and dogs have been very few. The symptoms they experience include: fever, lack of co-ordination, muscle pains, seizures or paralysis. Dogs and cats cannot shed the virus in their saliva; therefore, they cannot spread it to humans.

There is no medication or vaccine available to prevent West Nile Virus. Prevention of the disease occurs by limiting your pet's exposure to mosquitoes.

Reduce the amount of time your pet spends outdoors, especially at dawn and dusk. Ensure all window screens in your home are secure and have no holes in them. Eliminate stagnant water where mosquitoes might breed.

Do not use insect repellants that contain DEET on your pets. DEET is very toxic to pets if they lick it off. Our clinic carries a variety of insect repellants that contain natural ingredients that are safe to apply to your pet.

DNA Testing for Your Pet

Inherited diseases have become the leading cause of poor quality of life or death in all breeds of cats and dogs. Preventive medicine and nutrition has decreased the occurrence of infections and nutritional diseases. More animals are produced by matings from smaller family lines and inbreeding and close relationships among some lines are causing an increase in inherited illness.

Affected animals could be healthy carriers of a defective gene or a new genetic mutation could occur in the animal and could be passed on. For inherited disorders, a cure is seldom available, so prevention begins by testing before animals are bred.

Molecular (DNA) testing is still in its infancy for genetic diseases of companion animals. It is very difficult to isolate the gene carrying the conditions, quite costly for the research and each test does not apply to all the different breeds of animals. The majority of the research interest comes from breed associations or from medical research interested in a disorder that can be used as an animal model for a human genetic disease.

Genetic (DNA) testing contrasts sharply to the availability of DNA testing for infectious agents in tissues or body fluids. These tests are quite sensitive, highly specific and test across all the different species of animals.

The following is a sample of some DNA tests, which are available at our clinic:
• Heartworm
• West Nile Virus
• Tick Borne Pathogens (e.g. Lyme Disease)
• Diarrhea Pathogens (e.g. Parvovirus, Giardia, Salmonella, etc.)
• Canine & Feline Respiratory Pathogens (e.g. Bordetella, Chlamydophila, Calicivirus, etc.)
• Feline Viral Profile

On occasion with some patient cases, the veterinarian may suggest DNA testing to aid in the diagnosis and possible treatment of your pet.

If you are interested in obtaining more information on DNA testing for your pet, please speak with one of our veterinarians at your next visit.

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