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Have You Signed Up For Petly Yet?
Our online, personalized pet health pages let you manage your pet’s health from one convenient
place. Request appointments online, see your pet’s medical history, order prescriptions and
learn a ton of new information about keeping your pet healthy!
Check your email inbox for your invitation. If you don’t see it, check your spam folder. You can
also give us a call or send us your email address so you can start experiencing Petly today!
The Diet Dilemma
Choosing the right food for your pet can often seem confusing. There are a lot of opinions
circulating about what is good/bad for your pet. We want to try to help you make the right decision
for you and your pet. Let’s try to dispel a few of the myths associated with pet foods…
1. By products—This term doesn't sound very appetizing, but it just means a secondary
product. By products are often found in pet and human food. For example, Vitamin E, gelatin,
beef bouillon, beef liver and vegetable oils are all by-products. Heart, lungs, kidney, liver and
other organs are used in pet foods. These are very high quality protein sources which will
provide your pet with nutrients and minerals. Beaks, claws and feathers are rarely included in
pet foods.
2. Corn—Corn is an excellent source of protein, carbohydrates, insoluble and soluble fibres and
omega fatty acids. Corn is also highly digestible, higher than several other grains such as rice,
wheat, barley and sorghum. Some consumers are concerned that corn may be a filler. Fillers
offer no nutritional value whatsoever. Corn, as mentioned above, is a superb source of
nutrients.
3. Grain “free” - Some companies will exchange carbohydrate source for another or use terms
that consumers may not easily recognize. For example, peas and oats contain carbohydrates,
and sweet potato contains more carbohydrates per serving than corn. Zea Mays is often on
these labels and this is derived from corn.
4. All “natural” - According to the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), the
term "natural" requires a pet food to consist of only natural ingredients without chemical
alterations; except for added vitamins and minerals. The term "organic" was legally defined for
human foods by the USDA. While final rules have not yet been made, pet food companies can
currently use the term "organic" if they follow the same rules as applied to human foods. Foods
that are "100% organic" or "organic" will carry the USDA Organic Seal on the package.
Currently Hill’s does not offer an "organic" pet food product. Natural and organic are not
interchangeable terms. "Holistic" has no legal definition. There is no regulation defining what
the word holistic means with regard to pet foods. The term "human grade" was determined to
be misleading by AAFCO. The use of "human grade" or "human quality" is not allowed in pet
food marketing unless the food is made in a human food approved plant.
When shopping for pet food, there are a few things to consider…
 Does the product offer different foods for many life stages to support your pet’s needs
throughout its life?
 Does the food company product spend a majority of their budget on advertising or
research?
 Is the product recommended by veterinarians or one that is recommended by pet store
employees?
We are always happy to answer any questions you have. Our goal is for you to find the
right pet food to keep your pet healthy and happy, whether you choose to buy it from us
or from the pet store.
HOW DOES MY VETERINARIAN
KNOW WHAT’S WRONG?
The best approach to a health problem is
based on training, experience and probability.
Some health problems are common, others are
rare. Some occur more commonly in young
animals, while others are more common in
aged pets. Some problems are common in
one part of the country, but rarely occur in
other locations.
After getting a history of your pet’s problems
and doing an exam, your veterinarian goes
through a written process of listing all the
problems identified. He then decides which
organ(s) and disease(s) may be causing the
problems and narrows down the lists based on
the age, breed, sex and travel history of your
pet.
Tests will be recommended to determine
which organ(s) and disease(s) may be
responsible for your pet’s problem(s). The tests
are often recommended in stages, beginning
with screening tests that are relatively
inexpensive and have little potential for
causing harm to the animal. Based on the
results more sophisticated tests, which often
cost more and may have some risks, may be
recommended.
Although your veterinarian cannot predict what
will be found on a specific test, usually
they will provide some
possible outcomes for
each of the tests so that
you can decide whether
the costs and risks are
worth the information that
may be gained.
9220 #3 Road
Richmond, BC, V7A 1V9
Phone: 604-277-3161
Fax: 604-277-7071
E-mail: [email protected]
Building Lifelong Relationships with
Pets and Their People
Did You Know?
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A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
African Grey parrots have vocabularies of over 200 words.
Cats spend 66% of their life asleep.
At birth Dalmatians are white.
Frogs can swallow with their eyes open.
An elephant is the only mammal that can’t jump.
Bats always turn left when exiting a cave.
Cats can jump up to 7 times their tail length.
An iguana can stay under water for 28 minutes.
A cat uses its whiskers to determine if a space it too small to
fit through.
Dogs sweat through the pads on their feet.
A chameleon’s tongue is twice the length of its body.
Most birds eat twice their body weight each day.
Animal Q&A
Q. Is it true that spaying my dog will make her fat?
A. Obesity in pets is a multifactorial problem primarily resulting
from over feeding and lack of physical activity. However, after
spaying or neutering your pet there is a documented slowing of
metabolism. Therefore, it is important and recommended to
reduce their caloric intake after the procedure with help from your
veterinary staff. All animals vary in energy output and
requirements to maintain a healthy weight. A diet plan should be
discussed with your veterinarian to determine how much to feed
your animal. Specifically, we recommend all female dogs and cats
are spayed around 6 months of age (this age recommendation can
change depending on breed and lifestyle) prior to their first heat
to dramatically reduce the risk of mammary cancer. Spaying
your pet is a good idea to prevent pet overpopulation along
with various diseases associated with the reproductive organs.
For more information specific to your animal please discuss
with your veterinarian.
Mon & Fri
8-6
Tues
7-8
Wed
8-8
Thurs
7-6
Sat
8-4
Sun
CLOSED