Toronto's Liberty Village Animal Hospital

Holiday weekend hours – Victoria Day

May 13, 2019

It’s the long weekend! We hope you have a terrific Victoria Day weekend, whether you’re celebrating Easter or just taking some time with friends and family! Holiday weekend hours Friday 17 May – 8am-6pm Saturday 18 May – closed Sunday 19 May – closed Monday 20 May – closed Tuesday 21 May – open at 8am and back to regular hours In the event of an emergency If you need a veterinarian outside of normal hours, please go to one of the following emergency clinics: Emergency Hospital of West Toronto 150 Norseman Street 416.239.3453 Central Toronto Veterinary Referral Clinic 1051 Eglinton Avenue West 416.784.4444 Animal Health Partners 1 Scarsdale Rd. North York 416-380-7400  

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Veterinarian Ellen Kinzl on distemper

Distemper is a problem in Toronto. Do you know the signs?

May 11, 2019

  What is distemper? According to Toronto city officials, distemper in raccoons and skunks is currently a bigger problem than rabies in the GTA. The problem is that while most of us have heard of distemper, we actually don’t know how to recognize it, so in many cases, reports of ‘rabid’ animals are in fact animals with canine distemper. Canine distemper is a virus that affects an animal’s gastrointestinal, respiratory and central nervous systems, as well as the conjunctival membranes of the eye. It can take a few days from the first infection to the first symptoms, but in almost all cases the disease is fatal, and even the minority of dogs who do survive end up with permanent brain damage.  Your vet will normally include distemper vaccinations as part of their normal vaccination schedule in your puppy’s first year – and it’s important. It’s rare for an animal with distemper…

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Easter weekend hours at Liberty Village

Easter Weekend Hours

April 15, 2019

  Spring has sprung! We hope you have a terrific holiday weekend, whether you’re celebrating Easter or just taking some time with friends and family! Holiday weekend hours Thursday 18 April – open regular hours til 8pm Friday 19 April – closed Saturday 20 April – closed Sunday 21 April – closed Monday 22 April – open regular hours starting at 8am In the event of an emergency If you need a veterinarian outside of normal hours, please go to one of the following emergency clinics: Emergency Hospital of West Toronto 150 Norseman Street 416.239.3453 Central Toronto Veterinary Referral Clinic 1051 Eglinton Avenue West 416.784.4444 Animal Health Partners 1 Scarsdale Rd. North York 416-380-7400  

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What you should know about dog poop

Dog poop: What is it telling you?

March 5, 2019

  Your dog can’t talk – but his body can If you’ve been a dog parent for any length of time, you know two things: One, that dogs will, sooner or later, put pretty much anything into their mouths, and this will, from time to time, cause them some gastrointestinal distress. Second, owning a dog means cleaning up poop – and gastrointestinal distress usually means more poop. In healthy dogs, most of the time, 24 hours of diarrhea isn’t a cause for concern, and you don’t immediately need to call your vet. Here’s what you can do at home: Make sure your dog has plenty of clean water to drink – and make sure you keep an eye on how much they’re drinking. The biggest immediate issue when a dog (or a person) has diarrhea is dehydration, so ensuring your dog is getting enough fluids is important. (Some dog parents…

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What blood tests are important for your dog

Blood tests for your dog: What you need to know

February 23, 2019

  The other day I was speaking to one of our long-term dog parents about her elderly cocker spaniel, who happens to be deaf, partially blind, and has glaucoma. “I know I was resistant to getting that blood work done a couple of months ago,” she told me. “But you know, I’m so glad I did. It’s given me such peace of mind. It makes such a big difference, knowing that she’s basically healthy for her age and that I’m not going to get surprised by some condition that went unnoticed for ages.” What are canine blood tests for? While there are a wide range of canine blood tests, a CBC (complete blood count) examines the white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets, including the health and functionality of those cells. As in blood tests for humans, this information gives your vet information about your dog’s immune system and…

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Happy holidays! (and holiday hours)

December 22, 2018

We hope you have a wonderful holiday season! Here at Liberty Village Animal Hospital, 2018 was our best year yet, and we have you to thank. It’s our clients, customers, patients and friends who have made us a success – and made us happy to get up and come to work every morning. So we wanted to take a moment to thank you for another great year. Our holiday hours Dec 24 – 8am-1pmDec 25/26 – ClosedDec 27-10am-8pmDec 28 – 9am-6pmDec 29 – 9am-1pmDec 31 – 8am-1pmJan 1 – ClosedJan 2 – back to normal hours In the event of an emergency If you need a veterinarian outside of normal hours, please go to one of the following emergency clinics: Emergency Hospital of West Toronto150 Norseman Street416.239.3453 Central Toronto Veterinary Referral Clinic1051 Eglinton Avenue West416.784.4444

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Liberty Village Animal Hospital helping homeless pets

Welcome to #HelpOurPetsTO 2018!

November 15, 2018

Partnering to help homeless pets (and their families) We’re excited to announce that for the second year in a row, we’re partnering with ThinkHatch and partners Park9: UrbanDog Playcare & Resorts and Simply Laundry to help the pets in our communities who often struggle in the winter months. We all know our pets are family, and for people who are homeless their pets may be the only family they have. For homeless people on the streets of Toronto, pets can provide comfort, motivation – and their dogs often provide the security and safety that can be so difficult to find on the streets. But pets living on the streets often experience scarcity, which is why we’re collecting donations of new and used blankets, pet supplies, and pet food. This holiday season, let’s help them out with donations of new or used blankets, pet food and other pet needs. Drop off your donation between Nov 12 –…

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Cat food information from Dr Ellen Kinzl veterinarian

What people food is safe for cats?

November 13, 2018

Your cat doesn’t have to live on kibble alone Recently a friend called me up on a rainy Sunday morning. “I’m out of cat food!” he said. “But I really don’t want to have to go out in this weather. What can I feed the cat?” Well, as it turns out, lots of things. Most of us are so accustomed to buying pre-made dog and cat food that we forget that pet-specific food is a relatively recent invention. While the first commercial dog biscuits were made in 1860, it wasn’t until the early 1900s that dog food was widely available. The 25 years spanning the world wars and their associated consumer shortages meant there was a growing need to feed pets without taxing the human food supply. By 1947, PG Wodehouse was writing about satirical dog biscuit companies – which was a good indication they’d gone mainstream. The truth is that…

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