Taking your puppy to the vet for the first time.

How to make it more successful for everyone   As a new puppy parent, you’ve probably been told how important it is that your new dog gets regular veterinary care. (You may even have had to sign papers promising this care.) But even the most committed dog owner can find those first few months tough: New puppies have to visit the vet every few weeks in their first 6 months, for everything from checkups to immunizations and boosters to parasite checks. However, one of the side benefits to all these early visits to the vet is that they allow your puppy to become accustomed to the sights, sounds and smells of the veterinary clinic, which will make it easier later on. The idea of having to carry or drag a full-grown Bernese into the vet’s office sounds funny – until you have to do it yourself. Your dog may never…

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Howl-o-ween winners!

It’s hard to choose when they’re all this cute Thanks to everyone who submitted photos for the #LVAHHowloween pet costume contest! We got some fantastic entries, but we’ve picked the winners. Here they are: FIRST PLACE DOG: Pope Norman Norman of MyMateNorman was totally on-trend this year with his Dog Pope costume (remember the Met Costume Gala’s theme was also the Catholic Church!) and we couldn’t resist. FIRST PLACE CAT: Pirate Charlee of the Liberty Caribbean Pirate Charlee of the Liberty Caribbean wins first in the cat category, not just for the costume, but for possibly the best pose of the season. Because of course that’s how cats would stand if they were pirates. SECOND PLACE: Ellesmere the Toller Anyone who lives, works, or even just walks through Liberty Village these days will appreciate Ellesmere the Toller’s costume, representing “the infamous intersection in Toronto with condos going up on all…

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Veterinary care doesn’t have to be expensive

5 tips for ensuring your pet stays healthy without breaking the bank We know what people say: “I hate taking Spot to the vet – it’s a lot of money and sometimes I think they’re just trying to make me spend more money.” But remember: Vets have the same kind of medical training (and almost as much of it) as family doctors have. Their years in veterinary college involved anatomy, physiology, surgery and pharmacology – just like your family doctor. And 99% of them did it because they have a deep love for animals. If they’d really wanted just to ‘make money’, they’d have chosen a medical field that involved humans. However, we also know that when a pet gets sick, it can happen fast – and even modest bills can be a shock to the budget. So here are our tips for keeping vet bills low – while also…

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Howl-o-ween 2018: Pets in costume

You’re already making your pet wear a costume. Why not win a prize? We’re excited to announce the second annual Howl-o-ween costume contest. Dress up your dog or cat in their Halloween costume, take a picture and then post it on Instagram or Twitter using #LVAHhowloween or on our Facebook page before October 31. We’ll choose 4 winners: #1 dog, #1 cat, #2 overall and #3 overall and announce on November 1, 2018. First place prizes: $100 worth of pet foodSecond place prize: $50 worth of pet foodThird place prize: $25 worth of pet food (Plus bragging rights, of course.) We’re looking forward to seeing your pets look just as cute (and possibly ridiculous) as practice dog Olive, shown here in one of her many costumes.

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