Basinview Animal Hospital

Summer heat and your dogs

Even moderately warm temperatures outside can quickly lead to deadly temperatures inside a car. The reason is that the car acts like an oven, even in a shady area, trapping and amplifying the suns heat. The inside of a car can reach over 100 degrees in minutes. If you are wondering if you should take Fido in the car, play it safe and keep him home where he can stay cool and relaxed!

A great tool to find out how hot a car can get, follow this link to a great site: http://mydogiscool.com/x_car_study.php

For signs of heat exhaustion, click http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1683&aid=1683

If you have any concerns about your pets condition, please call us immediately.

Yvonne Giles
Dr. Giles is originally from the South Shore of Nova Scotia but she and her husband, Philip now call Fall River home.  She earned a BSc at Acadia University then graduated from the Atlantic Veterinary College in 1992.  After five years of practicing locally, opening up a practice in Bedford fulfilled a dream that is still evolving today.  Special interests include surgery and geriatric medicine, especially pain management of the senior pet.
She and Philip enjoy traveling when they can, hiking, kayaking and reading. They share their home with four rescue cats, Manuel,Blossom, Pussy Willow, Vera and the occasional visitor she drags home from the hospital for the weekend...hoping Philip says she can keep it!

 Amanda Schrage 
 Originally from Sydney, Nova Scotia, Dr. Schrage received her Bachelor of Science with honors in biology from Cape Breton University in 2000 and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Atlantic Veterinary College in 2004.  She worked in small animal and exotic medicine following graduation until she joined Basinview Animal Hospital in 2008.  She has a special interest in small animal internal medicine and behavior.
In addition to clinical practice,  Dr. Schrage also teaches a veterinary assistant program.  She enjoys spending her free time with her husband Rob and dog Ceilidh.
 
Dr. Mike Ackerley 
We are very pleased to welcome Mike to our team.  Mike is originally from Bridgewater, NS.  He graduated from the nova Scotia Agricultural College in 2005 before graduating from the Atlantic Veterinary College in 2009.  He and his wife Lindsay, and their 2 cats, Lumburg and Gizmo currently reside in Tantallon.  Dr. Mike has a special interest in small animal surgery and preventive medicine.
When he is not busy at work, Mike keep busy with his "honey-do" list in his new home. His hobbies include watching and playing sports, reading and movies.

Dr. Candace Zwicker
Originally from Chester, NS, but now residing with her new Hubby in Truro, Dr. Candace graces Basinview with her talents. Graduating last year from AVC, Candace came to us and has fit right in with our patient care philosophy. Her background as an Veterinary Technician, along with her medical training will be sure to impress her clients as it does us! Welcome onboard Dr. Zwicker!
 

Beginning Saturday, April 16th, we are extending appointment times and food sales on Saturday to serve our clients better!

Monday to Friday 8am-8pm
Saturday 9am to 3pm

With its patent-pending design, Thundershirt's gentle, constant pressure has a dramatic calming effect for most dogs if they are anxious, fearful or over-excited. Based on surveys completed by over two thousand customers, over 80% of dogs show significant improvement in symptoms when using Thundershirt. Thundershirt is already helping tens of thousands of dogs around the world, and is recommended by thousands of veterinarians and dog trainers.

As for WHY Thundershirt's gentle pressure works to calm a dog, experts such as Dr. Temple Grandin believe that pressure has a calming effect on the nervous system. Using pressure to relieve anxiety has been a common practice for years. For example:

TTouch dog trainers use pressure to address a wide variety of anxieties.Veterinarians use pressure to relax cattle when they are administering vaccinations.People with autism use pressure to relieve their persistent anxiety.Children with certain behavioral problems use pressure shirts and weighted vests to relax and focus.Parents use swaddling to calm an inconsolable newborn infant.
Until now, there just hasn't been a well-designed, inexpensive pressure wrap commonly used for dog anxiety. Thundershirt is changing that! Thousands of veterinarians and dog trainers now recommend Thundershirts for their anxiety cases.

Check out the website www.thundershirt.com

Basinview AH is hosting an auction in support of Lori's Cat Rescue. This rescue is run by a great gal named Lori Martin. Over the past few years she has helped over 150 stray cats in the HRM. She has trapped these feral cats and has them spayed or neutered and vaccinated before releasing them back into their colony. Many of these cats are quite friendly and so, Lori finds homes for these cuties. 

Frequently these cats require significant veterinary care including dentistry, abcess repair and parasite control. All of this work is done at her own expense! Unfortunately, the number of cats and kittens in need is growing. 

We graciously ask your support in donating an item to our auction in support of Lori's Rescues.

You can contact Lynn Carroll or Stephanie Wood at Basinview for further information. 

Auction is Saturday, April 16th at BREWSTER's from 2-4pm.
Please come out and support a great lady and a great Rescue!

TAPA (Taking Action to Protect Animals Society) has been involved in the care and rescue of kittens and adult cats since August 2007.
We have been able to help more than 300 kittens and cats from
various outdoor colonies in the HRM area.  

We promote TNR (Trap Neuter Return) as a humane and highly effective method
of dealing with outdoor cat populations.

As funds and space allow, our volunteers remove the kittens
and they are then taken to be vet checked.  This includes testing for feline leukemia, 
vaccinating for distemper and treated for fleas and other parasites. 
They are then placed for adoption into loving, approved homes.
  The older kittens and adults are assessed for suitability for adoption.  If they are found to be unsocial or unadoptable, they are spayed or neutered and returned to their colony. 
The cats are fed by volunteers on a daily basis.
In addition to providing food for the cats, we have been fortunate
to have several insulated shelters built and donated by caring volunteers, so that the cats can
stay dry and warm in bad weather.

Donations greatly appreciated and will be used to help our cat rescues!
We are a registered charity and income tax receipts will be issued for donations of $10 or more. Donations can also be sent to our mailing address:
TAPA, PO Box 212, Hfx CRO, Halifax NS B3J 2M4