When should I start heartworm medication in Ontario?
June 1 is the standard start date in southern Ontario. Your dog also needs a heartworm test in spring before starting. Here's the full schedule.
Read morePage 6 of 8. Pet health tips, clinic news, and educational articles from our veterinary team.
June 1 is the standard start date in southern Ontario. Your dog also needs a heartworm test in spring before starting. Here's the full schedule.
Read moreYes. An estimated 10-15% of dogs deal with seasonal allergies. Here's how to spot the signs and what to do about it in Oakville and across Ontario.
Read moreYes. Oakville sits in Ontario's highest-risk corridor for heartworm. Prevention is far less costly than treatment, and most products cover ticks and intestinal parasites at the same time. Here's why it matters.
Read moreYes. A peer-reviewed CAPC study (Self et al., Geospatial Health) showed canine 4DX positive rates predict human Lyme incidence at the county level. If your dog tests positive, the humans in your home are being exposed too.
Read moreNo. Tick tubes (Damminix, Thermacell) contain permethrin, which is acutely toxic to cats. If your cat goes outdoors at all, skip tick tubes in favour of habitat management. Here's why.
Read moreCats can be bitten by infected ticks but almost never develop clinical Lyme disease. Per Cornell, no naturally acquired clinical case has been documented outside the lab in North America. Here's what cats actually do get.
Read moreYes, cats absolutely get ticks — even indoor cats. The bigger danger isn't usually the tick itself, it's the dog tick products that are toxic to cats. Here's what Halton cat owners need to know.
Read moreYes. The Canadian Parasitology Expert Panel now recommends year-round tick prevention for dogs and outdoor cats in southern Ontario. Mild winters mean ticks are active any month above 4°C. Here's why.
Read moreA 60-second tick check after every walk catches ticks before they transmit disease. Here's the method, the body zones to focus on, and the one trick that catches unattached ticks.
Read moreUse fine-tipped tweezers or a Tick Twister, grasp close to the skin, and pull straight up. No matches, no vaseline, no alcohol on the tick. Here's the proper technique from a Halton vet.
Read moreMowing, raking leaf litter, and a 3-metre wood-chip barrier between lawn and woods reduce tick numbers by 50–90%. Here's the full Halton-friendly yard playbook — including what NOT to do if you have a cat.
Read moreFound a tick on your cat? Remove it gently with a Tick Twister, save it for eTick.ca, and watch for signs over 2 weeks. Cats rarely get Lyme — here's what they actually do get.
Read moreCan't find what you're looking for? Our veterinary team is here to answer your questions and provide personalized advice for your pet's health needs.