S. Fontana is a LifeLearn author.
Effective January 2, 2019, Acres Animal Hospital’s hours of operation will be changing.
Monday 9:00am – 7:00pm
Tuesday 10:00am – 7:00pm
Wednesday 8:00am – 6:00pm
Thursday 10:00am – 7:00pm
Friday 9:00am – 6:00pm
Our current hours of M-F 8am-8pm will continue until January 2019.
The Metro Animal Emergency Clinic in Burnside is trusted with the care of our patients while we are closed.
Weather permitting, our parking lot will be paved on Thursday, Aug. 17 – Friday, Aug 18. In case of rain, paving may be postponed to a later date. You will not be able to park in front of our building during this time. The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 160 has kindly allowed us to park in their lot while ours is being paved. Please park at the back corner of the legion parking lot. There is a path through the trees here to the yard behind the animal hospital. During this time, you will be able to enter the animal hospital by the back door.
If you need help or if you have any questions, please call us at 902-434-4446; we will be happy to help.
HRM will be doing road work on Main St. (Highway 7) this summer, including from Forest Hills Parkway to Montague Road. It may be easier to enter the Parking lot at Acres from Montague Road than from Main Street. When traveling east (away from the city), turn left (north) onto Montague Road at the lights just past Acres, then make an immediate left into the parking lot.
If traffic along Main Street is congested, you may also find it easier to travel along an alternate route. There are a few suggestions below:
From the Forest Fills Extension, you can take the Montague Rd exit and travel down Montague Rd. to the animal hospital.
From Cole Harbour Road, you can travel along John Stewart and Auburn to Hildebrand, bypassing Main Street.
From Forest Hills, you can travel along Taranaki and Karen to Hildebrand, bypassing Main St.
From Tacoma, you can travel along Mount Edward, to Main St. and Brigadoon. Or you can bypass Main St. entirely by traveling down Wildwood to Flying Cloud and Taranaki.
February is Dental Health Month. Did you know that, just like humans, cats and dogs can have dental problems too? Good dental care starts in the home and can include tooth brushing and food selection. Cats and dogs can also get their teeth professional cleaned, just like humans. Feel free to contact us to learn more about dental health for cats and dogs.
The tick population in Nova Scotia is growing. With the growth in population, there is also an increase in the number of tick-bourne diseases reported. Lyme disease is transmitted to animal (including humans, dogs, and cats) whey they are bitten by a tick that is infected with the disease. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi which is transmitted by infected black-legged ticks. The disease has a number of symptoms, including muscle and joint pain (resulting in lameness or reluctance to move), and lethargy or fatigue. Dogs are less likely to show symptoms than humans, so Lyme disease is more often detected in humans than dogs. In humans, a “bull’s eye” rash is one of the most common symptoms.
There are several different species of tick. Here are a few of the more common. When trying to identify ticks, it is important to be aware that nymphs (teenage ticks) are smaller than adult ticks, and that ticks become larger when engorged (full of a blood meal). Ticks can also change colour when engorged. https://www.petsandticks.com/ is a great resource for identifying ticks found on companion animals. This website is provided by the parasitologists at the Ontario Vet College and the Atlantic Vet College. You can also submit ticks for identification.
| American Dog Tick, or Wood Tick (Dermacentor variabilis) This tick is one of the most commonly found in Nova Scotia. It is found throughout most of North America. While the wood tick can carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (a disease mostly found in the Rocky Mountains), it does not carry Lyme disease. This means that anyone (human or dog) bitten by a wood tick can not get Lyme disease. The photo to the right is a wood tick viewed through a microscope. |  |
| Brown Dog Tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) The brown dog tick population in Nova Scotia is believed to be smaller than that of the American dog tick or the black-legged tick. However, the brown dog tick is unique amount tick species; it have live its entire life indoors. Like fleas, brown dog ticks are capable of infesting your house: an excellent reason to check yourself and our pets every time you go inside. | |
| Black-legged Tick, or Deer Tick (Ixodes scapularis) The black-legged tick is capable of transmitting Lyme disease. However, not all black-legged ticks are infected with Lyme disease. Only an infected black-legged tick can transmit Lyme disease, so being bitten by a black-legged tick does not always mean that you or your pet have been infected. Despite the name, not all black-legged ticks have black legs. The image to the right (from novascotia.ca/dhw/cdpc/lyme.asp) shows areas in Nova Scotia where black-legged ticks with Lyme disease are know to be found. However, it is possible for infected ticks to be found outside these areas as the disease spreads. |  |
For more information on ticks, you can visit:
Government of Canada: Lyme Disease Website
Dogs and Ticks
Lyme Disease in Nova Scotia
What Ticks Look Like from Capital Health
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