Belleway Veterinary Hospital

05/22/2026

⏰ We're a bit behind...but Happy Vet Assistant Week! 🩺

Vet assistants are crucial to a successful veterinary team. Their areas of study include animal handling and restraint, surgical preparation, common diseases, animal behaviour, laboratory procedures, grooming techniques, business practices, client communication and more! 📕

We are thankful for our VA, Richelle! She's dependable, attentive and empathetic to patients and notices little details that most people overlook. 💕

We are fortunate to have her on our team with her many years of experience in shelter medicine, high volume spay neuter and more and we appreciate all her hard work! 💪🏻

05/15/2026

We are closed Monday May 18th for the Victoria Day long weekend. We re-open Tuesday May 19th at 8:00 am.

If your pet is in need of veterinary care; our local Quinte Regional Pet Hospital has the following hours.

We hope you have a great weekend filled with sunshine☀️

We are here if you need us over the upcoming May Long Weekend!

Please call 613-968-9956

05/08/2026

‼️

⚠️ Heartworm is here in Ontario — and it’s closer to home than many people realize.

This blood film shows microfilaria (baby heartworms) from a heartworm-positive dog born and raised in Northumberland County. No travel history. No southern rescue. Just a local Ontario dog exposed through mosquito bites. 🩸

Heartworm disease is caused by parasites spread by mosquitoes and can lead to serious heart and lung damage in dogs. The scary part? Many infected dogs show few or no signs until the disease is advanced. 🫀

The good news: heartworm is preventable. Monthly prevention and routine testing are the best ways to protect your pets.

As mosquito season approaches, now is the perfect time to make sure your dog is up to date on their heartworm prevention and annual screening. 🦟🐶❤️

05/01/2026

‼️ Anaplasmosis ‼️

We’ve had 2 positive 4Dx tests in clinic this week show up positive for Anaplasmosis.

What is Anaplasmosis? It’s a tick born disease caused by the bacterial organism called anaplasma.

It can cause lameness, joint pain, fever, lethargy, and lack of appetite. Most infected dogs will have symptoms for 1-7 days, however some have no symptoms.

Less common signs are; vomiting, diarrhea, coughing and laboured breathing. 🤒

This bacteria hides within platelets, causing the body to attack its own platelets because they see them as foreign. This can cause bleeding, and bruising. Treatment involves a round of antibiotics, and prognosis and recovery is excellent! 🩹

Monthly preventions and staying away from trails/grassy areas are key to preventing infections! Keep your pets safe by picking up their Credelio and Bravecto. And remember, not every dog can show symptoms… which is why yearly testing is so important! 🐞

04/24/2026

This is is Sada, a 6 year old Walker Hound Mix. 🐶

She would like to remind everyone that heartworm season is approaching! (June 1st-Nov 1st)🪱

Sada was heartworm positive in 2022. Her prevention history was unknown, as she was adopted from a shelter. She needed treatment with several injections, steroids, and antibiotics and needed strict rest for 8 weeks. She is now heartworm free since 2023! 🏥

While incidence may be low (0.5%) compared to the southern states, there is still a risk. Ontario counts for the highest concentration of cases in Canada, particularly southern Ontario. Sada was from Kingston. 🇨🇦

The cost of prevention with a monthly chew ranges from $20-40, while the cost of treating heartworm infections can range from $800-$2000 depending on the severity. 💲

Prevention is the BEST way to keep our pets happy and healthy. This includes yearly testing, to detect disease before it starts showing symptoms. 🤒

04/22/2026

💫 Vet Receptionist Appreciation Post 🦸‍♀️

This week is veterinary reception appreciation week!!

Shoutout to our receptionist team; Sarah, Shannon, and Carrie!

Sarah has been caring for clients and their pets since 2003!

Her dedication to Belleway and the clients she serves is unmatched. We appreciate her sense of humour, contagious laugh, and her ability to connect clients with care efficiently and with compassion. Her job description extends to ensuring we have the inventory needed to help the clinic running properly. Her favorite part of working at Belleway is the bonds she’s formed with clients and their precious pets over the years.

Shannon has been supporting clients and their pets since 2021!

She’s always wanted to work with animals, and her lifelong passion for animals lead her to a career in veterinary medicine. Her bubbly personality, compassion and her dedication to problem solving are what make her a great asset to the Belleway Team. Her favorite part about working at Belleway is interacting and making connections with all pets and their people, especially little Yorkshire terriers.

Carrie (not pictured) has moved away from reception, but you may still see here here and there filling in when needed 🙂 she has taken on a management role within these last few years.

If you are in this week, don’t forget to say thank you to the women up front. We could not provide high quality care without them! 💪🏻 🦸‍♀️ 💥

04/21/2026

A sneak peak behind the scenes 👀

Archie was neutered today! 🐇 🥜

Archie is a beautiful New Zealand White Rabbit who stayed with us today for his neuter procedure.

We are proud to be up to date with the best protocols we have access to, to ensure the best possible outcome for rabbits. Dr Drysdale has a profound love for rabbits and is always updating herself on the latest information.

What is included for rabbit spays and neuters?
⭐️ a complete physical examination
⭐️ pre anesthetic blood work
⭐️ tailored sedation
⭐️ maintaining the airway with a special rabbit endotracheal tube called a V-gel
⭐️ establishing intravenous access to deliver anesthetic, and reversal in case of an emergency
⭐️ monitoring heart rate, oxygenation, and more
⭐️ using a laser to make the incisions. Rabbits have very thin skin and this helps to to reduce bleeding and speed up healing
⭐️ subcutaneous fluids to keep them hydrated
⭐️ close monitoring after surgery to ensure a normal recovery
⭐️ pain medications to go home
⭐️ checking in with you the next day to make sure they’re doing well!

Call us anytime if you’d like to discuss booking your rabbit’s surgery with us 🙂

04/21/2026

Thank you everyone who donated blankets and comforters!

We have lots of options now, and are so thrilled and thankful to everyone who thought of us and took time out of their day to bring us their items!

We no longer need any 🙂

04/20/2026

Today is April 20th! Whether you celebrate or not, remember to do it responsibly and keep substances away from your beloved pets. 🏥

Dogs have more cannabinoid receptors in their brains, which means the effects of cannabis are more dramatic and potentially more toxic when compared to humans. A small amount of cannabis is all it takes to cause toxicity in cats and dogs; Remember they don’t know the difference between a good or bad cookie! 🍪

Signs of toxicity
🍃Wobbly and uncoordinated
🍃 Hyperactive or sleepy, disoriented, and/or very vocal
🍃Pupils may dilate, giving them a wild-eyed appearance, and they Drool excessively or vomit.
🍃They may also develop urinary incontinence (i.e., urine leakage)
🍃Severe cases, tremors, seizures, and coma can result.

If you feel your pet has ingested ma*****na, please contact us or your nearest emergency clinic. Stay safe, and good vibes only! 😎

04/17/2026

This week is dog bite prevention week. ❤️‍🩹

Education is so important! 📕