Phases Veterinary Emergency Hospital

07/01/2025

Urgent update! Over the weekend we have seen several suspected cases of Blue-Green Algae from the Nicola Lake region. This type of algae is highly toxic, potentially leading to death in a matter of hours. We have yet to confirm these cases, however, we recommend avoiding these areas and keeping pets out of the water!

https://bcparks.ca/monck-park/

06/28/2025

Happy Canada Day Weekend Kamloops!
We hope you all have a wonderful weekend filled with sunny outdoor fun and time spent with family and friends.
Edinburgh here is ready for a weekend of camping, and is trying to be a good boy and not eat the candies in his summer drink :D

Though we hope you will not need veterinary services this long weekend, we are here for you if you do.
As always, we are open 24 hours per day, every day and are fully-staffed at all times.
Call us at 236-766-0450 to get your pet booked in, or come straight down to the hospital.

06/14/2025

In honour of World Blood Donor Day, Sparkle Moon wants to thank all who contribute to this very much needed service! Just like in human medicine, there are many instances where we need animal blood products to help treat different conditions. We have a wonderful list of dog and cat heroes who we often call upon at Phases Veterinary Emergency Hospital, but we also want to thank all of the amazing animals who donate to Canadian Animal Blood Bank and other organizations across Canada!

Blood saves lives!

06/07/2025

We are in the running again this year for Best of Kamloops!
It is such an honour to be in the running alongside all of the other incredible hospitals in our community. Thank you Kamloops

06/04/2025

To honour National Hug Your Cat Day, give your cat a great big loving squeeze and then a few extra treats as a thank you for letting you invade their space. 😉

06/01/2025

With the weather warming up it is important to remember to be sun-safe with our pets! Brachycephalic breeds (short-nosed dogs), such as Jimi the Pug here, are more prone to heat stroke than other breeds. Strenuous exercise in hot weather can also make dogs more prone to heat stroke. Ensure your pets get plenty of shade and water.
Jimi is pictured here keeping cool by going for a swim in Barriere Lake!

Heat stroke can show in our pets as heavy panting, drooling and vomiting. As heat stroke progresses, signs of bloody diarrhea, weakness, confusion, seizures, and collapse could present.

Pets not only get heat stroke from being out in the sun, but also can get heat stroke from being left in the car on a hot day. It is VERY important to ensure you are never leaving your pet in a hot car, no matter their breed.

If you suspect your pet has heat stroke, start cooling them carefully by removing them from the heat and placing them in front of a fan or in a space with air conditioning, and then call a veterinarian immediately to discuss next steps. Do not use cold water or ice packs to try and bring down their temperature. When in doubt, seek veterinary care as soon a possible.

05/29/2025

Mishka is back again to show you how we help to reduce stress in patients who are sensitive or reactive to sound or visual stimuli.

The purple "Happy Hoodie" that Mishka is sporting, is an easy and non-invasive way to help reduce her intake of stimulus from the environment and reduce her stress levels to aid in our ability to complete her examination.

With just her happy hoody, a gentle leash restraint and cookies for motivation, Mishka permitted a whole examination including a re**al temperature, which is no small feat for a reactive heeler!

These hoodies come in a range of sizes, meaning we can use them on many species to help reduce stress, including rabbits, cats and dogs from chihuahuas to great danes.

What other cool inventions have you seen that you feel could be used in a clinical setting to help relieve stress in our patients and improve safety of veterinary teams?

05/26/2025

Less is More sometimes!

Many of our more anxious or reactive dogs benefit from a "less is more" approach.
This means that instead of using restraint or having multiple people involved, we try to touch the dog as little as possible to be able to engage in our exam or testing. We will still of course do what we can to keep our team safe, including the use of muzzles as needed, but this approach helps to ensure that many dogs feel more in control of their environment and less scared of our team!

Miss Mishka, one of our more anxious and reactive friends, shows this approach for blood collection from her lateral saphenous vein on a back leg.
She has her own muzzle on that her owner takes her everywhere in and the she is comfortable in. Our assistant "raises her vein" by doing a small hold around her back leg while she stands. Our RVT then approaches slowly and calmly, and collects her blood sample without touching or holding her further. Mishka is given praise throughout this process, and is then immediately released from this position and allowed to sniff and roam and have treats if she wishes!

For many animals at the vet, this works wonders. Other times, it will make for an impossible blood draw with a moving target, and restraint is necessary. Our team works to assess each situation and respond to the body language and actions of each patient to see what will work best for them.

Coming to the vet, especially when a pet is sick, can be a very stressful process.
Just know that every veterinary team has your pets best interests at heart, and are always doing their best to create a safe space while engaging in the care and attention they need to figure out why your pet is sick and to provide the necessary therapy.

05/24/2025

Body Language!

The most successful vet visit is one where we can engage in proper and thorough care of our animal patient with as little stress endured by them as possible, while ensuring our team is kept completely safe.

We as a team strive to understand dogs and learn their body language, and through that, set them up for that success during their visits to the hospital.
Reading body language will allow us to keep our team and our pets safe, by knowing when we can use treats or toy motivations, or when using things like muzzles or sedation in a positive way is best.

Staff pet Mishka here is a veteran at showing off her true feelings! What do you think she is trying to tell us here?
(Also, peep that gorgeous custom pink muzzle with matching collar and leash!)

05/20/2025