Dewdney Animal Hospital Ltd.

01/09/2026

Something we don't talk about enough. We are fortunate to have Greyhaven Exotic Bird Sanctuary for birds, Urban Safari Rescue Society for Reptiles and Rabbitats for rabbits, and occasionally the BC SPCA (BCSPCA) for a mixture of the three, but all of them are overwhelmed.

The left overs often get dumped, some given to petstores, or worse roadside zoos, others lucky to find a quality owner. Others will be surrendered to a series of inappropriate homes, each time conditions worsen until they eventually die of neglect.

These can make amazing pets, but they should never be childrens pets unless the parents are willing to be the forever home with they eventually move out.

Many of these animals live much longer lives then people realize, my own Box turtles are exceeding 70 years of age and will be passed on to my children and even grandchildren.

Don't buy an exotic pet unless you are capable of giving it a forever home

The largest parrot rescue in eastern Ontario is launching a pilot project to help address what experts are calling a parrot crisis. CTV’s Katelyn Wilson repo...

01/08/2026

Not an easy pet but worthwhile for the right individual

Buckle up, folks, because this is a long one!

Meet Phoebe, our stunning Catalina macaw who's looking for a second chance. Phoebe is a big, beautiful gal with a gentle heart and a quirky personality. She came to us as a rescue, so her age is a mystery, but what we do know is that she’s an anxious goofball who just needs the right person to help her shine!

Phoebe is still learning to trust people, so she needs an experienced, patient adopter who understands large parrots. When she feels safe, she LOVES treats, showers, and even dancing to music! She’ll wave her feet, squawk along, and show off her silly side. With time and trust, she’ll even step up and enjoy gentle head scratches.

This girl has come a long way since arriving underweight and over-plucked. With proper care, a clean environment, and enrichment, she’s on the right track, but she’ll need ongoing attention and possibly vet care throughout her life to manage her self-destructive behaviors.

It's important to keep in mind that Macaws can live 30–50+ years, so adopting Phoebe is a lifelong commitment. She needs a proper diet, enrichment, and lots of social interaction to stay happy and healthy.

The BC SPCA doesn’t encourage keeping macaws as companion animals, but we believe every bird deserves the best possible care. If you’re ready to give Phoebe the loving, knowledgeable home she deserves, apply online today! https://adopt.spca.bc.ca/pets/787517/

01/06/2026

Further information on the topic of ear cropping and tail docking. Finally Ontario is looking into banning cosmetic surgery on dogs and cats.

Should they follow through ear cropping will be illegal in all of the Canada with only Saskatchewan still willing to do tail docking (against the recommendation of the Saskatchewan veterinary associations)

01/05/2026

If your breeder cannot supply vet records on who did the tail docking.

01/01/2026

Sounds about right ;)

12/31/2025

Closed at 1pm tomorrow and all day Jan 1st

12/27/2025

For those of you in Calgary.

12/26/2025

12/24/2025

Let’s see your Christmas pets!!!!

Happy Holidays from “Nancy”, “Fluffy” and “Pokey” and the rest of the Dewdney Gang

12/24/2025

If you need Pet Food or Medications for you pet, remember we close at 1 pm on Christmas eve

12/23/2025

Aww. We were just talking about how this one was doing. Thanks for the update!!

12/21/2025

Fatal H5N1 influenza in a dog: Alberta

By Scott Weese on December 20, 2025
POSTED IN DOGS
We’re in the midst of a pretty bad human flu season. That’s a problem by itself, as severe disease and hospitalization rates are high and likely to increase. High flu activity in people also amps up concerns regarding H5N1 avian flu, as it creates more opportunity for co-infection of a person or animal with a human flu virus and H5N1 avian flu, which could lead to recombination and creation of a new flu strain that transmits effectively person-to-person.

Avian H5N1 flu has spilled over into a large number of mammals. Among domestic animals, cats and cattle have attracted the most attention, but it also poses a risk to dogs. The number of infections in dogs has been pretty low, but they occur and can be serious. A recent fatal infection in Alberta highlighted this.

In November, a 10 year old goldendoodle developed H5N1 influenza after exposure to a snow goose, and subsequently died. The dog had a compromised immune system because it was being treated for an immune-mediated disease, and that could have contributed to severity of disease. However, it’s similar to a 2023 case in Ontario where a dog (with no known immunocompromise) developed a fatal infection after exposure to an infected goose.

This case is more of a reminder of a risk that’s been present for a while vs something new, but there’s a reason we put a lot of effort into H5N1 influenza control. Currently circulating H5N1 flu strains are poorly adapted to infect and spread between people (and dogs) but every time the virus spills over into a mammal, it creates more opportunity for change, and in this context, change is definitely bad.
Tags: avian influenza, h5n1, influenza

We’re in the midst of a pretty bad human flu season. That’s a problem by itself, as severe disease and hospitalization rates are high and likely to