West Kootenay Animal Hospital

06/06/2026

🦠🐾 We’ve had some questions lately… Leptospirosis Vaccination 🐾🦠

Leptospirosis is a serious bacterial disease that can affect both dogs and people. It is spread through wildlife urine and can be found in standing water, soil, and even urban environments.

💉 How the vaccine helps protect your dog:
The leptospirosis vaccine helps train your dog’s immune system to recognize and fight the bacteria before it can cause serious illness. After vaccination, your dog develops protective antibodies that can reduce the severity of disease and help prevent life-threatening complications such as kidney or liver failure. While no vaccine offers 100% protection, it significantly lowers the risk of severe infection.

👩‍⚕️ Why your veterinarian may recommend it:
At West Kootenay Animal Hospital, we recommend the leptospirosis vaccine based on your dog’s lifestyle and local risk factors. Even dogs that stay mostly in urban or suburban areas can be exposed through contact with wildlife (like rodents), puddles, parks, or shared outdoor spaces. In regions like ours with seasonal moisture and wildlife activity, leptospirosis exposure is a real concern, which is why it’s often included in your dog’s preventative care plan.

🌧️ For your awareness:
Routine activities like neighbourhood walks, backyard time, or visits to dog parks can all create opportunities for exposure.

💉 Keeping your dog up to date on their leptospirosis vaccine is one of the best ways to help protect them and your family from this potentially serious disease.

If you’re unsure whether your dog is protected, our team at West Kootenay Animal Hospital is happy to review their vaccine status and help keep them up to date. ❤️

06/02/2026

🐾 June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month! 🐾

Thousands of loving cats in shelters are waiting for a second chance at a forever home. Whether you’re looking for a playful kitten, a cuddly companion, or a calm senior cat, your perfect match could be waiting right now. ❤️

By adopting, you’re not just gaining a pet, you’re saving a life and making room for another animal in need.

🐱 Benefits of adopting:
✔️ Unconditional love
✔️ Endless purrs and cuddles
✔️ A loyal companion
✔️ The joy of making a difference

Meet Ember, one of the newest additions to the WKAH family, Ember is currently in a foster to adopt situation from the SPCA by one of our veterinary assistants and she’s already stolen everyone’s hearts! ❤️

At just 11 weeks old, this spunky little kitten is full of personality and always keeps everyone on their toes. From playful zoomies to endless curiosity, Ember is settling into her forever home perfectly.

Stories like Ember’s are a wonderful reminder of why Adopt a Shelter Cat Month is so important. There are so many amazing cats and kittens waiting for loving homes of their own. 🐱

Visit your local SPCA this month and meet your new best friend. Please share to help shelter cats find the loving homes they deserve!

06/01/2026

🌟 A Huge Thank You! 🌟

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Rod, Jeff, and the entire team at Power Paving, as well as Brad and the crew from Midnight Line Painting, for the outstanding work completed on our parking lot this weekend.

From the paving to the crisp new line painting, the transformation looks fantastic. Your professionalism, hard work, attention to detail, and efficiency did not go unnoticed. Projects like this take a tremendous amount of coordination and effort, and we truly appreciate the quality workmanship your teams delivered.

Thank you for helping make our clinic safer, more accessible, and more welcoming for our clients, patients, and staff.

👏 Thank you again for a job very well done! 👏

05/30/2026

☀️🐾 Heat Awareness Day 🐾☀️

Hot weather can be dangerous for our pets. As temperatures rise, it’s important to help keep your furry family members safe, cool, and comfortable.

🌡️ Heat Safety Tips for Pets:
💧 Provide fresh, cool water at all times
🌳 Walk pets during cooler morning or evening hours
🚗 Never leave pets unattended in vehicles
🐶 Avoid hot pavement that can burn paw pads
❄️ Ensure pets have access to shade or air-conditioned spaces

Signs of heat stress in pets may include excessive panting, drooling, weakness, vomiting, or collapse. If you suspect heat stroke, seek veterinary care immediately.

Let’s work together to keep pets safe this summer season! 🐕🐈💙

05/25/2026

05/20/2026

🐶❤️ National Rescue Dog Day ❤️🐶

Today we celebrate the incredible rescue dogs who have found their forever homes and the people who opened their hearts to them.

Rescue dogs come in all ages, breeds, and personalities, but they all share one amazing thing: the ability to bring unconditional love, loyalty, and joy into our lives. Whether they were adopted from a shelter, rescue organization, or taken in from a difficult situation, every rescue story matters.

At West Kootenay Animal Hospital, we’re proud to support the health and happiness of rescue pets throughout our community.

Meet Ellie, one of WKAH’s own rescue dogs, she is a wonderful reminder of how life-changing a second chance can be. . ❤️🐾

Share a photo or story of your rescue dog in the comments, we’d love to celebrate them with you! 🐾

05/15/2026

🐶 Is your dog an extrovert or introvert? 👀
We can usually tell within 5 minutes at the clinic… but what do YOU think your dog is?

🐾 Extrovert dogs:

Love meeting everyone (even strangers in line at the coffee shop ☕)
Think every walk is a social event
Get VERY excited when the leash comes out
🐾 Introvert dogs:

Prefer their own space
Need a “warm-up” period before saying hello
Are happiest watching the world from a cozy spot on the couch
💬 Tell us below: Is your dog a social butterfly or a quiet observer?

05/14/2026

At West Kootenay Animal Hospital, continuing education is such an important part of veterinary medicine and patient care.

Today, our RVT Jessica — who is also a RECOVER Certified Rescuer — led a CPR demonstration and mini refresher workshop for the team using RECOVER CPR guidelines to help keep our emergency skills sharp.

Staff training days like these help ensure our team feels confident and prepared when every second matters most for our patients. ❤️🐾

05/13/2026

Happy May Long Weekend! ☀️
Safe travels to everyone hitting the road this weekend — may your coffee be strong, your traffic be light, and your campground neighbours only mildly chaotic. 🚗🏕️

And to all the furry paws tagging along… may your humans remember the treats, the leash, and that you are absolutely not helping set up the tent. 🐾😂

05/11/2026

🐾 May is Chip Your Pet Month! 🐾

Did you know that microchipped pets are far more likely to be reunited with their families if they ever go missing? A microchip is a simple, safe, and permanent form of identification that can make all the difference in bringing your furry friend home.

At West Kootenay Animal Hospital, we encourage all pet owners to make sure their pets are microchipped and that their contact information is up to date. Even indoor pets can slip outside unexpectedly!

✅ Quick procedure
✅ Permanent ID
✅ Peace of mind

Give us a call to book your pet’s microchip appointment or to have an existing chip scanned and updated.

Because every lost pet deserves the best chance of finding their way home. ❤️🐶🐱