Pet Care Articles & Guides

Dogs can become intoxicated after eating cannabis flower, edibles, oils or concentrates, and edible products can add separate hazards such as chocolate, xylitol, raisins or high fat. This evergreen Canada-focused guide explains the signs of THC toxicosis, what information to bring to the veterinarian, why home vomiting can be unsafe, how veterinary treatment works, and how to prevent accidental exposure.

Blacklegged ticks are found throughout Nova Scotia, and tick activity can occur whenever weather conditions are suitable — including mild periods outside the traditional spring-to-fall season. This evergreen guide explains how to reduce a dog's tick exposure, what Lyme disease can look like, why a positive screening test does not automatically mean clinical disease, when kidney involvement is concerning, and how to discuss year-round prevention and Lyme vaccination with a veterinarian.

Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act makes a no-pet provision in a tenancy agreement void, but that does not mean every animal is protected in every rental. Condo governing documents, serious allergies, substantial interference, safety concerns and pet-caused damage can still matter. This evergreen guide explains Section 14, pet deposits, condo rules, eviction notices and the practical steps Ontario tenants should take when a landlord challenges a pet.

Cougars and wolves live on Vancouver Island, and free-roaming pets can be vulnerable where homes, trails and wildlife habitat overlap. This evergreen guide explains how to protect dogs and cats around the home and on walks, what BC wildlife authorities recommend during cougar or wolf encounters, which backyard measures are worth prioritizing, when to report a conflict, and why local sightings should not be turned into permanent neighbourhood risk rankings.

Banfield Optimum Wellness Plans are year-long preventive-care packages, not pet insurance. This updated guide explains the real early-cancellation rule, why there is no universal flat cancellation fee, what can happen if a pet dies during the plan year, current pricing, included vs. separately billed care, auto-renewal, and the accurately documented 2013 class-action history.

Gorilla Glue, Elmer's ProBond, and other expanding polyurethane adhesives are among the most dangerous household items a dog can ingest — not because of chemical toxicity, but because the glue expands 3–4 times its original volume in the stomach's moisture and heat, forming an indigestible foam cast that completely obstructs the GI tract. Inducing vomiting makes it catastrophically worse. This 2026 vet-reviewed emergency guide explains exactly what happens inside your dog's stomach, why the 'never vomit' rule is absolute, and why emergency surgery is the only treatment.

More than 500,000 pets are euthanized every year in the US because their owners died without a plan. A pet trust — legal in all 50 states — is the only way to ensure your dog or cat receives proper care after you're gone. But most guides skip the hard parts: what it actually costs, how much to fund it, which states have the strongest laws, the three mistakes that make trusts fail, and the honest answer to 'can I just leave my pet to my sister?' This is the complete 2026 guide.

VCA and BluePearl are both owned by Mars Inc. (the candy company, $9.1B acquisition 2017). Veterinary prices have risen 60%+ in the past decade vs. 2.9% general CPI — Bureau of Labor Statistics. 30% of US vet practices now corporate-owned (up from 8% in 2011); 75% of specialty/emergency clinics corporate-owned (NYT 2024). The Atlantic (Helaine Olen, April 2024) documented price increases occurring 'immediately after the sale to a PE-owned group.' CBC Marketplace (Jan 2025) found the same VCA urinalysis costing $100 at one location and $175 at another. $51.6B PE investment in veterinary 2017–2023 (PitchBook). This guide breaks down the simulated ER bill (corporate vs. independent), the full ownership map (Mars: VCA + BluePearl + Banfield; JAB: NVA), the FTC antitrust action (12 divested clinics), and the pre-emergency strategy for finding independent ERs, urgent care clinics, and university teaching hospitals that deliver equivalent care for 40–60% less.

H5N1 can cause severe respiratory and neurologic disease in cats, and foodborne transmission through raw animal products is documented. This September 2026 B.C. emergency guide removes an unverified WAVES/Canada West/BCSAVA March 2026 raw-food ban and unsupported claims of two Metro Vancouver raw-food H5N1 cat cases. It focuses instead on what to do after a plausible raw-food or bird exposure, which symptoms need urgent care, how suspected HPAI is reported and tested through B.C./CFIA authorities, household precautions, and why freeze-dried or HPP-labelled raw food should not be treated as automatically H5N1-safe.