Additional Services

Has your pet been diagnosed with a condition that you are unfamiliar with? Are you interested in learning more about how a particular drug works? Would you like more information or advice on behaviour, nutrition, or administering medications? We are always here to discuss these topics and more, but sometimes you may want to investigate or explore on your own, which is why we provide a collection of pet health information.

Considering the wide availability of information on the Internet, it can be difficult to differentiate between what’s trustworthy and what’s not. The Pet Health section of our website contains accurate and reliable information on a wide variety of topics. Feel free to search through our articles, educational programs, tips, and videos, and contact us with any questions you might have.

For your convenience, Sunnyview Animal Care offers both an in-house pharmacy and an online service (for our clients only through their ‘Pet Portal’) so we can meet all your pet’s needs. We provide medications, flea & tick control products, and deworming/heartworm preventives—all at competitive prices. We’ll also pass along any discounts or rebates from drug manufacturers – unlike many other practices.

When you order from us, you’ll know that the products you’re purchasing have been stored properly and are approved for use in Canada. And if you have any questions, you can ask one of our highly trained team members.

Feel free to pick up your pet’s prescriptions at our clinic or order refills online.  We only ask that you give us 12 Hours Notice whenever possible by phone, or overnight when using our ‘Pet Portal’ online prescription renewal service.

At Sunnyview Animal Care, we know that animals experience pain in much the same way as people do – they just accept it much better and, therefore it can be easily missed!  We use our knowledge of pain medication and pain relief strategies to prevent and manage pain in ALL pets, both before and after surgery and in the event of an injury or infection.  We refer to this as a ‘Pain Management Strategy’ or ‘Pain Management Protocol’ – and following AAFP Pain Management Guidelines available here _ its just that important to you and US!

We can also ease pain caused by chronic disease, such as arthritis.  Sunnyview Animal Care also wants our clients to consider the benefits of Nutriceuticals such as Glucosamine, Chondroitin & MSM for the prevention or to alleviate the discomfort of Osteoarthritis early in the process, as pain medications just ‘mask the symptoms’.

Ask us about our pain management options and plans, which we will tailor to your pet’s medical condition and individual needs. There are times that a single pain medication or supplement may not be enough for your pet’s comfort.  Does your pet suffer from ‘side effects’ from their pain medication?  There are medication mixtures that allow us to reduce the overall doses of any & all medications involved, and still allow the use of a medication that might have caused your pet issues in the past but worked for their pain management!

Finally, Sunnyview’s Veterinarians are very experienced in the management of exotic pet discomfort as well!  If your ferret, rabbit, reptile, bird is in discomfort we can help!

At Sunnyview Animal Care, our team of veterinarians and registered veterinary technicians provide many services at our clinic, ranging from everyday to advanced procedures. Although we handle the majority of your pet’s medical and surgical needs in-house, we occasionally refer patients to veterinary specialists or specialty clinics when advanced training or equipment will be beneficial.

Sunnyview is fortunate to have great relationships with many other local and out-of-province Veterinary Specialty practitioners!

Board-certified specialists, such as oncologists, ophthalmologists, and orthopaedic surgeons are close by – and many are within the HRM/Halifax Regional Municipality.  All the specialists we refer to have extensive experience and training in a particular area of veterinary medicine or surgery. Specialty clinics and university-affiliated referral centres have specialized equipment to perform procedures that are not routinely performed by general veterinary practitioners.

We even have the ability to schedule some specialists to visit us here at our practice for non-emergency Ultrasounds!  And with CardioPet we can obtain ‘Stat’ Electrocardiogram interpretations from board certified Cardiologists and, quickly but effectively manage your pet’s distress!

We make referral decisions because we want to ensure that our patients receive a high standard of care and the best possible outcome. Be assured that when we refer a patient to another hospital, we continue to stay involved with his or her care, consulting with the treating specialist and often providing any needed follow-up care and rehabilitation.

Please do not hesitate to ask for this service!

Losing a pet can be extremely upsetting, sometimes even more so than you might expect. We have such a close bond with our pets, so letting go is never easy and is often filled with pain, sadness, depression—even anger. Our team understands these feelings, as many of us have also lost pets of our own. The emotions we go through are real and nothing to be ashamed of.

Whether your loss is recent or you’ve been grieving for weeks, we are here to help you through this sad transition. We can also help your children understand and cope with their feelings. Please don’t hesitate to contact us.

If you’re concerned about or bothered by an aspect of your pet’s behaviour, we can help. Our experienced veterinarians can work with you and your pet to stop or change the behaviour. Many aggressive, fearful, or inappropriate behaviours in dogs and cats can be modified through a combination of desensitization and counter-conditioning. These techniques can have dramatic results when applied properly. In some cases, medication can also help. Contact us for an appointment if you’d like to consult with us – & in rare cases we use the Behaviour Consulting services of Dr. Gary Landsburg and his team at North Toronto Animal Clinic – see our links page for more information and to download an information questionnaire.

With so many accessories available from pet stores, we know you have hundreds of options to choose from. However, not all of them are safe for pets. When you purchase accessories from through tour practice or our online webstore (www.myvetstore.ca/sunnyview) , you know they’ve been selected with your pet’s safety in mind. Plus, we can help guide you toward the right choices for your pet.

Stop by to check out the accessories and toys in our reception area, or feel free to browse our selection during your next visit. Maybe you’ll find your pet’s new favourite toy!

Imagine if your dog or cat got lost. You’d want to give him or her the best chance of getting home. With microchipping, you can.

Microchipping is a safe, permanent way to identify your pet in case he or she becomes lost. A microchip, which is a tiny device about the size and shape of a grain of rice, is placed just under the loose skin at the back of the neck. When a lost dog or cat without an ID tag is found, a veterinarian or veterinary technician will use a handheld microchip scanner to check for a chip. If the pet has one, it will transmit its ID number to the scanner via a low-frequency radio wave. The veterinary hospital or shelter then calls the chip manufacturer, retrieves the pet owner’s contact information, and calls the owner.

Even the most responsible pet owners can’t always guarantee their pet won’t get lost. A leash could break or slip out of your hand, a pet could push through a screen door or window, or a contractor or friend might accidentally leave a door or gate open.

We recommend that you use a microchip, along with a collar and ID tag, to identify your pet. An ID tag is still a reliable identification method. Pets that have tags with current contact information are more likely to not end up in shelters and tend to get home faster than those without tags. However, collars and ID tags aren’t permanent and can be removed (overnight or for grooming); pets can also lose them. With a microchip, your pet will have a much better chance of being identified and returned to you. Pets without microchips that end up in shelters may be adopted out to another family or even euthanized.

Please contact us to schedule an appointment to microchip your pet. Although we hope your pet never becomes lost, we want you to be prepared. We can also suggest a plan to have in place so if your pet does go missing, you’ll be able to act quickly.

We can microchip ferrets, rabbits, birds, and other companion animals, too!