Hooves and Paws Veterinary Clinic

06/09/2026

Wishing all of our clients a safe and prosperous spring season!
Thank you to everyone for choosing our team to care for your herd and your companions.

06/08/2026

Ticks are becoming a much more common concern for pet owners across Saskatchewan, especially through spring and into summer. We are seeing a LARGE influx of ticks EARLIER this season than perhaps ever. Here's what you need to know, including how to get access to Tick Prevention treatment...

Ticks are no longer limited to deep bush or remote rural areas—ticks are now regularly found in urban parks, river valleys, pasture edges, and even backyard spaces. Dogs and outdoor cats don’t have to go far to pick them up, especially when walking through tall grass or brush. Access to grass = access to ticks!

Ticks attach by biting and feeding on blood, often going unnoticed for hours or even days. Smaller life stages, like nymphs, can be extremely difficult to see, which is why pets can come home from a walk with ticks that aren’t immediately detected during a quick check.

Prevention is the most effective approach, and our vets can help select the right option based on your pet’s lifestyle and risk level. After time outdoors, especially in grassy or wooded areas, it’s also important to do routine tick checks—focusing on the ears, neck, under the collar, between toes, and around the groin. Early detection and consistent prevention go a long way in reducing the risk of tick-borne disease in Saskatchewan pets.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR OUR CLIENTS: We would love to be able to hand every pet and client we have seen over the years their Flea and Tick treatment, no questions asked - we know you are eager to get your pets (and selves) protected.

We, along with every Veterinary practice regulated by SVMA, are required to have a physical examination once every year on your animals and have an active PCR before we can dispense a prescription treatment or medication. Flea and tick treatment fits under this regulation.

Please give us a call to book in an appointment for your pet if it has been over a year since we last examined them - our team is happy to see you! ... and get you covered for Ticks!

06/05/2026

Foot rot is one of those diseases that tends to show up exactly when cattle are under the most stress—wet ground, muddy pens, rough pasture conditions, and high stocking density. On the Prairies, those conditions often follow spring moisture and early summer storms, which means foot rot cases can rise quickly right when breeding season or summer grazing is getting underway.

By the time you see a lame animal, the infection is already established. That’s why the real opportunity isn’t treatment—it’s prevention.

What Foot Rot Actually Is (and Why It Spreads Fast)
Foot rot is a bacterial infection that enters through small breaks in the skin between the claws of the hoof. Once inside, it spreads into deeper tissues, causing inflammation, swelling, and significant pain.

Affected animals typically show:
Sudden onset lameness (often one foot)
Swelling above the hoof
Warmth and sensitivity
Reluctance to move or bear weight

Are Bulls your biggest concern?
While foot rot affects both cows and bulls, bulls carry a disproportionate economic risk.
Even mild lameness can result in reduced mounting activity, missed breeding opportunities early in the season, lower conception rates in a tight breeding window, and increased pressure on the rest of the bull battery

The goal is not to eliminate all bacteria (that’s impossible), but to reduce exposure and strengthen the hoof environment.

1. Manage Mud and High-Traffic Areas
Improve drainage in loafing areas
Move mineral and water sites regularly if possible
Use rock or gravel in gates and choke points
Avoid overstocking wet paddocks

2. Watch Body Condition and Mobility in Bulls
Soundness exams before breeding season
Early detection of subtle lameness
Don’t assume a “slight limp” will resolve on its own during breeding

3. Consider Strategic Vaccination
In higher-risk herds or historically affected operations, clostridial and foot rot vaccine protocols can reduce severity and incidence. Vaccination is not a guarantee, but it can reduce outbreak intensity when conditions are ideal for spread.

4. Early Intervention Matters Perhaps the Most
At the first sign of lameness:
Prompt anti-inflammatory treatment
Appropriate antibiotics when indicated
Foot trimming or inspection if needed
Isolation if severe cases are present

The longer a case is left untreated, the greater the chance of chronic damage and reduced breeding soundness in bulls.

During breeding season, everything becomes time-sensitive. Cows are cycling, bulls are working hard, and the window to achieve conception is limited.

A single case of foot rot in a bull isn’t just a health issue—it’s a reproductive efficiency issue. And unlike many diseases, it can quietly reduce herd performance before obvious herd-level symptoms appear.

06/04/2026

Are you still expecting a foal to hit the ground this spring?
Maybe you're breeding your mare for the first time and want to feel prepared?
Being prepared can make all the difference in your foaling experience.

This is an incredible resource brought to us by the American Association of Equine Practitioners for client education:

Brought to you by the Horse Owner Education Committee of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. This is a recording of a webinar presented on Feb....

06/03/2026

The Asian longhorned tick is one of the most significant emerging parasite threats to cattle health, productivity and stability of our national herd.

Although it has not yet been detected in Canada, parts of the country have suitable habitats and pathways for introduction. Experience in other countries such as the United States, Australia and New Zealand demonstrates that once this parasite arrives, it's extremely difficult to eliminate. Discover how to protect your herd at BeefResearch.ca/ticks.

06/02/2026

West Nile Virus in Horses: Preventing the Preventable

As mosquito season ramps up across Saskatchewan, it's an important time to think about West Nile Virus (WNV) protection for your horses.

West Nile Virus is a mosquito-borne disease that can have devastating consequences. When an infected mosquito bites a susceptible horse, the virus can enter the bloodstream and eventually cross the blood-brain barrier, causing damage to the brain and spinal cord. While not every infected horse will become ill, those that do often develop serious neurologic disease.

Infected horses that develop illness typically show neurologic signs such as ataxia (limb incoordination, especially of the hind limbs); face, neck, or trunk muscle twitching; and fever. Many horses also exhibit behavioural changes such as hyperreactivity or depression. In severe cases, horses might progress to recumbency (inability to rise), paralysis, coma, and death.

Widespread vaccination efforts resulted in a dramatic drop in infection rates across the country. Both the killed and recombinant forms of the WNV vaccine promote excellent immunity when administered according to recommendations. For both vaccine types, veterinarians recommend administering an initial two-dose series, four to six weeks apart. The second booster vaccine is crucial for protective immunization; especially for younger horses. Horses that only receive the first vaccine are not considered fully protected.

06/01/2026

Deworming can be FUN! We're not really sure whose words those are, but so long as someone is enjoying themselves 😂

If you're like the majority of horse owners and deworming is beginning to feel like throwing money out the window, wondering if your treatment is even doing anything, if you've selected the right drug, or if you're building resistance in your herd, BRING US A F***L. We will happily run an equine f***l analysis to ensure you're actually addressing your specific horse's systemic needs...instead of playing the guessing game.

No appointment is necessary, simply stop by with a fresh sample (in a sealed container please 😜) and we will give you a call with your results and a tailored deworming protocol.

05/29/2026

Please join us in welcoming our newest 4th-year Vet Student, Eli Fraser, to the team! We are thrilled to have Eli here learning with us until mid June.

05/29/2026

We have a client looking to give away a three-year-old half golden retriever, half Pyrenees, showing more golden retriever. He has had all shots and tick medicine loves kids.

If you have a loving home for this guy, please call Byron 306-831-8977

05/26/2026

It's that time!! 💛 The team is headed back to Eston next Wednesday, June 3rd, for regular appointment and food deliveries. Please give us a call at the clinic if you have a pet that needs care or food delivered to the shop in Eston 306-378-2252