Thursday, December 17, 2009

Goodbye Nikki...



Every client has a unique story and a special place in our hearts, but Deanna and Mike recently showed us that Heartland has a place in their hearts too.


Their lab Nikki dealt with various chronic diseases through her life, but then over a few months took a turn for the worse. Through the 7 years we've known Nikki, her enthusiasm and joy of life never ceased to put a smile on our faces. Recently Deanna and Mike decided it was time to let her go and we all knew that their lives would never be the same again.


Yesterday at our weekly client service meeting, Mike and Deanna came by to express their thanks for all we've done for Nikki and the rest of their furry family, and brought us this gorgeous cake with a cute little "Nikki" on top made of edible fondant. (Don't worry, we haven't eaten her!)

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Summer Staff Party 2009

Well, as always, a get together of Heartland staff was an awesome time. Everyone was able to come, and we all gathered at our office manager's office - thanks Tammie and Jeff!!! Games were played, food was eaten, hot-tubbing was done, and a great time was had by all.













Everyone gathered in Tammie & Jeff's house to eat some great food, including cat litter!!! The cat litter dessert is real food - a cake with some crushed cookies on top, completed with cat poo (melted Tootsie Roll Pops).














We had an obstacle course to be completed by two teams made up of staff members and their family. The first event was to stand far away from a tiny cup (maybe a couple ounces big) and fill it with a water gun. I think most were glad to get that one out of the way first!













Various event were hula hooping, catching a ball in a toilet plunger and going down the playground slide with it, and shooting nerf-style balls into circles across the field. There were plenty of water-related events, including the first and second prizes which were coolers filled with water balloons. No-one came out of the events dry!!!


It's safe to say that everyone had a fantastic time enjoying some friendly competition and spending some

Saturday, July 4, 2009

The Ride to Conquer Cancer

This past weekend, Kim and Christina participated in a 2-day, 200km bike ride to raise funds for the Alberta Cancer Foundation. An amazing 1,742 riders took part and raised $6.9 million!!!

Even though Kim and Christina were only able to participate for the first day due to previous injuries, they had a great time riding and bonding.

For more photos and video visit www.conquercancer.ca.

Photos to come....

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Girl Guide Tour

On Monday March 30, Vicky, Erica, Meagen and Christina stayed after hours to host a Girl Guide troop at the clinic. The girls had decided that to earn their Pet Lover Badge, they would like to visit a veterinary clinic, and since Vicky's daughter Chelsia is in the troop we were a natural choice.


The group was very eager and listened well as we gave them a tour of the clinic, demonstrated a full physical exam on two staff pets, during which every girl was able to interact by looking into both pets' mouths, as well as listening to the difference between a cat's and dog's heartrate. The troop learned about the benefits of advanced technology in their pet's care as we compared traditional x-rays to our new digital x-ray system, and explained our laser surgical system. We also demonstrated tooth brushing and discussed the Hills T/D diet as part of our current promotion of dental care.



























We thoroughly enjoyed having these young ladies in our practice, as they were attentive and full of excellent questions.

We encourage any clients (or potential clients) to ask us lots of questions about our clinic and the different services we offer. We are all proud to work at Heartland Veterinary Clinic and are more than pleased to tour anyone through the clinic and take the time to answer questions. No matter how silly you may think your questions are, they indicate a valid concern you have and we want you to have all the information you need to provide your pet with a healthy and happy life.

***Many thank-you's to Vicky for organizing this event on Heartland's end, as well as Christina, Meagen, and Erica for staying to help. In addition we thank some of the girls' mothers who filled the role of chaffeur from Calgary to Aidrie. But mostly, we can't forget to thank the pets who "volunteered" to help - Christina's 'Zoey' and 'Smudge', and Erica's 'Ruddy' who stole every girl's heart!***

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Goodbye Amanda!

Amanda is a tech student who just completed her program back home in Ontario. With family in Airdrie, she decided to apply to us in order to complete her externship part of the program. We've enjoyed having her with us for the past weeks as she gains practical experience and puts her book learning to use! Amanda has been a great asset and we wish her well in all her future endeavours!









The going-away cake needs some explanation...when Amanda introduced herself several weeks ago, she let us know that she grew up on a beef farm. One of our staff heard this comment and thought she had said "bee farm"!!! There was some initial confusion, but now it's a running joke here.
Good luck in your new career Amanda...stay away from those bees!

Friday, March 20, 2009

Dental Time at Heartland


Here at Heartland we're fully into our dental quarter, sponsored by Hills, whose food we carry and stock regularly. Erica kindly brought her puppy, Ruddy, in to teach all pets how to brush their teeth.









Getting ready to brush...am I doing it right mom?








Let's start with incisors....don't forget the back teeth...










All the way in the back! Bottom teeth too...








I think I'm all done...see all my clean teeth!

We have a demo of how Hills T/D works to keep teeth cleaning with chewing action, as well as a poster describing how we grade dental tartar.

It's important to keep tartar off teeth, because the rough surface of tartar will accumulate more plaque and bacteria, robbing your pet of his pearly white smile and fresh breath. Gingivitis can come with tartar or be a problem independant of visible plaque and tartar on the teeth. Gingivitis means that there is bacteria under the gumline irritating it, and causing potential damage to the tooth underneath.

If you have questions about your pet's dental health, please give us a call so we can help you help your little one!

Friday, February 13, 2009

The Ride to Conquer Cancer

Many of us have had experiences with cancer, whether personally or watching a friend or family member deal with it. Meagen, Kim and Christina all work at Heartland and have formed a team to participate in the Ride to Conquer Cancer - a bike ride that covers 200 kilometres on June 27-28. As the Aidrie Amazons, they have pledged to raise $7500 to benefit the Alberta Cancer Foundation and every little bit helps.

The Alberta Cancer Foundation supports research to discover how and why cancer happens and what we can do about it.

If you wish to participate in this event as a rider or volunteer, or would like to give to the Alberta Cancer Foundation, please visit http://www.conquercancer.ca/.

While you're there, check out the Airdrie Amazons' page at http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Alberta2009?pg=team&fr_id=1282&team_id=13820.