Bark Balance Bodyworks

07/08/2026

Tapeworm Risks in Edmonton 🐾

🐶 Having a dog means enjoying plenty of outdoor adventures—but it also means being aware of parasites that are part of our local environment. Edmonton is considered a hotspot for Echinococcus multilocularis, a parasite carried by local wildlife. While the risk to most pets and people is low, a few simple precautions can help keep everyone safe.

✔️ Keep dogs leashed in ravines and discourage rodent hunting.
✔️ Wash your hands after picking up pet waste or gardening.
✔️ Rinse homegrown fruits and vegetables before eating.
✔️ Ask your veterinarian if your dog's deworming routine includes protection against this parasite—some dogs may benefit from a prescription product containing praziquantel.

Not sure if your dog's parasite prevention covers it? Give us a call or send us a message—we're happy to help you choose the best protection for your dog's lifestyle. 💚

06/30/2026

If anyone is in the Calgary or Airdie area, I highly recommend some bodywork from Melissa at B & N Wellness!

💜🐾 SERVICES & PRICING ARE HERE! 🐾💜

Now that I am officially a Certified Canine Bodyworker, I am excited to share the current services and pricing available through B&N Wellness.

Whether your dog is a sport dog, senior companion, growing puppy, reactive dog, or simply a beloved family member, every session is tailored to the individual dog and their comfort level.

In addition to bodywork sessions, I am also offering PEMF Therapy as an optional wellness add-on. Many of my existing clients will recognize this as the blue mat that has been available during some appointments. Going forward, PEMF Therapy will be available as an optional add-on for any session with advance notice at the time of booking.

If you have any questions about which service may be the best fit for your dog, feel free to reach out!

Thank you to everyone who has supported B&N Wellness and trusted me with their dogs. I can't wait to continue helping your dogs move comfortably, feel their best, and live their happiest lives. 💜

Where Wild Hearts Meet Gentle Hands.

06/30/2026

How exciting that Dr. Smolley is offering this service at Parkland now!

✨ Now Booking Veterinary Acupuncture! 🐾
We're excited to announce that Dr. Ashley Smolley is now accepting acupuncture appointments and referrals for cats and dogs at Parkland Veterinary Clinic!
Whether your pet is dealing with arthritis, mobility concerns, chronic pain, neurological conditions, or you're looking for another treatment option, veterinary acupuncture may be able to help.
📞 To book an appointment or discuss if acupuncture is right for your pet, give us a call or email the clinic.
📄 Referring veterinarians: Our referral page is currently being finalized and will be available soon. In the meantime, please don't hesitate to contact us directly—we're happy to assist with referrals.
We look forward to helping your pets live happier, healthier lives. ❤️🐶🐱

06/30/2026

What a great opportunity! I recommend anyone with an active pet lifestyle (even if it's just a lot of hiking in the local ravines), or new pet owners, and everyone in between check out Angie's new class!

🎉 SOLD OUT
Stay tuned for additional times/dates.
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🐾 Paws in Motion: Strength & Conditioning

4-Week Canine Fitness Class

A structured and fun introduction to canine strength and conditioning designed to help dogs move better, build confidence and improve body awareness through purposeful exercise.

This class is suitable for dogs of all ages (puppies over 6 months as well as seniors) and focuses on safe, foundational movement skills that support everyday life and long-term wellness

•Warm-ups and cool-downs
•Safe training and progression in canine fitness
•Passive stretching and when it is appropriate
•Hand/chin and paw targeting
•Balance, coordination, body awareness exercises

Led by a Certified Canine Strength & Conditioning Coach (CSCC), this class blends safe fitness principles with handling skills you can continue to use at home.

Limited spots available!

📅 Starts: July 9
🕖 6:45–7:45 PM
📍Skybound Dog Training
⏱️ 4-week course
📧 Email: [email protected]
$160+gst

06/29/2026

💜 The Greatest Gift Is Time 💜

One of the greatest honours of my work is being welcomed into the lives of families during one of the most vulnerable chapters of their journey.

Providing bodywork for palliative patients isn't about fixing or curing. It's about comfort. It's about preserving dignity. It's about helping a beloved companion feel just a little more relaxed, a little more comfortable, and a little more at peace.

Every session is a reminder that our time with our animals is precious. To be trusted with even a small part of that time is a privilege I never take for granted.

Sometimes bodywork means easing sore muscles, improving mobility, or helping an anxious patient settle. Other times, it simply means creating a quiet moment where a family can sit together, breathe, and cherish the presence of the companion they love so deeply.

These patients leave me moments that I cherish like precious treasures and hold dear to my heart.

To every family who has entrusted me with your beloved companion during this chapter—thank you. Thank you for allowing me to witness your love, your strength, and the incredible bond you share.

It is a privilege I will always carry with me.

🤍 Every moment matters.
🤍 Every touch is given with compassion.
🤍 Every patient is remembered.

In memory of the lovely Hailey. Thank you for trusting me with your comfort care and allowing me to be part of such a special chapter of your life. Thank you for all the laughs during your sessions (she was such a comedian with her expressive eye brows), and thank you for reminding me not to take for granted the golden years of our beloved senior pets - that every day should be cherished 💜🐾

06/10/2026

June 1st we celebrate an incredible milestone—18 years of love, memories, and a life well lived. 💜

It has been such an honor to be part of Nefertiti's comfort care journey and to help support her comfort, mobility, and quality of life through bodywork. Despite her senior years, she continues to remind us that age is just a number and that every day is an opportunity to enjoy life's simple pleasures.

Eighteen years is a remarkable gift, made possible by devoted care, unwavering love, and the special bond shared with her family. Nefertiti is a beautiful reminder that our senior companions still have so much joy, wisdom, and love to give.

Please join me in wishing this sweet girl the happiest of birthdays! 🎂✨

Happy Belated 18th Birthday, Nefertiti. May your day be filled with comfort, treats, cuddles, and all the things that make your tail wag. 💕🐾

05/22/2026

Mental health matters every day, but this month gives us space to bring the conversation forward and look at how our workplaces shape our mental health.

In vet med, the daily pressures can add up quickly, and the environment we work in plays a huge role in how supported we feel. NOMV’s CLEAR Blueprint was created to help clinics build healthier, more sustainable cultures through communication, leadership, expectations, accountability, and respect.

When we strengthen workplace culture, we help prevent mental health struggles before they grow.
https://nomv.org/clear-blueprint/

05/17/2026

Home modifications to accommodate our senior or mobility recovering pets doesn't have to be fancy or expensive.

While Quinn is on activity restrictions/modified activities due to a muscle strain means no jumping up or off of the couch... He hasn't gotten the memo about the restrictions so he very much WILL do it if given the chance. So I purchased a lower coffee table secondhand for $10, then added some sticker velcro strips on top to adhere some carpet to. Those materials were from the dollar store. So in total his new couch step cost me all of $15. It is wide and super sturdy! Because of Quinn being a tripod I find a lot of the pet ramps and/or stairs are either too small, too narrow, too steep, or just not sturdy enough. But this home made step is perfect.

05/01/2026

STRYCHNINE ALERT 🚨

Attention veterinarians and pet owners across Alberta & Saskatchewan:

Emergency permission has been granted for the use of 2% strychnine to control Richardson ground squirrels. While intended for below-ground placement, this substance is highly toxic to companion animals.

⚠️ How exposure can happen:
• Direct ingestion of bait
• Secondary ingestion (eating poisoned wildlife)

🐾 Clinical signs to watch for:
• Rapid onset (typically within 10–120 minutes)
• Early signs: nervousness, tenseness, stiffness
• “Sawhorse” stance (rigid, splayed limbs)
• Severe tetanic seizures (may be triggered by touch, sound, or light)
• Breathing may pause during seizure episodes
• Vomiting (less common)
• Decreasing relaxation between seizures as toxicity progresses

🔎 Clinical takeaway:
If you see a rapid progression with extensor rigidity and seizure activity, keep strychnine toxicity high on your differential list—especially if exposure to bait or wildlife is possible.

📣 For pet owners:
If you suspect exposure, contact your veterinarian immediately.
❗ Do NOT induce vomiting at home without veterinary guidance.

Please share to help raise awareness and keep our patients safe.

If you suspect your pet has ingested strychnine contact your local veterinary clinic or Pet Poison Help Line:
1-855-764-7661

Edmonton and area emergency hospitals:

VCA Guardian Veterinary Centre (South Edmonton)
(780) 436-5880

Boreal Veterinary Centre (North West Edmonton)
(780) 306-4400

Pulse Specialty & ER (Sherwood Park)
(780) 570-9999