VCA Canada London Regional Veterinary Emergency and Referral Hospital

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London, ON
VCA Canada London Regional Veterinary Emergency and Referral Hospital

We are a veterinary emergency and referral hospital. We are located in London, Ontario.

08/07/2026

Have you ever sat back and just been completely blown away by the sheer kindness of your neighbours?

That is exactly how our entire team is feeling after one of our annual fundraisers for A Voice4Paws Canine Rescue. This year's event was a beautiful, chaotic, and incredibly sweet reminder of that collective power. Thanks to your incredible generosity, this years event was a massive success for animals in need!

Every year we watch our amazing Customer Service Representative, Carla, pour her heart into coordinating this beautiful tradition, and once again she was joined by an army of kind souls. From the local bakers who stayed up late to sweeten our bake sale, to the neighbours who cleaned out their closets for our thrift shop, to the local businesses who donated beautiful prizes for our silent auction. THANK YOU! 💙

When you support a activation like this, you aren't just helping us reach a fundraising goal. You are actively helping us stock regional pet food pantries, fund emergency veterinary care, and organize free vaccine clinics for local families who need a helping hand. It is hands-on, neighbourly love in its truest form.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. We’re already counting down the days until next year!

08/05/2026

That face they make isn’t "attitude", and that deep morning stretch isn't a new yoga pose. 🤫🐾

Our pets are absolute masters at hiding discomfort and pain. In the wild, showing weakness is a safety risk, so our domesticated dogs and cats have kept those same instincts. They won't always cry out when they hurt; instead, they give us tiny, silent clues (or try to hide it completely).

Here is the translation of your pet's "silent" language:

💙 THE "NEVER-ENDING" STRETCH 💙
When a dog holds a "downward dog" or "prayer" pose for an unusually long time, they aren't trying to be mindful. They are trying to physically stretch out their abdomen to find relief from tummy pain (from culprits such as a foreign body, gastritis, pancreatitis etc.).

💛 THE "GRUMPY" CAT FACE 💛
A change in facial expression (squinted eyes, changes in ear or whisker position, muzzle tension, or a lowered head) can be signs of acute pain in cats. Veterinarians may assess these features together using the Feline Grimace Scale. Flat ears, squinted eyes, and pulled-back cheeks are a silent cry for help with painful diseases, such as mouth/dental diseases.

🩵 THE "ONE LICKY SPOT" 🩵
Is your pet obsessively grooming one single wrist or ankle joint until the fur is thin? They aren't just cleaning. The act of licking can help soothe the dull, chronic ache of hidden joint pain or arthritis.

❤️ THE "TINY TURTLE" BACK ❤️
When a pet hunches their spine, keeps their head tucked low, and refuses to jump onto the couch, they are actively guarding a sore spot, such as a pain in the back or spine.

If any of these "quirks" looked familiar, you aren't overreacting, you are being an incredibly observant pet parent. Tracking these subtle changes is how we catch issues early and keep our greatest companions happy and comfortable.

💬 Have you ever noticed your pet doing one of these? Let us know in the comments below, or send to a fellow pet parent who would love to learn their pet's secret language! 👇

07/31/2026

Think you know ? Drop your guess below👇💙

07/29/2026

🐾 Hot Pavement Quiz! 🐾

Think you know how to keep your pet’s paws safe this summer? Swipe through our mini quiz and keep score as you go!

Get 2 or more wrong? You owe your pet a new toy. (We don’t make the rules 🤷‍♀️)

Knowing the signs of hot pavement burns and taking a few simple paw-cautions can help keep your furry family members safe all summer long!

Tell us your score in the comments:
0-1 wrong = Pavement Safety Pro
2-3 wrong = Time for toy shopping 🧸
4-5 wrong = New toy AND an extra treat

07/26/2026

🚨 Canadian Wildfire Smoke Pet Safety Checklist 🚨

📉 Check the AQHI, Canada’s Air Quality Health Index 👉 https://bit.ly/3r8EEXq. If it’s high risk (7+), keep outdoor time strictly to short bathroom trips.

🏃‍♂️ High-intensity exercise in smoky air forces dogs to inhale heavy particulates deep into their lungs. Keep walks low-key and brief.

🚰 Hydration is important as smoke dries out a dog's upper respiratory tract real fast. Keep water bowls filled with fresh, cool water indoors to keep their airways moist. This helps trap particulate matter before it hits the lungs. ✨ Pro tip ✨Drop a little sodium-free bone broth into their bowl if they need encouragement to drink.

🧼 Smoke particles can settle in fur and paws so wipe your pet's fur, paws, and face with a damp cloth after coming inside so they don't ingest ash while grooming.

🏠 Keep that indoor air fresh with closed windows and a HEPA air purifier if possible, and keep indoor enrichment games (like snuffle mats or puzzle toys) active to burn off extra energy inside.

🩺 Know warning signs like excessive coughing, gagging, wheezing, watery eyes, or unusual lethargy. If you spot these, contact your local veterinary team immediately.

07/24/2026

🐾 isn't just about extending care to our 4-legged friends, it’s about lifting up and helping out the entire community! 🐾

(honestly, the number of legs is irrelevant to us 😉).

When our team at VCA Canada Alta Vista Animal Hospital (Specialty and Emergency) moved into the new, state-of-the-art facility, we found ourselves with a lot of excellent, decommissioned office equipment that still had so much life left in it. We wanted to make sure it went somewhere it could truly make a difference.

Knowing our friends at the Ontario SPCA and Humane Society Cornwall and Region Animal Centre are currently constructing their brand new, 8,000-square-foot facility, we knew exactly who to call!

Our team loaded up the truck with desks, chairs, and office essentials to help furnish their new space. When they open their doors in early 2027, this incredible expansion is going to double their capacity to care for animals in need in the Ontario region!

Let's show some love for the incredible work the team is doing to build this new haven for local pets! 💙

07/22/2026

Guilty as charged 🤭

07/15/2026

We always say prevention is the best medicine, and as your local veterinary team, we see firsthand how much a little preparation matters.

❗Don't wait for an emergency to find out your pet's ID isn't up to date.❗

If you need a hand updating your pet's microchip registry or updating your files, stop by, give us a shout, or log into the myVCA App for 24/7 telehealth access!

📞 Have questions about your pet’s safety plan? Drop a comment below or contact our team today.

07/13/2026

🐾 Meet | Geoffrey: From Stubborn Dreamer to Empowering the Next Generation. 🐾

When Geoffrey was younger, his parents told him that becoming a vet was incredibly difficult and that maybe he should think of something else. But if you tell Geoffrey he can’t do something, he’s going to do his best to prove you wrong. "I’m stubborn," he admits. "That helped motivate me to get into vet school."

That same determination, combined with a deep love for family (including his stubborn childhood sheepdog, Bandit, and his deeply missed cat, Cytokine) is what shapes how he approaches veterinary medicine today. For Geoffrey, the bond we share with our pets is profound. "It makes us even more human. I mean, the bond I’ve had with my cats, I would do anything for them. Same as my wife. Same as my daughter. That is family."

But shortly after becoming a vet, Geoffrey realized his true calling wasn't just treating animals in the exam room. It was supporting the people holding the stethoscopes. "I thought I would rather have an impact on a huge team to improve pet care, rather than doing it one pet at a time," he shares. "My job now is to take care of the pets, yes, but it’s also to take care of everybody I am working with."

This passion is exactly what drives his work expanding the VCA Canada Academy Mentorship Program into Quebec and Vet et Nous, alongside his colleague Florence.

The mentorship program is a six-month initiative designed to introduce new veterinary graduates to the daily realities of practice, challenging them within the safety net of a supportive team. Geoffrey gets to watch that transformation firsthand: "You take young inexperienced doctors and in 6 months you get more confident and mature professionals who have all the support, tools and resources they need and can use for years to come. After taking this program they either know the answer, or they know who to ask."

Building a program like this takes an immense commitment from the organization and a lot of teamwork, but for Geoffrey, seeing the impact on selfless staff members makes every ounce of effort worth it.

His advice to the next generation of vets stepping into the industry? "As hockey coaches say, 'short-term pain for long-term gain.' So yes, it may be a lot of work, but ask me? Be stubborn, stick with it, and you'll be so glad you did."

07/08/2026

🚘🚫 Not even for a minute. 🚫🚘

When it’s hot outside, a parked car acts like an oven, yes even with the windows cracked. In just ten minutes, inside temperatures spike by nearly 20 degrees, and because dogs can’t sweat like we do, they overheat dangerously fast. "Just a quick run into the store" is all it takes for heatstroke to turn fatal.

Please be cautious this summer as we begin to enjoy the warmer temps!

Address

41 Adelaide Street North, Suite 45
London, ON
N6B3P4

Telephone

519-432-3300

Website

https://vcacanada.com/londonregional

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