This month's Erin Ridge Pet
We are so proud of our patients at Erin Ridge Veterinary Centre that we just can’t help showing off a little. Here are some of our valued clients.Who knows – maybe your furry family member might make a great candidate too! Feel free to submit a picture!
George
George joined our family in 2018, and is our first dog! Needless to say he's a little spoiled, but definitely deserves every ounce of spoiling. 
He lives up to his name as a Wheaten Terrier, tirelessly chasing every rabbit that comes into sight.
He was the runt of his litter, and actually had to be fostered on another dam. This hasn't slowed him down one bit, as he keeps up with all the other pups at the park!
George loves to play endlessly, enjoys a good snuggle and lazy day, and is turning 2 at the end of February!
Koko
Koko is a 4 year old dachshund X? who was adopted 3 years ago from a rescue organization.
She is a v
ery sweet, loving little dog. She thrives on attention from anyone with 2 or 4 legs. She is very bonded to her family, but especially loves to spend time with “her kids”. She loves to socialize and thinks everyone should want to pay attention to her.
Her twisty little legs cause her some discomfort, but routine acupuncture treatments help to keep her moving comfortably – thanks Dr. Jackson!
She is extraordinarily food motivated, and will do anything for a treat, or kibble – including trying to steal it from her brother.
She loves to cuddle and be warm, and her favorite spot is in front of the fireplace or under the Christmas tree. She spends her days alternating between snoozing in sunbeams and playing with her ball, or wrestling with her canine brother.
Koko has been an excellent addition to our family, and we can’t imagine our home without her.
Sonic and Lady
A love story , Sonic came to us March 2018 , then Lady came to us Dec 2018.
They were mate's at their previous home. We got Sonic when they retired him, then Lady was retired, and we went and got her . Sonic and Lady were so happy to see each other it was so sweet .Now they need to know where each other is all the time , must be love
Chewy
Meet Chewy, our October pet of the month! 
She enjoys running through the long grass at the dog park, and swimming after ducks.
Juno
She loves playing with her human brother, and waiting under the kitchen table for crumbs to drop.
She enjoys sleeping on the couch, going for walks, and playing at the dog park She hates baths and the vacuum cleaner.
We are so happy to have Juno as a member of our Erin Ridge family! <3
Alice
Alice is a wonderful pup, who has found herself an amazing furever home! Welcome to the Erin Ridge family sweet girl!
Sumi and Saya
They were both adopted from EHS on May 23, 2019, when they were both thought to be about 1 year old. They were initially hesitant about each other, but with proper introduction, supervision and time, they have realized they’ve hit the jackpot for forever homes, and have decided to make the most of their new feline companion.
Sumi is the talkative one. She has a lot of different vocalizations, but she has an extremely quit purr. We thought she didn’t purr until we put our ear right up to her body.
She is often very busy, and likes to get into things (like the time she was too inquisitive with some spray foam insulation, and had to take a trip into the vet to have it cleaned/shaved out of her feet). She will lay on a lap for a cuddle, but isn’t big on being carried at this point. Sumi likes chase type games and toys on a stick that she chases or jumps up at.
Saya is the quiet one with the loud purr. She is the cuddlier of the two, and will provide much entertainment by playing by herself for long periods. Saya doesn’t like wet food and will make weird faces at it. 
She finds the strangest places to sleep, disappearing in the house, then quietly turning up out of nowhere. Saya likes hiding and jumping out at things. She also likes to lay down and roll over for tummy rubs.
Both the girls like when we play with them.They also love watching the toilet flush, running water of any kind, hunting bugs in the basement (I hope there aren’t any!), watching birds at the feeders (outside the windows), and playing with each other.
They work together as an excellent alarm clock for their owners, jumping up on the bed with Sumi talking the whole time and Saya walking up to put the side of her head against their faces, holding it there for a second or two.
Of all the cat toys available to them, their favorite “toys” tend to be the shower curtain and paper bags!
They also love sleeping together the recliner chair or the loveseat.
They are very active, playful girls and such a joy to have around.
Pete
Pete is a one and a half year old amb x tam Nosy Faly Panther Chameleon. He was purchased with the assumption that he wouldn’t like to be handled too much, but boy were we wrong. Chameleons are known for being solitary animals and are normally very easily 
stressed out.
Pete is the anomaly. First thing in the morning when you approach his cage he runs to the glass and waits for the door to be opened so he can try to climb out of his enclosure just so he can be a part of things. Chameleons when they are close to death, will spend time at the bottom of their tank, Pete likes to dig in the dirt at the bottom of his enclosure and give his parents mini heart attacks.
A common misconception about these guys is that they change colour to blend in with their surroundings, where this isn’t really the case. Pete’s colours are indicative of the mood that he’s in, the brighter the colours the more stressed he is, be that a positive or negative stress. He also fires up completely when he is sleeping. The colour range that these guys are capable of depends on breeding, species and location of origin for the breed.
When we can’t indulge him and take him out of his enclosure for a couple of days he gets pseudo-depressed, which is very unnatural for the breed. His colours pull a lot of dark greens and blacks, he also will not look at you. We love that he comes out to play.
His diet consists mostly of wax and silk worms, with the odd hornworm thrown in for the added hydration. All food is dusted calcium (with and without D3) and monthly he is given a multivitamin to aid in his development. Dehydration is another big killer, so we hand hydrate with added liquid calcium when we feel he may be dehydrated.
He’s a bit of a needy reptile that I wouldn’t recommend for a beginner reptile keeper, but having him has been one of our biggest sources of pride and joy. 
Jax
Jax is the most loving, affectionate, happy, smart, easy going dog we’ve ever owned.
He’s a 5 month old green-eyed Cafe Late Merle Cockapoo with the longest eyelashes you’ve ever seen.
His Mom is a Cocker Spaniel and his Dad is a Poodle, he loves stuffies, walks, naps, cuddling and everyone he sees, sorry ladies-he’s taken :)
Jax also loves socks, and if you think you can trick him by going bare feet he’ll just go after your pant legs.
His family is so happy with him and can’t wait to teach him tricks and see him learn and grow ♥️
Fabulous Freida
Freida is a 4 year old Olde English bulldog.
She came into her mom's life when she needed her most and she arrived on Valentine’s Day. 
Since then she has brought her family nothing but joy and laughter.
Frieda loves to jump, chase, push, crash. She is less than a graceful dog!
She loves to sleep, and she needs the most comfortable bed she can get. And loves when her family cuddles with her.
She loves her family and is a very loyal girl.
Frieda hates vacuums, brooms, mops, lawnmowers, and weed wakers, and will stop at nothing to protect her humans from terrible things.
Her family is so happy she found us. And I think she’s pretty happy we found her!
Sprocket
Sprocket is about 10 months old, and a mutt in the truest sense of the word. He was rescued at a very young age, and was later discovered to be a distemper survivor. While this lucky fellow does have some residual effects from this serious disease, he is overall a very healthy, happy, boy.
He is still quite timid in some situations, but he has come a very long way from the semi-feral pup who was terrified of the world.
He loves to spend his days chasing his tail, chewing on his toys, or wrestling with his canine sister Koko.
He is extremely bonded with his family, and his absolute favorite part of the day is walking to school to meet “his kids” at the end of the day
Sprocket is a bouncy, happy, clumsy pup who has been a wonderful addition to our family!
Molly
Molly is a pretty laid back, affectionate girl.
Her favorite things to do are napping with her sister, cuddling on your left shoulder (only the left will do - the right one is not magical for her) and playing with the toggles of the window blinds.
She also will cry at her reflection in the fireplace and oven door windows.
Dr. Blu
Me
et Dr. Blu, our January pet of the month!
Blu is a 1.5 year old Soft Coated Wheaten terrier with a lot of energy!
She loves playing in the snow and looking like a snowman, and in the summer she loves swimming.
Dr. Blu is Dr. Lauzier’s pup, and you can see her at the clinic every now and then, since her other favorite activity is making friends with new dogs and their humans
The amazing Squire
Squire is an 8-year-old, Wire Haired Fox Terrier.
He loves coming to work with Dr. Alicia, where all the girls spoil him.
Squire has gotten very good at opening the treat drawer and helping himself to snacks, and when thirsty, he will turn on the sink taps and get himself a drink! He just needs to learn to turn the taps off now.
He loves performing his tricks and making people laugh, but his favourite thing to do is play agility! He has many titles and awards in agility, rally and obedience, and although not his favourite activity he also spends some weekends being a show dog.
Miss Maggie
This sweet girl is an 11 year old Bichon Frise mix, and the perfect candidate for pet of the month during senior health month. 
My Sweet Little Dog Maggie: she is very strong minded, and knows how to tell time – she will sit and stare at you when she wants her treat at 11.30.
She snores very loudly when she's sleeping.
Maggie is very cuddly, she has to be against me always when she sleeps. At night when she is cold, she gets under the covers.
She is a very sweet girl, and we are very happy to have her and her people as part of the Erin Ridge family. 
Ollie
Tomas Araya
Toma
s Araya is a 6 year old Colombian boa constrictor. She was adopted by her family when she was around 1 and has found her forever
home. Tomas lives by herself in a large custom enclosure where she likes to spend time sitting in the “sunlight”, slithering around through tunnels, eating and sleeping. She has a very kind temperament but prefers to not be handled often, in which case she receives a lot of pats from her parents. Tomas eats large thawed rats and is currently about 7 feet long weighing 20 pounds. (She will be 10-12 feet long and will live around 40 years in proper conditions). She is a very loved snake and we hope to have her for many years.
Joey
My name is Joey. I am a toy poodle and I am now 5 months old.
Gus
This handsome fellow is a 13 year old dachshund.
He has become very discerning with age, and only enjoys treats and junk food. He does love sun tanning, and rolling around in the grass.
Though he is known as a bit of a "grumpy pants", Gus is a very sweet boy, who has a wonderful furever home, and we are so happy to have him as part of the Erin Ridge family!
Ben, Missy and Poppy
Fierro and Fiat
Fierro and Fiat are purebred Donskoy cats, commonly called Russian Hairless. Though they are often confused for them, they are not related at all to the Canadian Sphynx breed.
Fierro was born Jan 27, 2007 via c-section. She spent the first 2 years as a show cat, but once her owners had twins arrive there was no more time for cat shows and traveling!
She lives in a busy house with 5 kids, 3 large dogs and her grandson Fiat.
They are often found under a blanket cuddling or sitting with one of the kids watching a movie at night!
Fiat was born on July 28, 2012 and only did 1 year of cat shows. He did not enjoy it as much as his grandmother.
Titan and Diva, the travelling pugs
Titan and Diva are 6 year old pugs. This dynamic duo are so full of personality, and are all about enjoying life to the fullest. It is a pleasure to have them as members of the Erin Ridge family!
Cutie Capone
This adorable fellow is Capone, an almost 7 mo old french bulldog.
He loves to spend time with his doggie sister Holly.
He loves to lay under recliners as though they are his own little safe spot, his family will usually only see his legs sticking out from under the chair.
Capone keeps everyone laughing by doing the silliest things such as: doing summersaults or jumping around like a rabbit.
Capone knows how to sit, shake a paw and come, he also rings a bell to go outside.
Capone LOVES people, everyone, he likes to say hello to everyone he sees.
This little guy has wormed his way into all of our hearts, and it is always a pleasure to see him and his family come into the clinic!
Carl T. Handsome
Carl was found in a parking lot with wounds on his back leg and a very damaged eye. After a few months of recovering in a veterinary clinic, this handsome fellow went home with his new owner to stay. They later discovered that he couldn't see out of the eye that was damaged 
because of a detached retina and last year Carl had his bad eye removed because of a cataract and glaucoma. They say now that he is a true pirate.
Carl's biggest quirk is that he thinks he's a person and doesn't stop talking! He will even Skype with his owners and their parents!
Carl loves to play on the bed where he can fly like Superman across the bed when you throw a twist-tie for him to chase. He also loves to sit in the grass in the summer (occasionally going for a walk-about) and cuddling.
At 14 years old, Carl has now developed kidney disease but he still loves to play and has an online following thanks to showing up in his owner's Twitch channel while he's trying to stream.
Nala
Amazing Greyce
Greyce is a very snuggly kitty (when she wants to be ;) ) 
Super Snoopy
Joyful Jasper
Jasper is our 14 month old spazbucket aka labradoodle.
Magnificent Magnum, the cuddle bug
Magnum is a 9 month old male boxer, who is a giant love bug. He has grown so fast, he does not realize how big he actually is, and continues to imagine himself as a tiny cuddly lap dog.
Magnum loves to cuddle and he is not shy about it! He will crawl up on anyone for a good snuggle.
He loves his naps - all the better if he has someone to nap with.
He is a very happy playful puppy who loves everyone and anything. Life really is just a big party for this fun loving fellow.
Magnum has had his share of concerns as he has grown, but he has come through them all with a big tail wag and smile on his face. He has truly stolen all of our hearts, and it is always a pleasure to see him and his family come into the clinic.
The Wonderful Mr. Lops
August's pet of the month is Mr. Lops, a wonderful rabbit who has touched the hearts of everyone who has had the good fortune of meeting him.
Mr. Lops was quite simply the best bunny any person could hope for, and certainly the most handsome!
He enjoys cuddling, frequent naps on his owner's lap, and most of all he loves his dinner time salad!
Much like a dog, Mr. Lops is able to read the moods of his owner, and always the first to offer a supportive nudge with his wet little nose when he senses that someone's day hadn't gone well.
He is loved by every person that he meets, and will continue to be loved and remembered by all. He will certainly always be in his owner's heart.
Darling Desdemona
Made of Two Hearts Desdemona aka Fluff Nut, Des Beanie or just Desi is a Eurasier and has been part of our family for 9 years. We picked her up from the airport when she was only 9 weeks old, having flown all the way from Quebec.
Her favourite pastimes are sleeping, barking at the dogs across the street, spending time with the family, and waiting for the family to leave the room so she can eat "the left overs."
Desi has a bossy younger sister Greymalkin who thinks that just because she is a cat the dog must do what ever she wants, mostly Desi just ignores her. 
When she was 5 years old, Desi's right eye developed glaucoma and it had to be removed, but the loss of her eye has not slowed her down in the least.
The Mighty Hercules
Hercules is a love-able silky terrier who loves playing catch and going camping. He likes being on the paddles boat and going kayaking.
his favourite snack is cheese crisps which he gets every night before bedtime.
Charlie, Chester and Turtle - the rescued crew
Charlie: Rescued in British Columbia. Charle is also a tripawd (missing a rear leg). Same story as Chester. He was hit by a car and confiscated from the owners as they were not doing anything. Someone adopted him but was going to return him the SPCA so we stepped in and took him in. What can we say about Charlie…he is very curious, loves people, needs to be lying near you and hates to be alone. He is a pretty clever fellow, having taught himself to open doors, you can’t keep him closed in for very long! He and Chester are truly brothers and love to play together.
Lou, the Gentle Giant
Lou, the gentle giant weighs in at 167 lbs. He still hasn't grown into his paws.
Lou likes to be his mom's shadow, and is always by her side, not matter what she's doing, or where she's going. He isn't overly comfortable with anyone else. He dislikes boys about 12-16 years old.
He like treats (which due to a medical condition he can't have), more thank dog food.
He doesn't like to go out in the rain, or get his feet wet, though he loves going in the lake.
He hoards his toys from other dogs. He likes to kill the remote control truck, and chases is endlessly.
This big boy is full of personality, and has stolen all of our hearts. It is always a pleasure to see him and his family at the clinic!
The real Monty Python
March's pet of the month is a very sweet ball python named Monty. He is a very co-operative patient, and is a pleasure for all snake lovers to meet.
Hello my name is Monty the Ball Python! I am about one year old weighing about 85 grams, and just over a foot long! I am still a baby! I love my mom and dad they love me too. I love to climb and explore my enclosure, when i come out to play with mom and dad i like to curl up around there arms, and hold on to their bracelets with my tail as I am very afraid of falling!
Monty is a very friendly and calm snake, he has never shown any signs of aggression, and helps people overcome their fear of snakes and they learn to love him. Monty will grow to be 4-5 feet long and we are so excited to share his journey of life with Erin Ridge Veterinary Centre!
The Loveable Leroy
Here's a bit of information about our February pet of the month:
"Well first of all he comes to work with me everyday. He is the door greeter at my hair salon. And everyone loves him. I think he gets more presents and treats than I do. He doesn't bark at clients unless he hasn't met them before, so I know he is very protective of us girls. He also has his favourite clients which he recognizes even before they come to the door. He's a tail wagger and a story teller to those select few.
Marvelous Miss Molly
Molly is a 14 year old spayed female golden retriever. She has stolen a piece of all of our hearts, and we are truly grateful to have her and her family as members of the Erin Ridge Veterinary family!
Molly, or "Miss Molly" as we often call her, joined our family November 21, 2002. Neither of us had had a dog for several years, although we both grew up with various animals in our homes. Molly was only six weeks old when we adopted her, possibly too young to be leaving her "Mom", however, we didn't know anything different. Molly was so tiny, and was overwhelmed by the prospect of climbing up and over the threshold at the back door of our home, however, once she crossed the threshold, our lives have NEVER been the same.
'Miss Molly" is now 14+ years old, and although from day one she has been anything but a typical Golden Retriever, she is greatly loved and is a very special member of our family. From a very young age Molly had serious behavioural issues, apparently two of the puppies in the litter were a handful, Molly was one of those puppies. Many hours were spent working with Molly and training her. Molly likes to eat everything and anything, nothing is off limits. One night when Molly and I were out for a run, she found a dead squirrel and decided to swallow it whole from head to toe.
I was only able to watch, as the end of the squirrel's tail slithered into her mouth and down her throat. It was gross, but Molly was "... in seventh heaven". Through the years Molly has chased after many "bunnies", stared down coyotes, tried to make friends with ducklings, a porcupine, a beaver, (which was frightening), and has delighted in rolling in mounds of poop and the remains of dead fish.
Oh, what a joy!! She has had no interest in other dogs throughout the years, however, one of her new best "friends" is a sweet little dog named Finnegan and his feline buddy Fiona. Note: I may have forgotten to mention that Molly absolutely loves people. She has been on countless runs and walks with us, who knows how many miles she has run and swam, however, as she has aged, there is no question that she is slowing down. There are fewer walks, it's harder getting up and down stairs or getting up off the floor, she sleeps a lot,(and snores), and has finicky eating habits, but she still loves to cuddle, is greatly loved and she will always be our "Miss Molly".
As a photographer one of my favourite subjects to photograph are animals. When we first interacted with the 3 day old litter, the pictures began. Having taken literally thousands of pictures of Molly, 14 years later they have not stopped. Molly has given me the opportunity to take some of the best pictures of my 30 year plus journalist career. She has not always been co-operative, but treats have usually won her over, one way or another. I have included some of my favourite photos of Molly.
From opening my dads Christmas gift, to swimming at the lake, and tolerating me put goofy items on her, Molly has been my favourite four legged subject, to photograph.
Through the years we have been very fortunate to have had "exceptional" Veterinary care for Molly, and without a doubt, Doc Cox and her colleagues have been an absolute blessing.
Darling Douglas Fur
December's pet of the month is Douglas Fur, a 2 year old female Guinea Pig. She is a very sweet girl, and a wonderful patient. We are so happy she is part of the Erin Ridge Veterinary family!
She is a wonderful pet! Very social, always loves to be held. Douglas is very vocal, especially when the fridge opens. Always begs for something fresh to eat. She especially loves spinach, parsley, cilantro,and cucumbers. She gets very excited when it's time to change her bedding- lots of jumping and dancing.
She also likes a nice warm bath:) We are still getting used to Douglas being a girl! All our family and friends think it is hilarious that all this time we thought she was a he. We don't plan on changing her name though.
Peanut and Marley the "twins"
Meet Peanut and Marley, our November pet(s) of the month. These two cats are quite a pair; you may think they are twins, or at least littermates, but they actually aren't even related, and are 4 years apart in age!
Marley's first home didn't work out so well, but lucky for her, she was adopted by her dad when she was 1 year old. 
Peanut was found under a grain silo on a small farm in rural Alberta. She was adopted by her mom as a 4 week old kitten in 2004. Peanut was the runt of the litter, and because she was so small, she had to be bottle fed kitten milk for about 2 weeks.
When their Mom and Dad first started dating a few years later, they soon discovered they had what appeared to be practically twin kitties! The cats did not get along at first, but have grown to like one another....sort of.
Marley is a quiet, old girl who enjoys long naps and staying inside. She is quite timid when it comes to meeting new people, and can often be found in a closet or under the bed. Thunderstorms are also extremely terrifying for her, as are baths, and going outside. Food is her favorite thing in the whole wide world, and despite her arthritis, Marley will attempt to sit on her haunches like a meerkat to get a little snack. Marley barks like a dog, and will not hesitate to bark at you if you say her name the "wrong way."
Peanut is young in spirit, and enjoys chattering at the birds, attempting to break out of the house, and long stretchy naps in front of the fire place or sunny window. Peanut enjoys being outside and will often bolt out of the door and race towards the bird bath, but fortunately has had no success in catching anything as she is not a huge fan of being near water. She does spend (leashed) time enjoying the outdoors, usually near the garden or under the cherry tree with her mom. She is very docile and while she doesn't quite enjoy toddler hugs, she is a great sport for them. She especially likes when the toddler of the family pushes her around the house in the laundry basket
They are two wonderful cats, and we are so happy they are a part of the Erin Ridge family.
Bors and Luna
They really are bonded and hate to be more than a few feet apart. Bors is named after one of King Arthur's knights (he gets "Boris" a lot), and he's a little more trusting. Luna is still a little reserved and shy, but she's also a little bit more the ringleader as far as getting into mischief. Bors is the loving, fuzzy teddy bear type, and Luna is fascinated by water - pretty much any water bowl will quickly be emptied by her splashing it around with her paws and even submerging her entire head, and she absolutely loved her first encounter with the river recently - but it is a challenge keeping them hydrated and the floors dry at the same time. All they really want to do is play together all day (with a few brief periods to sleep and regenerate before starting all over again). They are very happy chasing magpies out of the yard, which is a more or less endless activity. And they love playing with their cat cousin Cyril, although we have to watch them constantly, as they do tend to get carried away and get a bit rough with him.
Pawchi, the perfect Family Dog
Our September pet of the month is a 4 year old spayed female mixed breed dog. Pawchi was found as a stray in mid January at 6 weeks old! After a stint at the City of Edmonton's Animal Control Centre, she was adopted by a wonderful forever family, and has settled right into her home. 
Her favorite spot in the house is laying on the back of the couch, looking out the window.
She loves food of any kind (whether she is supposed to have it or not), and is often getting in trouble for "counter surfing"!
Pawchi is a wonderful Dog, and a very beloved member of her family.
