Paws & Reflect
A conversation about pet health and hot topics in veterinary medicine, from a veterinarian in Kingston, Ontario.
Welcome to the blog of Dr. Ryan Llera, a veterinarian serving animals in Kingston, Ontario, and the surrounding area. These pages collect practical guidance on preventative care, nutrition, toxicity awareness, and long-term health conditions — alongside personal stories about his own pets and reflections on the changing practice of veterinary medicine.
Start here
Four entry points into the archive, depending on what brought you in.
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Who this is
Dr. Ryan Llera is a veterinarian in Kingston, Ontario. He graduated from veterinary school in 2006 and has spent the years since watching veterinary medicine — and the relationship between vets and clients — change alongside the internet and social media. He writes about that change, and about the pets who shaped his path. Read more on the About page.
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Preventative health
Most of the work in a healthy animal’s life happens at home, between visits. The prevention archive collects guidance on nutrition, routine health, toxicity, holiday seasons, and behaviour — including articles on brachycephalic dogs and breathing problems, winter protection for pets, and safety around common household toxins.
- Nutrition — reading pet food labels, raw diets, and weight management
- Routine care — annual examinations, dental care, eyes, noses, and toenails
- Toxicity — ibuprofen, xylitol, and safe flea control
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Medical & chronic health
Managing a long-term condition means balancing medication, monitoring, and quality of life. The medical archive covers cancer, gastrointestinal problems, geriatric pets, and skin and dermatology issues, including case reports drawn from clinical practice.
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Advice, stories, and Edie
Not every post is a lecture. There are general advice pieces, stories about my own pets, and a dedicated corner for Edie the Pug — a recurring companion through the blog’s history, with her own collaborations and social presence. Start with Edie the Pug.
Welcome to Paws & Reflect, a conversation about pet health and hot topics in veterinary medicine from a veterinarian in Kingston, Ontario. These pages bring together practical guidance on preventative care, nutrition, toxicity awareness, and long-term conditions with personal stories about his own pets and reflections on the changing practice of veterinary medicine. The writing aims to be useful and approachable, whether you are curious about everyday wellness, navigating a diagnosis, or thinking more broadly about how veterinary teams care for animals and support their owners.
Explore the archive by topic and find guidance on areas such as geriatric care, gastrointestinal health, skin and dermatology concerns, cancer, spay and neuter decisions, brachycephalic breathing issues, stomatitis in cats, behaviour, and the dangers of foods that may seem harmless but can be toxic to pets. The blog also touches on seasonal advice, breed-specific considerations, and the impact of pet ownership legislation on animals and veterinary teams. Written in a conversational tone, these posts are meant to make veterinary thinking easier to follow and easier to apply.
Recent writing
A sample of posts from the archive, with their original publication dates.
Browse by topic
The archive is organised into categories, with further subcategories underneath each.
| Category | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Preventative Health | Nutrition, Routine Health, Toxicity, Holiday Seasons, Behavior |
| Medical & Chronic Health | Cancer, Gastrointestinal, Geriatric Pets, Skin / Dermatology |
| Surgery | Procedures, spay and neuter discussion, and post-operative care |
| Cats & Dogs | Species-specific health notes for cat and dog owners |
| Case Reports | Clinical cases and what they teach |
| Advice & Stories | General guidance and personal pet stories, including Edie the Pug |
Article listings by year are available on the blog archive, and the preventative health category gathers the routine-care and toxicity material in one place.
Follow along
New posts are shared on social accounts under the DrRyanLlera and drryanllera handles, and can also be subscribed to by email.
