Dr. Linda Jacobson, Toronto Humane Society (with grateful thanks to Kyrsten Jade Janke) Recent national survey data1 showed that 21% of pet owners struggled to access non-veterinary care during the pandemic, and the greatest need was for pet food. Companies and individuals regularly offer us donations of short-dated products, or products that are past their . . . read more
By Dr. Michelle Meckelborg, Shelter Veterinarian, Director of Animal Health, Edmonton Humane Society Equitable public access to veterinary care is a hot button topic in the shelter and community medicinecircles. A survey recently published by the Program for Pet Health Equity out of the University ofTennessee approaches the topic from a different perspective – instead . . . read more
By Dr. Linda Jacobson, Toronto Humane Society/OSMA In the shelter, we frequently refer to Dr. Scott Weese’s diagnostic advice: “Never do a test without a (good) reason” and “Never do a test without a plan to use the result”. To this one might add: “Never do a test whose results you are unable to interpret”. This last might seem odd in . . . read more
By Dr. Shelley Hutchings, Chief Veterinarian at the Ottawa Humane Society Jacklyn Ellis, of Toronto Humane Society, published this article on a new tool to assess the well-being of cats in a shelter setting. This evaluation tool uses four ordinal scales to assess different behavioural aspects of a cat’s well-being. The four scales, which are . . . read more
Written By: Emilia Wong Gordon, DVM, DABVP (Shelter Medicine Practice) Rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) should now be on the radar of every shelter veterinarian in North America. This disease is caused by Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 (RHDV2), a hardy calicivirus that resists freezing and many household disinfectants. Mortality rates in North American rabbit populations . . . read more
Blog by Dr. Linda Jacobson, Toronto Humane Society/CASCMA – material from Dr. Jennifer Farr’s talk, “Overcoming Rabbit Anesthesia and Surgery Challenges” at the September 12 CASCMA CE Day Dr. Jenn Farr, from the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA, literally knows her bunnies inside and out. She reminded us early in her talk that there’s no such thing as . . . read more
By: Dr. Linda Jacobson, President, Canadian Animal Shelter & Community Medicine Association This is a repeat of a blog Dr. Jacobson guest-wrote for the OSPCA recently. The content is mostly geared toward prospective adopters, but should be of interest to other shelter staff, including medical staff. (Photos – Toronto Humane Society). FIV stands for “feline . . . read more
Dr. Lianna Titcombe, BScH, DVM, CHPV As more and more animal shelters across Ontario are offering client-present euthanasia, you may find yourself having more interactions with the owners of the pets in your care. This may come with some initial worry and stress for you, but more than likely you’ll experience relief and satisfaction instead. . . . read more
By: Natalia Hanson, Co-founder, Humane Outreach for Latin Animals Picture this: sun, sand, sea, warmth, all while helping animals and the communities where they live. Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? And it is! There’s no doubt about it, and it is one of the many perks of volunteering abroad. This blog, however, isn’t meant to be . . . read more
Bird Flu and You – How Shelters Should Manage Birds During HPAI Outbreaks
By Dr. Tracy Satchell For many pets across the world, access to veterinary care is a luxury. A 2018 study by the Access to Veterinary Care Coalition found that over 25% of US pet owners are unable to afford basic veterinary care, such as vaccinations, parasite control, and spay/neuter [1]. In this same study, the . . . read more
By Dr. Shalini Ramsubeik Ah, rural Ontario! The natural beauty, serenity and people are just a few reasons most of us will drive hours to go there for an escape. Two years ago, I began working at a veterinary clinic in Cavan, a rural region in Eastern Ontario. Within the first week, I began to . . . read more
By Dr. Linda Jacobson DVM I recently learned a new term: epistemic trespassing. “Epistemic trespassers are experts who pass judgment on questions in fields where they lack expertise.” (I don’t know the term for non-experts who pass judgment on questions in fields where they lack expertise!) We are all super-familiar with this behaviour during COVID-19. . . . read more
Shelters and rescues are also feeling the pressure from veterinary workforce staffing issues. Many shelters rely heavily on veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants for operational needs, and at the Ottawa Humane Society these positions have recently been more challenging to fill.
By: Hanna Booth, CASCMA Board of Directors Now that the world is opening up to travel again, I’m sure many of us are craving to see somewhere new. Have you considered a vacation that incorporated some veterinary volunteering? There are many awesome animal rescue/ spay-neuter organizations around the world that are eager and grateful to . . . read more
By Dr. Steph Black Many of us welcome the new dog importation laws with a sigh of relief knowing that it is a small step towards avoiding future atrocities like that seen in June 2020. In June of 2020 hundreds of puppies arrived from the Ukraine, some dead and many others very ill.1 This prompted . . . read more
Written by: Wesley Cheung, BVSc. Toronto Humane Society NACA has recently released a position statement on animal control intake of free-roaming cats. Summary: It is the position [policy] of the National Animal Care & Control Association that, at every opportunity, officers should [will] work to educate the public regarding humane and responsible co-existence and care . . . read more