(Baranozdemir/iStock/Getty Images)

Ontario seeking new rules on scope of vet services

Changes also considered to veterinary sector oversight

Updated Nov. 23 — Ontario’s government is considering new legislation to more clearly spell out who can provide what kinds of animal care in the province’s veterinary sector. The provincial ag ministry on Monday launched a round of public consultation on the Veterinarians Act, which governs licensing of veterinarians and accreditation of veterinary facilities in […] Read more

A persistent vet shortage in rural Canada is now spreading to urban centres.

Vet shortage persists across Canada

The vet shortage has been a problem for years in rural Canadian communities, but it’s now affecting urban centres. Trevor Lawson, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) president-elect, says the CVMA commissioned a national workforce study in 2019 to understand why the shortage was still ongoing. “What we learned during that is that there’s a […] Read more


Viewing COVID-19 from a veterinary practice perspective

Viewing COVID-19 from a veterinary practice perspective

Vet Advice with Dr. Ron Clarke

COVID-19 changed the world. It changed perceptions in animal care, human responsibilities regarding animal health management and how humans will think about their own health down the road. Opinions on what the future offers vary widely between individuals. Personal opinion, level of understanding about issues and acceptance of what’s right and what’s wrong in the […] Read more

Parasite control in the feedlot

Parasite control in the feedlot

Strategic deworming methods to maximize product efficacy and cattle productivity

If there was a tool available for Canadian cattle feeders to improve both weight gain and disease resistance, what would it be worth to implement? What if that tool was as simple as deworming cattle on arrival?  As simple as deworming is, not every feedyard opts to do it. Whether the perception is that feedlot […] Read more


Pay attention to what the cows can tell you — they’re likely all carrying worms, but the ones that have a high body condition score probably aren’t carrying as many worms.

When the worms come marching in

Research on the Record with Reynold Bergen

Gastrointestinal parasites are an unavoidable fact of life. Cattle often consume parasitic worm larvae along with the forage they graze. The larvae take up residence in different parts of the digestive system, develop into adults and lay eggs. The eggs are deposited in the feces, where they hatch and release larvae. These larvae eventually leave […] Read more

(DusanPetkovic/iStock/Getty Images)

Saskatchewan, Manitoba to boost vet college seat quotas

Each province adding five subsidized seats at WCVM

Updated, Sept. 30 — With livestock producers’ needs at top of mind, 10 more student seats at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan will be spoken for starting next year. The college and the Saskatchewan and Manitoba governments on Thursday announced the two provinces will each step up their funding […] Read more


Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts taken from a human. Producers dealing with a crypto outbreak should keep in mind that the parasite can infect both cattle and people.

Introducing outside calves heightens crypto risk

Cryptosporidium parvum is a disease that’s easy to introduce and hard to manage in a beef herd

In the cold, wet pastures of a gruelling Manitoba spring near Oakville, Man., Garth McCormick needed a calf to put on one of his cows who had lost her calf, but didn’t have any he could use on his own farm. His hired man brought a calf from his own place to McCormick’s. Immediately, the […] Read more




A dairy cow takes a close look at a photographer.

The night we painted a Mountie green

Veterinary Case Study: While speeding to an emergency call, Dr. Ron Clarke recruits unexpected help

The day started with an overnight shower followed by a warm May sun. Cows and horses everywhere enjoyed new growth on year-old pastures. A panic call from a good dairy client at Balgonie interrupted supper. Mike, almost inarticulate, pleaded, “Doc, come right away. Two cows have died; another 15 are seriously bloated. I turned the […] Read more