
Tag Archives veterinary medicine

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

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
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
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

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

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

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

Using forage to prevent liver abscesses in finished cattle
Liver abscesses are a leading cause of beef defects and economic losses in the Canadian beef industry. On average, 12 to 32 per cent of cattle develop liver abscesses, which account for over $60 million in yearly losses by the Canadian beef industry due to liver discounts and condemnations. Liver abscesses are pus-filled lesions found […] Read more

Vet Advice: Bolstering recruitment of rural vets requires careful study of issue
I graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine 50 years ago. At the time, large animal practice on the Western Canadian Prairies was everything I wanted to do. In about 10 years and after nearly 500,000 miles up and down prairie roads, sore shoulders, a bad back, chronic lack of sleep plus being a […] Read more

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