News

Animal Health Week is September 30 – October 6, 2018 Each year, through Animal Health Week, the veterinary community draws attention to an important health-related message. The CVMA is proud to have celebrated Animal Health Week across the country for more than 30 years. From September 30 – October 6, 2018, CVMA will showcase the importance of vaccinations. The spread of communicable disease has not only becoming an increasing concern in the human population, but within the animal community as well. It is even more relevant given the increase in international travel and importation of animals from foreign countries. Furthermore,

In March 2017, Canada underwent a comprehensive evaluation of its veterinary services. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) coordinated an assessment of the quality of veterinary infrastructure across the country and how it contributed to maintaining and strengthening international trade, ensured the health of our nation’s animals, and protected the public from the risk of diseases transmitted from animals to humans. The Performance of Veterinary Services evaluation was conducted from March 13 to 28, 2017, by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). The evaluation was coordinated by the CFIA and involved federal and provincial governments and representatives from the

Retrospective Analysis of Necropsy Reports Suggestive of Abuse in Dogs and Cats This article was published in the February 15, 2018 issue of JAVMA. To the author’s knowledge this study was the first to evaluate the frequency of dogs and cats with signs suggestive of animal abuse submitted to a Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in the United States. Dennis Will, DVM Chair, SVMA Animal Welfare Committee

VETERINARIAN’S DOG IMPORTATION CHECKLIST Dogs are imported into Canada from other countries for many reasons: As personal pets accompanied by owners For commercial purposes (e.g., breeding animals) For financial gain by people selling the animals By animal welfare organizations (e.g., shelters, rescue organizations) motivated by a desire to improve the lives of the affected animals However, importing dogs from another country can result in risk to public health and animal health and welfare. Dogs from foreign countries may have diseases that may not already occur in Canada. Additionally, animal welfare issues may arise from transporting animals with questionable health. Behavioural

THE CANADIAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION IS PLEASED TO SHARE ITS REVISED CANADIAN VETERINARY OATH (2018) The updated version of the Oath is not substantively different from the 2004 version, with a few exceptions. Our role in animal suffering has been expanded, recognizing the role of the veterinary profession in animal welfare. “Practice my profession” has been amended to “perform my professional duties”, which we believe is more inclusive of our obligations. We have also adapted the name to “The Canadian Veterinary Oath” rather than the ‘’Veterinarian’s Oath’’, allowing it to be used in a wider context, including our RVT colleagues

Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Releases New Edition of its Kennel Code OTTAWA, Ont. – The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) released its newest edition of A Code of Practice for Canadian Kennel Operations during the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies convention this weekend in Calgary, Alta. Seven years in the making, the over 80-page document incorporates new scientific evidence in many aspects of dog breeding and kennel management, including behaviour and social needs, housing, medicine and nutrition. The latest Kennel Code applies to various environments in which dogs are kept for breeding purposes, ranging from a private home to a