Reading Time: 2 minutes For the second time in two months, the association representing Alberta’s veterinarians is crying foul and accusing the NDP government of taking short-sighted actions with no consultation. Proposed changes “constitute alarming overreach and intrusion into the veterinary profession’s ability to self-regulate and were made without consultation,” the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association said in a press […] Read more
Veterinary association lambastes province over ‘intrusion’ on fees
The organization is upset with consumer protection bill that would allow vets to advertise their fees
How’s your relationship with your vet?
Antimicrobials will soon require a prescription, but a vet can’t write one if he or she hasn’t worked closely with a producer
Reading Time: 3 minutes When it comes to antimicrobials, one shoe has dropped and the other soon will. And that means livestock producers who don’t have a working relationship with a vet better start developing one. As of last month, producers can no longer import antimicrobials for use on their ranches and farms, and growth promotion claims have been […] Read more
Veterinarian school funding decision creates controversy
School’s dean says it makes sense to consolidate in Calgary but association says it’s capping training in the midst of a vet shortage
Reading Time: 3 minutes The dean of the province’s vet school is defending the NDP government’s decision to consolidate veterinarian education in Alberta — but the association representing the profession says it’s short sighted. The province announced last month it will be pulling its $8 million in funding from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon to expand […] Read more
Vets decry province’s plan to redirect school funding to Calgary
Province will pull funding from Saskatoon’s veterinary college to expand its Calgary counterpart
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Alberta Veterinary Medical Association says the province is making a mistake by pulling its $8 million in annual funding from the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine to expand the vet school at the University of Calgary. The association said it supports the expansion of U of C’s veterinary medicine program to […] Read more
Parvovirus cases recently reported in Alberta
The virus can be fatal for dogs and the provincial vet association says vaccination is crucial
Reading Time: < 1 minute Several cases of parvovirus have recently been reported in Alberta. The Alberta Veterinary Medical Association strongly encourages anyone with questions about parvovirus or suspect their pet may have parvovirus to seek the immediate advice of a registered veterinarian. Parvovirus is a hardy, highly contagious, often deadly virus that’s spread through the feces of infected dogs. […] Read more
The facts about the dangers of antibiotic resistance
Beef 911: The cattle industry is doing a good job to prevent resistance and we are improving those efforts
Reading Time: 4 minutes There has been volumes written on antibiotic/antimicrobial resistance in the last several years. This article will highlight some of the key points on how well the cattle industry is doing so far and predict what changes veterinarians may make in their recommendations going forward. For those of you who crave more detailed information, there are […] Read more
Craig Dorin named vet of the year
Reading Time: < 1 minute Dr. Craig Dorin of Veterinary Agri-Health Services in Airdrie is the recipient of this year’s Veterinarian of the Year Award given out by the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association. Other award winners were Dr. Cary Hashizume (Meritorious Service Award), Dr. Blake Balog (Young Veterinarian of the Year Award), and Shirley Gostola (Veterinary Technologist of the Year […] Read more
Veterinarians needed for meat inspection program
Reading Time: < 1 minute Veterinarians are being sought to act as meat inspectors under the Appointed Inspector Program. Participants must be registered under the Veterinary Profession Act and licensed by the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association. “More participants are needed in many areas across the province. In some parts of Alberta, there are currently no appointed inspectors available in the […] Read more
Livestock drug use back in the spotlight
New ‘superbug’ gene has alarm bells ringing around world and will likely mean more oversight of antimicrobials here
Reading Time: 3 minutes The discovery that a much feared “superbug” gene has somehow crossed the border into Canada is increasing calls for more oversight of on-farm antibiotic and antimicrobial use. The new gene, called MCR-1, makes bacteria immune to a group of antibiotics used as the last defence to fight resistant bugs. MCR-1 was confirmed to have surfaced […] Read more
The lowdown on animal health
Veterinary medical association says animal owners need source of reliable information
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta’s animal owners have a new — and more reliable — online source for veterinary information: Alberta Animal Health Source. “Too many pet owners and animal lovers rely on unverified information from unaccountable authors when they’re doing online research,” the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association said in release. “While they often mean well, these unqualified sources […] Read more
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