By Dr. Michelle Meckelborg, Shelter Veterinarian, Director of Animal Health, Maddie’s UW/UCD Shelter Medicine Fellow 2022 A survey was released in June 2024 to the CASCMA membership to better understand the roadblocks shelter’s experience with respect to veterinary training capacity. Shelters are balancing requests from students and veterinary colleagues both domestic and internationally trained to . . . read more

By Elissa Bessonette, BSc, DVM, Graduate Certificate Shelter Medicine One of the most common behavioural concerns for cats surrendered to shelters is the issue of periuria defined as the elimination of urine in unacceptable locations outside the litter box.1 Considering the motivation behind the behaviour, periuria is separated into marking and inappropriate elimination. This distinction is . . . read more

By Kyrsten Jade Janke Humane Canada is a particularly special conference for animal shelter and community medicine professionals. While the breadth of animal welfare topics explored by the conference is broad, the issues faced by animal welfare professionals are shared. This event brings together a individuals with varied backgrounds to share their experiences in the . . . read more

By Lynn Henderson, DVM MEd CHPV,  Veterinary Director, Kim & Stu Lang Community Healthcare Partnership Program at Ontario Veterinary Program, CASCMA It is a privilege to be writing this article about Indigenous cultural safety for veterinary teams; I am a non-Indigenous settler and companion animal veterinarian currently practicing community medicine alongside several First Nations in . . . read more

By Dr. Shelley Hutchings, Chief Veterinarian, Ottawa Humane Society and Vice-President and Vice-Treasurer, CASCMA Does your team struggle to make individual medical and behavioural case management decisions in your shelter? Is decision making time consuming, conflict causing, sometimes inconsistent, and taking an emotional toll on those that have to make these difficult decisions? If so, . . . read more

By Gina Bowen, DVM, Director of Veterinary Services – Winnipeg Humane Society, CASCMA Since seeing these giant prehistoric looking worms for the past 6 years or so, the excitement has died down for me, but I was reminded recently of how truly weird and wonderful these worms are when I watched the entertainment of a . . . read more

By Elissa Bessonette, B.Sc., DVM, Graduate Certificate Shelter Medicine, Calgary Humane Society Spay Neuter Lead Veterinarian, CASCMA I am not computer savvy. When there is a problem with my computer, you can be sure it’s operator error and not the equipment, but when I need to make an appointment with my doctor, I am expected . . . read more

By: Linda Jacobson, DVM I wasn’t expecting to write a blog about a giant COVID wave in December 2021. Yet, here we are. I want to start by acknowledging those who have been most directly impacted by this pandemic, those who have lost loved ones, have suffered with severe illness, or continue to suffer with . . . read more

July 5, 2020 There’s been a recent groundswell of support for face masks in Canada and the US. Many Ontario jurisdictions have recently mandated face coverings in public indoor settings. Quite a number of political figures in the US, who previously did not support mask-wearing, are now appearing in public wearing masks, and supporting or . . . read more

Note, July 5, 2020: There’s still an enormous amount going on, but basic information is not longer changing as quickly as it was. So these briefings will become sporadic from now on and/or will be replaced by longer pieces on specific subjects. June 15, 2020 Black Lives Matter and Animal Sheltering The COVID-19 pandemic has . . . read more

Here are answers to some common questions that shelters might be facing from their volunteers, staff and the public right now. Feel free to copy and paste if you wish. The situation is changing rapidly and this information will be updated as needed. Thank you to Dr. Scott Weese for regular updates and counsel through . . . read more

With many families still working from home and the kids still out of school, it’s important to consider changes in routine and interrupted rest time that may affect dog behaviour. Most family dogs are used to having a fairly consistent daily routine.  They get breakfast and a quick morning walk, they see the family off, . . . read more

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of our lives. From illness or even tragedy among loved ones, the anxiety of not knowing what will happen next, to the boredom from staying in our homes and socially isolating, to the financial strain many of us are feeling from being unable to work, life is not the . . . read more

Do animal shelters need a COVID-19 plan, and why? Yes. To minimize the impact on life-saving capacity; To minimize the impact on staff; To help protect volunteers and visitors. Virologist Dr. Ian Mckay, in his excellent Virology Down Under blog, states, “China has bought us time to prepare.” We should use that time well. Staff . . . read more

We hear quite frequently from shelters who have confiscated or taken in large numbers of hoarded animals…. and then struggle to treat them or find them homes. These animals often have serious medical problems or are poorly socialized, or both. Providing the care they need can really strain shelter resources . This blog highlights an . . . read more

(Note: This blog contains information from all the references listed below, although it focuses on the new Retrovirus Guidelines. Comments and footnotes reflect  expert opinion and my own opinions.) Transmission of feline retroviruses: What do we know now? The risk of transmission of FIV between spayed or neutered cats in a normal household is very . . . read more

By Dr. Jacklyn Ellis, PhD. For many cats, humans provide the comfort and companionship that is essential to their well-being. But for cats that have had limited exposure to people, humans are something very different. Our intentions are unclear, and we are often perceived as a threat. However, with a little patience (and a lot . . . read more

A recent scientific article authored by CASCMA’s own Dr. Linda Jacobson and published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery sheds new light on our understanding of hoarded cats in animal shelters.  What was the study about? A retrospective study was conducted by analyzing medical records pertaining to hoarded cats taken in by The . . . read more

A recent study has confirmed what we all already know – RVTs rock! What was the study about? More scientifically speaking, the study was a survey of companion animal practices in Ontario. The goal was to evaluate the current utilization levels of veterinary technicians and the value they bring to veterinary practices. The study was . . . read more

UPDATED FEBRUARY 14, 2019 The landmark January court ruling concerning the 100-year-old OSPCA Act is of paramount importance to those of us working in animal welfare. What does it mean for animal welfare and animal shelters in Ontario? Legal counsel for the case, Kurtis Andrews, and Camille Labchuk, Executive Director for Animal Justice, kindly agreed . . . read more

Canine parvovirus enteritis can be an unaffordable and devastating disease for pet owners. The inability to pay for conventional in-hospital care can result in the heartbreak of relinquishment or euthanasia. Three recent studies have broken new ground by reporting the results of outpatient treatment for parvo.1–3 The justification for this approach? “We were tired of . . . read more

* Update: Since this blog was written, the ASPCA has released a position statement on behaviour assessments for dogs in shelters.   There’s growing evidence that universal canine behaviour assessments in shelters are not able to accurately assess a dog’s temperament, and are certainly unable to accurately predict how that dog may behave in a . . . read more

This blog summarizes the findings of an important new study on feline URI in shelters. The study investigated the incidence of URI at nine shelters and analyzed the factors associated with incidence.   Executive summary URI rates in cats can be substantially reduced by using simple strategies. The most significant protective factors were providing > . . . read more

Historically, canine demodicosis has been a difficult and frustrating condition to treat. As recently as 2013, the leading veterinary dermatology textbook, Small Animal Dermatology, stated that, despite a good prognosis with appropriate treatment, cure “may take nearly a year”. The need to titrate ivermectin, avoid its use in susceptible breeds, deal with occasional but alarming adverse . . . read more

The 2017 Antimicrobial Use Guidelines for Treatment of Respiratory Tract Disease in Dogs and Cats1 cover acute and chronic bacterial upper respiratory infections in dogs and cats, as well as bronchitis, pneumonia and pneumothorax. They include recommendations for first-line treatment for the different syndromes, as well as doses and information about antibiotic options. The full . . . read more

There’s been a lot of interest in our blog about the optimal famciclovir (Famvir) dose for feline herpesvirus. It’s lovely to have a dose that’s backed up by research – after all, anyone can claim success for any dosage regimen at all in a disease that’s usually self-limiting! BUT, the pharmacokinetically optimal dose (90mg/kg BID) is . . . read more

WHAT’S OUT THERE IN SHELTER MEDICINE THIS MONTH? SHELTER METRICS, INTAKE PROCEDURES, HEARTWORM AND MORE   Shelter data – new resource: Accurate data, appropriately presented, saves lives – by harnessing energies in the right direction and by attracting donors. Dr. Janet Scarlett, the inaugural Director of Shelter Medicine and a distinguished veterinary epidemiologist, has teamed . . . read more

I was asked recently what would be considered an acceptable complication rate for a high-quality-high-volume spay and neuter (HQHVSN) clinic. That’s an excellent question and it’s important that we have benchmarks for these rates. The complication that keeps us awake at night is, of course, perioperative mortality. A new article reports mortality rates in 113,906 . . . read more

This question came our way a few months ago: “Two city council members are challenging our TNR program. Specifically they are criticizing the fact that we don’t booster the 3-yr rabies vaccine after 1 yr as recommended by the AVMA. We’re working on our response but frankly all the recommendations from the USDA label to . . . read more

A new study compared four point-of-care tests for FeLV and FIV from IDEXX, Witness, Anigen and VetScan. These tests are often the only test used for retroviruses in cats, given the lack of good “gold standard” confirmatory tests. Shelters may euthanize cats that test positive, or, for those that adopt out positive cats, a positive . . . read more

It’s common practice to apply corn syrup to the oral mucosa of kittens after pediatric surgery. The ASV spay/neuter guidelines state that this practice “may” be beneficial. but up until now we haven’t really known if it is or isn’t. Logically, kittens would seem to be at risk of hypoglycemia after a period of fasting, and . . . read more

A new study compares the efficacy of commercially available topical antifungal products against ringworm spores. It’s important to emphasize, as the author did in the discussion, that this was not a clinical study and results may or may not reflect what happens in infected cats in a clinical setting. The study also did not address the . . . read more

This new study from the Toronto Humane Society compared fungal culture and PCR results before treatment in 132 cats (28 positive on fungal culture and 92 negative) and during treatment in 17 positive cats. Before treatment, the sensitivity of PCR was 100% and specificity was 88.5%. In other words, a negative result was extremely reliable but there were . . . read more

WHAT’S OUT THERE IN SHELTER MEDICINE THIS MONTH? Click the links for more: No better than flipping a coin: Why behaviour evaluations in shelters are fundamentally flawed Temporary CVO accreditation for rabies vaccination clinics Animal transport webinars by the ASPCA: Vaccinations, funding and goals Ensuring a safe journey How to transport cats What to do . . . read more

The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies’ Shelter Statistics Report 2015  (1) undoubtedly contains good news. The survey covers only humane societies and SPCAs, i.e. many other groups are not included, but it still provides the best data we have for Canada. From the fluctuations in the data tables over the years, we also need to take these . . . read more

Famciclovir (Famvir) has been around for a while as a treatment for feline herpesvirus infection. Until now, though, we haven’t really known how much to use, or how often. A new study has some answers. First, though – when should we consider using Famvir? It’s not always straightforward. If there is severe stress and overcrowding, . . . read more