Questions that have been asked by the EDR and answers:
Background
Brief description of the project. Provide a copy of the project protocol, if available.
The Winnipeg Humane Society is dedicated to provide access to veterinary care to all pets in Manitoba, whether the barrier is finances, education, location, transportation. Remote First Nation Communities in Manitoba, especially in Northern Manitoba, generally face all of these barriers but location and lack of physical access to veterinarians is a dire issue. There are currently only 2 veterinary clinics in all of Northern Manitoba. These barriers result in our current situation of a huge overpopulation of dogs. The high numbers of free roaming dogs leads to increased risk of Rabies, increased incidence of dog bites, increased dog shoots to control the population, increased starvation and death from hypothermia in the winter. The WHS has adopted a one health approach to providing access to basic veterinary services in communities in need. Our services involve bringing into care sick and injured remote dogs, starving strays and dogs/puppies at risk of freezing during the winter months. We also travel regularly to remote communities to provide in community vaccinations/spays/neuters/deworming and basic medical care. Suprelorin implants will be used as an adjunct resource to sterilise more dogs that cannot be sterilised surgically. They will be used in the winter months when it is not safe to anesthetise and shave dogs for surgery who will be going directly back outside. They will be used in communities where access is limited such as fly in only communities or communities that are only accessible by boat as vaccination/implant clinics take a lot less inventory and supplies than spay/neuter clinics. They will also be used as an option for owned dogs where the owner is not comfortable with surgery being performed on their pet as is common in the culture of some indigenous communities.
Describe your role in the project.
As the Director of Veterinary Services at the Winnipeg Humane Society, I am the head of the project.
Identify the stakeholders involved and in support of the project (municipal, provincial etc).
The Chief Veterinay Officer of Manitoba has recently approved 5 years of funding from the Province of Manitoba to aid the WHS directly with our efforts to provide access to veterinary care throughout Manitoba. The WHS donors have identified remote dogs as one of their main focuses for funding. The WHS CEO Jessica Miller and Board Chair Dr. Jonas Watson are in support of this project and specifically support the use of implants for sterilisation in dogs where surgery is not possible. The WHS receives funding from Petsmart Charities as well as other grants who support our remote community initiatives. Suprelorin implants are a component of our 5 year strategic plan for remote community veterinary access in Manitoba. Our donor support, funding and government support are increasing annually as stakeholders recognize how communities, their people and animals suffer because of lack of veterinary access.
Provide the names of the municipalities and their specific locations where these dogs reside. Provide the list of the names of pet owners, if known.
God’s Lake Manitoba, Garden Hill Manitoba, Poplar River Manitoba, Paungassi, Norway House, Cross Lake, Wasagamack, Little Grand Rapids, Shamattawa, Puktawagan, Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (letter from Chief and Council pending).
Clarify the name of the facility (facilities) where the administration of the implants will occur.
The implants will be received by the WHS and kept in our pharmacy fridge as my responsibility. They will be transported safely and administered in the described communities. They will either be administered in a community hall or on the owners property. The Band Leadership of the communities is welcoming the WHS staff into their community and is in support of the project.
Confirm who will be administering the drug.
A Winnipeg Humane Society veterinarian will be administering the implants
Provide a justification for not permanently sterilising these dogs (ie. Neuter or spay).
During the months of December through March, it is too cold in Manitoba to anesthetise, shave, spay/neuter dogs who live outside. Our spay/neuter clinics are important and limited to the spring/summer/fall months as most remote community dogs live outside. Transport of surgical equipment is time consuming and costly and there are some remote communities that are fly in only or only have winter road access that it is much more feasible to transport fewer staff and less equipment to provide basic vet care. In some of these communities, vaccinations/deworming/implants is the only feasible option as spay/neuter/deworming/vaccination is not possible because of transportation challenges. As we gain trust and build relationships in communities, delivering an implant to a dog is sometime much better received than anesthesia and surgery from a cultural and trust building perspective. We will provide surgical spay/neuter when at all feasible but there are cases/situations where the implants are much more impactful and successful.
Please justify the need to treat male and female dogs, as opposed to only the males or only the females.
Free roaming male and female dogs are both an issue. Adult females can have several litters a year. Adult males tend to fight over the females or injure the females during attempts to mate. Sterlising both sexes is important for safety in the community and dog population control.
Describe how the implanted dogs will be identified.
All dogs implanted will be owned with medical records kept with owner information, and pet information. They will also all be receiving a collar, rabies vaccination and rabies tag and the rabies tag number will be able to identify them.
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Post implantation care and monitoring procedures
Describe the protocol for the follow up care at home by pet owners.
A veterinarian will stay in the community for a minimum of 12 hours after the last implant is administered. Owners will be providing informed consent regarding implant administration. Owners will be informed that the dog still needs to be kept away from the opposite sex and that there is a 8 week delay on efficacy. They are told that some swelling at the injection site for 14 days post implant can be normal. The implant may put mature bitches into heat and so female dogs need to be kept away from male dogs even if implanted. The implant is only a temporary method of sterisation. The goal is to permanently surgically sterilise the majority of dogs in remote communities dealing with dog overpopulation. The WHS does not only visit communities once, our strategic plan involves repeat trips biannually to partner communities for ongoing veterinary access.
Clarify the details regarding the procedure for the pet owner to follow in the event of an adverse reaction or questions.
The administering veterinary stays in the community for at least 12 hours after the last implant is administered. All owners receive contact information for the WHS clinic to call or email if their dog has any adverse effects or they have questions.
In the instructions for this product, it is stated to keep treated animals away from bitches on heat for 4-6 weeks following implantation. Clarify how this risk will be mitigated in the treated dogs.
All communities and owners are encouraged to keep their dogs on a leash, on their property, or under their care at all times to avoid unwanted dog/dog contact.
Clarify other known or potential adverse reactions associated with the use of this product.
Pyometra in bitches, prolonged estrus bleeding in bitches, behaviour changes, hairloss, seizures, failure to return to being fertile, loss of pregnancy, estrus, swelling at the injection site, urinary incontinence, testicular pain, testicular swelling.
Describe the protocols that will be put in place to manage these adverse reactions.
Owners will be given verbal and written information regarding the product and potential adverse reactions and sign informed consent. The attending veterinarian will stay in the community for a minimum of 12 hours after the last implant has been administered. The owners will have phone and email contact information to reach the WHS clinic. In the case of a serious adverse reaction, WHS partners with all of the remote airlines in Manitoba and can arrange for transport of the dog to Winnipeg to the WHS clinic.