As the unprecedented outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza continues in North America, there are various concerns about where this outbreak is going and the threats to other species….domestic and wild mammals, and people (us being just another ‘domestic animal’). My inbox is filled with questions about various concerns and scenarios. The one I’ll address today
Tuberculosis in a Dog
A recent publication in the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation (Haydock et al. 2022) describes an interesting but unfortunate case of tuberculosis in a dog. Published reports of rare cases like this are often of limited value, but sometimes they highlight important broader issues, and I think this one fits that category.
The
H5N1 Avian Influenza in Foxes: Ontario
H5N1 influenza was recently found in two wild fox kits in St. Marys, Ontario. It’s a pretty noteworthy event given the scope of the current H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak across Canada, and the fact this is the first identification of H5N1 influenza in wild mammals in Ontario. The fox
Modified Live Bordetella bronchiseptica Vaccines and High Risk Owners
A recent commentary in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics by Moore et al. entitled “A doggy tale: Risk of zoonotic infection with Bordetella bronchiseptica for cystic fibrosis (CF) patients from live licenced bacterial veterinary vaccines for cats and dogs” discusses concerns about using the most common “kennel cough” vaccines in animals
COVID-19 Control Measures in Animal Shelters
As the world tries to (prematurely) transition back to some semblance of normalcy (or at least what used to be “normal”), it’s a challenge to figure out what changes to make, and when. There will never be agreement between everybody. Some want full reversion to “normal” now, some want third-wave-level restrictions until further notice… like
Antibiotic Use in Food Animals: Breaking Down Some of the Issues
An recent news article from Thailand entitled Superbugs lurk in local food systems came to my inbox the other day. There’s nothing really new in it, but it has some talking points that are commonly used (and sometimes misused) when we discuss and debate antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in food animals.
Here
Should We Vaccinate Animals Against SARS-CoV-2?
Concerns about the animal aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to come in waves. Most of the time they are ignored or dismissed, but there are also periodic flurries of attention and (often over-) reaction. Lately, questions about vaccination of animals against SARS-CoV-2 follow have been on the rise.
Should domestic and wild animals be
Antibiotic Prescribing Guidance for Small Animal Veterinarians
We soft launched this a few weeks ago and I haven’t gotten around to publicizing it too broadly yet, so here goes…
We’ve launched app-based antibiotic prescribing support for small animal veterinarians, which uses the Firstline platform (an app originally designed to help provide similar guidance for human healthcare providers). Our content provides clinical guidance
Canine Pneumovirus in an Animal Shelter
We’ve come a long way in terms of medical diagnostic technology in recent years. It’s now cheap and easy to identify a wide range of viruses and bacteria, including some we’ve never seen before. However, our ability to find pathogens has outpaced our ability to understand the role they may (or may not) play in
Giant Kidney Worm in Dogs
Imagine you’re a vet doing an exploratory abdominal surgery in a dog. You’re poking around in the belly and feel something abnormal. You grab it and as you pull it out of the abdomen to have a look, you see it’s a red tubular structure. As you continue to pull (and pull, and pull), it