Veterinarians

Veterinarian Neil Pothier of the Bayview Animal Hospital treats a cat in Digby, N.S., on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. Veterinarians in Canada say they are experiencing extreme burnout and plummeting mental health due to staff shortages, a booming number of animal patients and the round-the-clock stress of the job. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Tolson

Many veterinarians in Canada are facing extreme burnout

Staff shortages, increasing pet patients behind decline in mental health

 

Six-week-old Paris was found with an infected eye near a wooded area in Victoria. (Courtesy of SPCA Victoria)

‘So much pain’: Donations needed for Victoria kitten’s eye-removal surgery

$3,000 has been raised to pay for her medical bills

 

Roberta Templeton, veterinarian at Manzini Animal Hospital and a locum veterinarian. (Roberta Templeton/Contributed to Black Press Media)

B.C. vet says people can help sick pets without ever leaving home

Animal doctor wants more people to know about online veterinary telemedicine.

 

Brenda the pig was found and rescued alongside Lougheed Highway on April 12. (Dewdney Animal Hospital/Special to The News)

VIDEO: This little piggy didn’t stay home

A one-year-old pig was found and rescued alongside a B.C. highway

Brenda the pig was found and rescued alongside Lougheed Highway on April 12. (Dewdney Animal Hospital/Special to The News)
Telus Health MyPet is partnering with the BC SPCA to help make adopting a pet easy.

Virtual health care app for pets makes adopting easy

TELUS Health partners with BC SPCA to support British Columbia pets

  • Nov 14, 2022
Telus Health MyPet is partnering with the BC SPCA to help make adopting a pet easy.
West Coast Animal Veterinary Emergency Specialty Hospital (WAVES) has announced it has partially reopened its ER after being forced to close it in September due to staffing issues. (Black Press Media file photo)

Langford vet clinic reopens ER for urgent care

WAVES closed its ER in September to preserve the mental health of staff

West Coast Animal Veterinary Emergency Specialty Hospital (WAVES) has announced it has partially reopened its ER after being forced to close it in September due to staffing issues. (Black Press Media file photo)
Pet owners can now receive virtual veterinary care through a telemedicine pilot program through VCA Canada Island Animal Hospital. (Stock photo)

Vancouver Island veterinary hospital offering virtual appointment pilot project

Island pet owners have access to VCA Canada telemedicine program out of Nanaimo base

Pet owners can now receive virtual veterinary care through a telemedicine pilot program through VCA Canada Island Animal Hospital. (Stock photo)
West Coast Animal Veterinary Emergency Specialty Hospital (WAVES) has announced it will be pausing its emergency services as of Sept. 1 due to staffing shortages. (Justin Samanski-Langille/News Staff)

Langford vet clinic closing ER services due to staff shortages

WAVES will only be offering specialty care as of Sept. 1

West Coast Animal Veterinary Emergency Specialty Hospital (WAVES) has announced it will be pausing its emergency services as of Sept. 1 due to staffing shortages. (Justin Samanski-Langille/News Staff)
Burnaby vet technician Jocelyn Marsh shows off part of her pill bottle return program. (Jane Skrypnek/Black Press Media)

B.C. veterinarian has plan to eliminate millions of pieces of plastic from Canadian clinics

Very simple changes can have a large impact if adopted broadly, Jocelyn Marsh says

Burnaby vet technician Jocelyn Marsh shows off part of her pill bottle return program. (Jane Skrypnek/Black Press Media)
RAPS Animal Hospital is making it easier for Vancouver pet parents to access animal care (photo by Mikhail Nilov/pexels.com).

Vancouver Island pet owners offered free Lower Mainland hotel for $2K+ vet treatments

RAPS Animal Hospital hopes to combat wait times, cost and availability of animal care on the Island

RAPS Animal Hospital is making it easier for Vancouver pet parents to access animal care (photo by Mikhail Nilov/pexels.com).
Toby the cat is making a recovery. (GoFundMe)

Tether saves Okanagan cat’s life in coyote attack

Toby the cat was serious injured in coyote attack

Toby the cat is making a recovery. (GoFundMe)
Necrotizing fasciitis, a disease that is difficult and expensive to treat and often fatal, has cropped up in six dogs in Nanaimo, Parksville and Qualicum Beach since October. (Stock photo)

Veterinarian issues alert about flesh-eating disease in dogs in Nanaimo and Parksville

Six cases of necrotizing fasciitis reported on central Island since the fall

Necrotizing fasciitis, a disease that is difficult and expensive to treat and often fatal, has cropped up in six dogs in Nanaimo, Parksville and Qualicum Beach since October. (Stock photo)
Dr. Adrian Walton with Basil the ball python. (Special to The News)

Lower Mainland vet has big snakes that need homes

Boa constrictor and ball python will be up for adoption through Maple Ridge veterinary office

Dr. Adrian Walton with Basil the ball python. (Special to The News)
It took 24 hours for Campbell River resident Jessica Gordon to find a vet to treat her cat Ocean, pictured, that had suffered a broken leg so severe it required amputation. Photo courtesy Jessica Gordon.

Veterinarian staff shortages leave central Island pet owners searching in emergencies

Some pet owners have reported long waits or trips to find care for sick or injured pets

It took 24 hours for Campbell River resident Jessica Gordon to find a vet to treat her cat Ocean, pictured, that had suffered a broken leg so severe it required amputation. Photo courtesy Jessica Gordon.
Manzini Animal Hospital on Margaret Street in Port Alberni warns that there is currently no doctor on site. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

Port Alberni’s vet shortage means clinics going unstaffed by veterinarians some days

Port Alberni is just one of many communities across Canada struggling with this vet shortage

Manzini Animal Hospital on Margaret Street in Port Alberni warns that there is currently no doctor on site. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
Most reports of the cough have come from the Kamloops region (BC SPCA)

BC SPCA warns dog owners of contagious cough

There are 24 confirmed cases of this highly transmissible sickness

Most reports of the cough have come from the Kamloops region (BC SPCA)
Sophie made it through a harrowing situation of three trips to Nanaimo for emergency vet care. (Photo by Don Bodger)

Sophie the pot-gobbling Chemainus puppy’s problems put in the past

Dog back to her energetic self after eating discarded drugs leads to three trips to the vet

Sophie made it through a harrowing situation of three trips to Nanaimo for emergency vet care. (Photo by Don Bodger)
‘Maria’ the senior poodle will be looking for a new home if her owners don’t claim her by Jan. 4. (ROAM/Facebook)

‘Maria’ the Saanich poodle is likely seeking a new home

CRD waiting until Jan. 4 to hear back from owner

  • Dec 31, 2020
‘Maria’ the senior poodle will be looking for a new home if her owners don’t claim her by Jan. 4. (ROAM/Facebook)
Doctor Hugo Lambrechts, a much-loved Port Alberni veterinarian who owned Manzini Animal Hospital for 25 years has died. He was 80. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Late veterinarian leaves legacy of respect among Port Alberni clients

Dr. Hugo Lambrechts founded Manzini Animal Hospital

  • Nov 4, 2020
Doctor Hugo Lambrechts, a much-loved Port Alberni veterinarian who owned Manzini Animal Hospital for 25 years has died. He was 80. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
Honey Johnston at Bellevue Veterinary Hospital in Parksville on Jan. 20. (Cloe Logan photo)

Power lines cut as thieves strike Vancouver Island veterinary hospital

‘Thankfully there weren’t any animals or staff in the clinic when this happened’

Honey Johnston at Bellevue Veterinary Hospital in Parksville on Jan. 20. (Cloe Logan photo)