It has been a busy spring and summer as we have greeted many new faces. We are grateful to be able to be part of your lives and to share in the care and health of your pets. With the changing season, we are reduced in numbers, as Dr. Sparks welcomes another baby! We are happy and excited for her growing family. Her patients will miss her. unfortunately we have to announce that we will be closing our doors to new clients once more, in oreder to best meet those who are already part of kannon. It has been a pleasure to welcome so many of you this year. we have started a waitlist in hopes that we can welcome more again in the future. Please see our New Client Menu for more information.a lot has happened over the last few years; Covid, growing families, which has left us trying our best to be there for our clients. for sometime, we had to put a hold on accepting anyone new, as we tried to timely serve, those already with us. Now, as our flow starts to become more predictable and with the additions of dr. otorowski (Welcome!) and the return of dr. sparks from maternity leave (congratulations!), we are able to open our door to new faces. WE ask that you complete and acknowledge this form ahead of time. We look forward to meeting you!
It's been 10 years ago today that we opened our doors and it has been an honour to serve out community an grow in the process. It started with me, a veterinary assistant and veterinary technician. Each new team member has been an exciting addition, as we evolved into the team we are today. Can you believe that what started as this watered damaged building... ...could be the home base of years of memories and veterinary care?  Our core value has continued to be respect for the environment, realizing that it is integral to the health of us all.
We started with keeping sustainability in mind with every decision made in the building and day to day practise. In 2017, we were able to add 6 kW of solar panels in the back of the building. With our efforts, In 2018, we were recognized as practise of the year by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, for our commitment to ecohealth and green practise procedures. In the next little while, we hope to focus on how we can participate in activities that strengthen the bond between us, our pets and nature, with such ideas as neighbourhood cleanups, walking/running events with our dogs. We are always looking for feedback from you, as well. Thank you to our clients, friends and families for you ongoing support and hope you are as excited as we are, to continue to be part of your community and the connections between health and nature. Although the government of New Brunswick has lifted Covid-19 restrictions, please respect our decision to ease into these changes, which we will re-evaluate routinely. We need to keep each other healthy, in order to be able to be here for you.
We will continue to ask for social distancing. Please call 506 633 0088 when you arrive for your appointment or for curbside pick up, so that we can guide the traffic in our small building. You must wear a mask that covers your nose, mouth and chin and we will do the same. Hand sanitizer is available by the front door and at the front desk. We ask that only one person come in for their pets' appointment. Thank You for taking the time to read this information. We realize that we are still not able to offer the streamline care that we are used to, and veterinary appointments can be stressful. We will genuinely try to work along side with you. This also means we have zero tolerance for abuse and reserve the right to refuse service to clients who are verbally, emotionally or physically harmful. We really are living in uncertain times. The winter weather adds extra to the unpredictability. If you haven't already, we recommend making a first aid kit for your pet. It could become an essential part of the extra care you can provide, with the help of your veterinarian, who may be able to advise you on how to help your pet, on route for an emergency or at home. For those who already have a pet first aid kit, remember to check it monthly, making sure none of the contents have expired.
The ASPCA website shows you how to make a kit here. In addition to what is listed, we would recommend also stocking your kit with 25 mg Benadryl and Polysporin for eyes. If you would rather purchase a kit, the St. John Ambulance is one source and you will need to add fresh 3% hydrogen peroxide, Benadryl and Polysporin eye. Having 3% hydrogen peroxide (to induce vomiting in dogs with veterinary guidance) and Benadryl (the active ingredient is diphenhydramine, and the tablet/caplet form is preferred over children's liquid because it has the potential to have not so safe sweetener in it and the volume you would have to use in a bigger dog could be a lot) on hand alone, is a great idea. Stay safe and healthy and may you never have to use this kit (but be glad you have it if you do). Did you know that pet ownership is higher in Atlantic Canada than in the prairies and BC? So far, in the covid-19 pandemic, about 900000 adult Canadians became first time pet owners (https://abacusdata.ca/pets-pandemic-canada/). Of current pet owners, about 18% report obtaining a new pet during the pandemic (https://narrativeresearch.ca/canada-has-seen-a-significant-increase-in-pet-owners-since-the-start-of-the-covid-19-pandemic/).
In the last few years, we are experiencing a shortage of veterinarians and veterinary technicians, world wide. Here is Dr. Berdina Bakker, the vice president of the New Brunswick Veterinary Medical Association (NBVMA), discussing the workforce shortage. Almost all pet owners believe their pet brings joy and improved quality to their lives. This is a finding that we hold dear. As your veterinarian, it is an ongoing challenge, as we try to find ways to care for you and your pet, while caring for ourselves, in order to give you the best of us. Here is Dr. David Jamael, the president of the NBVMA, discussing the challenges of the workforce shortage. How do we mitigate these challenges and stressors? There is the lack of veterinarians and veterinary technicians in the workforce, but also coping resources that are available to practises and individuals varies (www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/newsroom/merck-animal-healths-third-veterinarian-wellbeing-study-reveals-increased-health-challenges-and-psychological-distress-among-veterinarians, let alone giving ourselves permission to make time to take care of each other. We are by the nature of our profession, givers of care. With the pressures now, directing this attention to in a broader sense, seems crucial, so that we can continue to be able to provide the best sides of ourselves to our patients and clients and to welcome more people to our workforce. Thank you for your ongoing understanding and support as covid-19 challenges us to be resilient, updating our protocols often, with little notice.
We hope that everyone is doing well, finding ways to enrich our lives with our pets, seeing the positive in each present moment, as we practise social distancing and work together through Covid-19.
Below are a few points for you to consider and may they answer some questions on how this virus relates to our pets. Can animals become sick with Covid-19? The virus responsible for Covid-19 was found in 2 dogs in Hong Kong, a cat in Belgium and a tiger at a zoo in New York. Under laboratory settings, ferrets have been shown to be able to develop infection. The dogs had the virus in their bodies but were not sick. The risk that animals can contract the virus and become sick is low. There is no proof that the virus would replicate in an animal or that the animal would excrete a dose capable of infecting a person or another animal. As of now, there have been no reports of transmission of Covid-19 (disease) from a pet to pet or pet to human, despite the pandemic. (Addendum: After this was written, more sporadic cases of dogs and cats testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies have been found and it is presumed they were infected by humans. It is still unclear if these animals are able to spread disease to people. A key point is that we must prevent exposure to animals from people who are showing signs of Covid-19 or are isolating due to exposure to Covid-19.) Animals could potentially carry the virus from one person to another on their bodies (fomites). There are no studies to show how long coronavirus can live on the fur, skin and hide of an animal, but we do know that it can persists for hours on porous surfaces (fur would be considered more porous) like cloth and paper but days on non porous surfaces like plastic (like a collar or leash). This emphasizes why practising good hygiene is important around our pets as well. Always wash/sanitize your hands before and after touching animals, their food and supplies. Avoid pet contact with other animals and people outside the household. If you are ill or self isolating due to exposure to Covid-19, avoid the following with your pet: -petting -snuggling, kissing and licking -sharing food -sharing a bed, sitting on your lap -coughing and sneezing on your pet Remember, these are important precautionary recommendations and the greatest risk is through direct human to human contact for Covid-19. Can we test animals for Covid-19 from our veterinary hospital? Idexx Laboratories is a lab available to us and they have developed a test for Covid-19 for dogs, cats and horses. They have tested thousands of pets in the US and South Korea. No animals tested positive. It is not recommended to routinely test animals for Covid-19 and doing so requires a multi-step process that involves several authorities to approve the procedure. If you are a client with a pet that is showing signs of illness and you know that they have been in contact with a person who tested positive for Covid-19, please call us so we can help guide you. On the first of june, the conservation council of new brunswick is hosting its second eco homes tour. It's a great way to become inspired or get some great ideas on how we can all reduce our carbon footprint. We will be part of the saint John Tour from 2 pm to 4:30 pm.
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About the Author, Michiko Gehrig
I grew up on Crow Hill Road. At the time, we were the only house on that dirt road that led to infinity in the middle of "nowhere" New Brunswick. I had the forest and the wildlife as my neighbours, so as a child I was constantly on the look out to "rescue" orphaned mice, birds and baby salamanders. Nature was our backyard and once, I mistook a coyote for the family dog, calling her name and not realizing who it was until it turned around to look at me. My family had a small farm, living as much off the land as possible, and so I think that's why it came natural for me to realize I wanted to be a veterinarian since I was 8 years old. At this young age, I also felt strongly about respecting the environment, sensing how the two could not be separated. After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of New Brunswick in 1999, I attended the Atlantic Veterinary College in Charlottetown PEI and received my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 2003. I've practiced in general practice and emergency clinics in New Brunswick, Ontario and British Columbia and was humbled and delighted to open the doors of Kannon Animal Hospital in September 2012. Archives
August 2024
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