College Connection Summer 2020

college CONNECTION COUNCIL SETS WILDLIFE POLICY July 2020 / Vol. 36 No. 2 ISSN 2370-5965 FEATURED Council Highlights As well as reading College Connection, you can keep up to date on Council news, including minutes, highlights and video replays, through the College website. Visit cvo.org/Council for information on past and upcoming Council meetings. Non-Drug Veterinary Products In working with veterinarians whose practice includes wildlife and the relevant provincial authorities, the College has established a wildlife policy. Wildlife species found in Ontario have an important role in our ecosystem. Veterinarians, like the public, want to ensure wildlife are properly managed and receive care when needed. Veterinarians may, as employees or volunteers, provide services and treatment to wildlife. The provision of veterinary services to wildlife is unique and requires a veterinarian to develop expertise, knowledge and relationships outside of traditional practice. The College’s policy document strives to help veterinarians understand the legal and regulatory framework involved. The public will commonly reach out to veterinarians when they encounter injured or ill wildlife. Following emergency treatment, wildlife should then be transferred to a wildlife custodian for rehabilitation or release. Wildlife custodians are authorized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to rehabilitate and care for injured, sick or immature wildlife. A veterinarian may treat wildlife that is in the care of a wildlife custodian within a veterinarianclient-patient relationship. When wildlife is presented by the public, veterinarians are permitted to euthanize wildlife without consent when that is the most humane course of action. A veterinarian may also euthanize wildlife that is in the care of a wildlife custodian or they can dispense T-61 to a wildlife custodian for the purpose of euthanasia. The College appreciates those who contributed their thoughts to the development of the new policy. The policy statement is available on the College website at cvo.org/wildlife. Earlier this year, College Council approved a Policy Statement on the Sale of Non-Drug Veterinary Products. A helpful guide is also available. A veterinarian is expected to discuss with their client whether a non-drug veterinary product is appropriate for an animal. The Policy Statement and the Guide to the Policy Statement related to the Sale of Non-Drug Veterinary Products include descriptions of non-drug veterinary products, frequently asked questions on this topic, and scenarios which describe the appropriate sale of non-drug veterinary products. CONTENTS cvo.org/standards Council News 2 Well-being & Mental Health 3 Conflicts of Interest 4 Strategy 2023 5 Learning in Practice 6 Discipline Summaries 7 Code of Ethics 8 Instilling public confidence in veterinary regulation cvo.org 1