Application of the CVBC's New Professional Practice Standard: Small Animal Anesthetic Monitoring 

On February 21^st,  the CVBC circulated a message to all registrants advising of a new practice standard to be in effect as of March 1, 2019, reflecting the importance of monitoring and record keeping during anesthetic procedures. Please click here to review the standard. 

If your clinic currently does not have the equipment necessary to comply with the standard, proof of having placed an equipment order on or before March 1, 2019 will avoid adverse consequences until you are able to take delivery and train your staff. 

          - Dr. Josh Waddington
          - Dr. Doris Leung

Voter turnout amounted to 697 eligible registrants. Thank you for participating.

The Minister recently appointment two new public members to Council who will commence serving on March 1, 2019:
          - Mr. Gian Sihota
          - Mr. Christopher Finding

• Registration fees are due December 31, 2018;
• 2018 Self Assessment Forms are due January 31, 2019. The form will change in 2019, so please do not use the old form;
• The Veterinarian Investigator job opportunity has been reposted here  .

Schedule C

The proposed Schedule C to Part 1 of the CVBC Bylaws passed registrant vote by a margin of 89% in favour.

Council Elections

We have 2 (two) upcoming vacancies on Council. The Nominations Committee has declared the following registrants as eligible candidates to stand for election to Council for a 3 (three) year term following the election cycle which ends on February 15, 2019:

Dr. Parmjit Dhillon
Dr. Doris Leung
Dr. Sarah Squinas
Dr. Josh Waddington

Electronic voting materials will be distributed to registrants eligible to vote on or before December 6^th, pursuant to Bylaw s. 1.8 . If you have any questions please send them to feedback@cvbc.ca.

New Standards and Policies

Please see below for links to recently published standards and notices. Please refer to the Legislation, Standards and Policies page for all standards, guidelines, policies and notices. 

Professional Standard: Registrant Cooperation
Professional Practice Standard: Veterinary Dentistry (Companion Animal)
Professional Practice Standard: Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR)
Council Policy: Bee Medicine VCPR
Professional Practice Standard: Herd/Flock Medical Records
CCC Policy: Defining the 2-year CE Cycle
PFAC Policy: Change in Scope of Practice

Registration Fees and Continuing Education Declaration

Notices of registration fees were e-mailed to registrants earlier this week. To pay your fees, please sign in to your account here and click the link under "My Account", then click "My Registration". If you prefer, you may mail a cheque to the office along with your full name and registration number. If you are paying for more than one registrant, you must include a list of names and registration numbers of all individuals. Please note that we will not be accepting credit card payments over the phone.

Payment is due by December 31, 2018. If payment is received after this date it will be subject to a 25% penalty. Non-payment in full will result in cancellation of registration without further notice. If you are mailing your cheque close to the deadline, please include a date stamp. Payment of all outstanding fees plus the applicable reinstatement fee is required to reinstate registration*. The office is closed every year from December 24 – January 1. If you require assistance with payment, contact us before the office closure.

To submit your CE Credits, sign in to your account here and click the link under "My Account", then click "My CE". 

* See Bylaw s. 1.80 - 1.82 and Schedule C

Unauthorized Practice Alert

It is not appropriate for B.C. veterinarians to send invitations for veterinarians licensed in other jurisdictions to provide services directly to B.C. breeders or other members of the public. Such services must be rendered by veterinarians licensed in B.C. and working from a B.C. accredited practice facility. B.C. licensed veterinarians may utilize unlicensed consultants as long as the B.C. veterinarian maintains the veterinary client patient relationship and records, and does not permit the consultant to assume that role, outside of an accredited practice. For more information visit the Unauthorized Practice and Practice Facilities pages. If you have any questions, please contact the office. We will continue to update this post as we receive more information.

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease - new information for ordering vaccines
On March 2, 2018, it was initially reported that Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD) had been identified in the feral rabbit population in the Nanaimo area. Since then RHD has been confirmed in feral rabbits in Delta, Comox, Richmond and Parksville. The strain in BC appears to be highly virulent and easily spread with a short incubation period. It also may infect rabbits less than 30 days of age unlike most other strains. Strict biosecurity is key for the prevention of spread to other rabbits. We encourage you to follow these links to a very thorough Fact Sheet on RHD and a document on Rabbit Biosecurity Protocols. 

RHD Statement (April 16, 2018)

There is no vaccine licensed for Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease in Canada. The CFIA’s Canadian Centre for Veterinary Biologics has kindly facilitated acquiring an emergency import permit through the office of the Chief Veterinarian for BC, Jane Pritchard, which allows the vaccine to be re-distributed to clinics under the single application. The vaccine, Filavac, is a French vaccine with protection against RHDV2 and RHDV1. To order the vaccine, you must complete this order form electronically (do not print, complete by hand, and scan) and e-mail it to jane.pritchard@gov.bc.ca by June 29^th.

Expiry date: June 2019

Estimated cost: $100 for the 50 dose multi-vial that must be used within 2 hours of reconstitution and $200 for the 10 individual dose blister pack. Additional cost for courier direct to your clinic if required will be added on to invoices.

Technical information: This information on the vaccine is in English (it will most likely come with only French labeling and information).
Publicly Available Assessment Report for Filavac
Filavac Package Leaflet
Filavac Summary of Product Characteristics

Template for the vaccination certificate: A certificate must be received by the Chief Veterinarian (as importer of the vaccine) for each use of the vaccine. For large groups of rabbits with a single owner where the vaccine is being administered at a single time you can do one certificate and attach a list of the individual rabbits with identification information.
Certificate of Vaccination with Filavac VHD K C 

Delivery is anticipated for the week of July 9^th.

Cat Declaw (Partial Digital Amputation) Standard of Practice

The College of Veterinarians of British Columbia is banning the practice of declawing cats unless it is necessary as an appropriate medical therapy. The new mandatory standard of practice is being implemented after researching other jurisdictions and consultation with BC veterinarians. Although Nova Scotia is the only other Canadian province to ban cat declawing, it is also banned in Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Brazil, the United Kingdom, parts of Europe and some cities in California.

Under the Veterinarians Act, the CVBC has the power to investigate and impose disciplinary action on veterinarians who ignore the new standard of practice. The Act allows disciplinary enforcement of non-compliance with bylaws and mandatory standards of practice, without distinction (ss. 52 and 61). CVBC Council passed a motion on May 4, 2018 making the mandatory standard effective as soon as registrants receive notification. Please follow the link below to read the standard.

Professional Practice Standard: Feline Partial Digit Amputation / Declawing