Are You Road Ready?

Spring is bound to arrive, and with the summer months comes travel to the events we look forward to all year. Horse shows, rodeos, trail rides, clinics and other equine adventures often require travel – but are you prepared? Annual professional maintenance for both truck and trailer are the first place to start, but there are other things you should be thinking about

Changes to Use of Medically Important Antimicrobials

Health Canada, as of December 1, 2018, is making changes to the dispensing of all Medically Important Antimicrobials (MIAs). From that date onward, products containing antibiotics will require a prescription from a veterinarian, and can only be dispensed by a veterinarian, or licensed pharmacist. Health Canada is making these changes to aid in protecting human health by reducing the factors to the nationwide incidents of drug resistant organisms.

How does this affect horse owners and animal welfare?  Horse owners may have been in the habit of obtaining products containing antibiotics at feed stores or tack shops, rather than through their veterinarian.  They may also have imported products containing antibiotics for their own use from the US, or from online pharmacies in the past.  These options will no longer be available.  Those without a veterinarian, with whom they have a valid client-patient-relationship, will not be able to access products that contain antibiotics without a prescription.  Horse owners in remote areas may have greater difficulty obtaining products containing antibiotics.