A cross-sectional survey examining Canadian veterinarians' experiences with and perceptions of canine importation.

Background: As numbers of dogs entering Canada from abroad are increasing, it is essential to understand the scope, challenges, and risks associated with canine importation. Canadian veterinarians' collective experience with and clinical knowledge of imported dogs can provide valuable insights into this practice.

Objective: To describe Canadian veterinarians' experiences with, and perspectives of, imported dogs in clinical practice.

Integrated, Scaffolded, and Mandatory Community and Shelter Medicine Curriculum: Best Practices for Transformational Learning on Access to Veterinary Care.

Within veterinary medical education, there is increasing focus on equity and cultural competency/humility, especially within service learning in community and shelter medicine. This article reviews the current literature and draws from the experience of the Ontario Veterinary College Community Healthcare Partnership Program's development of a community and shelter medicine curriculum. We propose that to graduate veterinarians with the knowledge and skills to address inequities in access to veterinary care, a best practice is to integrate mandatory in-class and experiential learning activities, scaffolded across the curriculum.

Dermacentor species (Acari: Ixodidae) in western Canada, with detection of Dermacentor similis.

Numerous tick species are undergoing significant range expansion in Canada, including several Dermacentor spp Koch (Acari: Ixodidae). With the recent description of Dermacentor similis Lado in the western United States, additional research is required to determine the current range of this species. Five hundred ninety-eight Dermacentor spp.

Ecological determinants of leishmaniasis vector, Lutzomyia spp.: A scoping review.

Leishmania spp. are zoonotic parasites transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies, including those of the Lutzomyia genus, which can cause leishmaniases in both humans and dogs. Lutzomyia spp.

A Scoping Review on the Epidemiology of Orthobunyaviruses of Canadian Public and Animal Health Relevance in the Context of Vector Species.

Mosquito-borne orthobunyaviruses are a growing priority for public and animal health in Canada. It is anticipated that disease incidence will increase due to a warming climate, given that habitats are expanding for reservoir hosts and vectors, particularly in Canada. Little is known about the ecology of primary vectors that perpetuate these orthobunyaviruses, including the viral transmission cycle and the impact of climatic and landscape factors.

Talking treats: A qualitative study to understand the importance of treats in the pet-caregiver relationship.

Treats are a prevalent aspect of pet care, frequently given by dog and cat caregivers for varying reasons. However, recommendations of reducing or eliminating treat feeding poses a common challenge, leading to potential non-adherence surrounding weight management practices. To explore caregivers' perceptions and experiences surrounding treat feeding, we conducted five online focus groups with 24 dog and cat caregivers, recruited via an infographic shared on social media using snowball sampling.

Multiple species of canine Rhipicephalus complex detected in Canada.

Multiple species of brown dog ticks have been described in the United States and the Caribbean: Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu stricto (s.s.), also referred to as temperate lineage; R.

A Scoping Review on the Epidemiology of Orthobunyaviruses in Canada, in the Context of Human, Wildlife, and Domestic Animal Host Species.

Mosquito-borne orthobunyaviruses in Canada are a growing public health concern. Orthobunyaviral diseases are commonly underdiagnosed and in Canada, likely underreported as surveillance is passive. No vaccines or specific treatments exist for these disease agents.

Cat caregivers' perceptions, motivations, and behaviours for feeding treats: A cross sectional study.

There is an abundance of research focusing on the nutritional needs of the cat, though aspects surrounding treat feeding have received far less attention. Feeding practices have the potential to cause nutrient imbalances and adverse health outcomes, including obesity. The objective of this study was to identify and describe the perceptions, motivations, and behaviours surrounding treats, and factors that influence treat feeding by cat caregivers.

Reporting perceived capability, motivations, and barriers to reducing treat feeding amongst dog and cat caregivers.

Obesity remains a significant concern for dogs and cats, and reducing or eliminating treats is commonly recommended as a strategy for weight management. Caregivers can struggle with adherence to such dietary recommendations. Previous research suggests caregivers are reluctant to reduce treats but there is limited understanding of the underlying factors contributing to these behaviours and decisions.

Epidemiology and clinical manifestations of reported Lyme disease cases: Data from the Canadian Lyme disease enhanced surveillance system.

Lyme disease cases reported in seven Canadian provinces from 2009 to 2019 through the Lyme Disease Enhanced Surveillance System are described herein by demographic, geography, time and season. The proportion of males was greater than females. Bimodal peaks in incidence were observed in children and older adults (≥60 years of age) for all clinical signs except cardiac manifestations, which were more evenly distributed across age groups.

Estimating spatial and temporal trends of dog importation into Canada from 2013 to 2019.

Background And Objective: For several years, there has been growing concern over the public and animal health impacts of dog importation, with many Canadian veterinarians reporting increasing diagnoses of exotic pests and pathogens. This study is the first to estimate the number of dogs imported into Canada and describe spatial and temporal trends.

Animal And Procedure: Commercial and a subset of personal dog importation records, obtained from the Canada Border Services Agency, were used to estimate the total number of dogs imported into Canada from 2013 to 2019.

Cache a Killer: Cache Valley virus seropositivity and associated farm management risk factors in sheep in Ontario, Canada.

Cache Valley virus (CVV) disease is a mosquito-borne zoonosis endemic to North America. CVV disease is reported most often in sheep, causing lethal congenital deformities. There are limited data on CVV in Ontario, which is the largest sheep producing province in Canada.

Dog caregivers' perceptions, motivations, and behaviours for feeding treats: A cross sectional study.

Treats are commonly fed by most dog caregivers and can constitute a significant proportion of a dog's diet, potentially contributing to obesity. Feeding aspects related to treats specifically, remain underexplored. An e-survey was voluntarily completed by 716 dog caregivers predominantly from Canada and the USA to identify and describe caregivers' perceptions, motivations, and behaviours surrounding treats, and factors that influence decisions about feeding treats.

Isolation and multilocus sequence typing of Borrelia burgdorferi from Ixodes scapularis collected from dogs in Ontario, Canada.

Objective: To identify the multilocus sequence typing (MLST) sequence types of Borrelia burgdorferi from Ixodes scapularis in Ontario, Canada.

Results: One hundred and eighty-five I. scapularis ticks were submitted from 134 dogs via participating clinics from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020.

Infestation patterns of Ixodes scapularis and Dermacentor variabilis on dogs and cats across Canada.

Due to recent climatic and land use changes, Canada has experienced changes in tick populations, leading to an increased risk of tick bites and tick-borne pathogen exposure, especially in eastern Canada. Preventative recommendations for companion animals from veterinary professionals include regular use of tick prevention products and tick checks. Tick checks, specifically, should target regions of an animal's body which are deemed to be high risk for tick attachment.

Student Veterinarian Perceptions of Community-Based Primary Care Veterinary Clinics in Indigenous Communities in Southern Ontario, Canada.

Community-based primary care veterinary clinics represent an opportunity to benefit multiple populations. Student veterinarians are afforded the opportunity to build technical and non-technical professional skills, while underserved communities are provided with access to companion animal care. The Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), as with many other veterinary colleges across Canada and the United States, has hosted community-based primary care veterinary clinics, including in local Indigenous communities.

Transformative learning for a sustainable and healthy future through ecosystem approaches to health: insights from 15 years of co-designed ecohealth teaching and learning experiences.

This paper presents insights from the work of the Canadian Community of Practice in Ecosystem Approaches to Health (CoPEH-Canada) and 15 years (2008-2022) of land-based, transdisciplinary, learner-centred, transformative learning and training. We have oriented our learning approaches to Head, Hands, and Heart, which symbolise cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning, respectively. Psychomotor and affective learning are necessary to grapple with and enact far-reaching structural changes (eg, decolonisation) needed to rekindle healthier, reciprocal relationships with nature and each other.

Assessing the spatial and temporal patterns and risk factors for acquisition of Ixodes spp. by companion animals across Canada.

Climatic and land use changes have contributed to substantial changes in the abundance, distribution, and activity patterns of ticks in Canada, which have led to an increased risk of tick bites and tick-borne pathogen exposure for companion animals. The objectives of this study were to describe current spatial and temporal patterns of Ixodes spp. on companion animals in Canada and explore the association between tick bites and dog and cat demographic factors.

Spatial patterns of Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia miyamotoi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum detected in Ixodes spp. ticks from Canadian companion animals, 2019-2020.

Increasing temperatures due to climate change have contributed to a northward range expansion of Ixodes scapularis ticks in Canada. These ticks harbour pathogens of public and animal health significance, including Borrelia burgdorferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum, which cause Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, respectively, in humans, dogs and horses, and Borrelia miyamotoi, which causes a flu-like relapsing fever in humans. To address the risks associated with these vector-borne zoonotic diseases, continuous tick surveillance is advised.

Range Expansion of and in Ontario, Canada, from 2017 to 2019.

Range expansion of the vector tick species, , has been detected in Ontario over the last two decades. This has led to elevated risk of exposure to , the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Previous research using passive surveillance data suggests that populations establish before the establishment of transmission cycles, with a delay of ∼5 years.

The utility of a maximum entropy species distribution model for Ixodes scapularis in predicting the public health risk of Lyme disease in Ontario, Canada.

Lyme disease is an emerging public health threat in Ontario, Canada due to ongoing range expansion of the tick vector, Ixodes scapularis. Tick density is an important predictor of human Lyme disease risk and is typically measured using active tick surveillance via drag sampling, which is time and resource-intensive. New cost-effective tools are needed to augment current surveillance activities.

Evaluation of 2 ELISAs to determine seropositivity in horses over a 12-month period.

The blacklegged tick (), which transmits , the causative agent of Lyme disease, has undergone rapid range expansion in Ontario. In horses, Lyme disease remains an enigmatic disease, with limited understanding of the pathogenesis and many issues pertaining to selection and interpretation of laboratory tests. We evaluated seropositivity in naturally exposed horses over a 12-mo period and compared paired samples with 2 common serologic tests.