Wild Rose Animal Clinic 998-1755

09/05/2024

For the snowbirds travelling 🧳 with their dogs to the USA…

https://www.canadianveterinarians.net/about-cvma/latest-news/cdc-dog-importation-summary/

09/04/2024

08/31/2024

💕

We are closed Saturday August 31st to Monday September 2nd.
We resume our regular business hours Tuesday September 3rd at 9:00am.
In the case of an emergency please contact.
Pulse Vet (780-570-9999)
Or
Guardian Vet (780-436-5880)
Or
Boreal Vet (780-306-4400)

Enjoy the sunshine! ☀️

08/30/2024

After the death of a pet, it’s not just the humans in the family who notice the pet’s absence. In this blog, Colleen Crockford, MSW, LICSW, our human animal bond social worker, discusses how our pets grieve the death of another pet and how we can support our remaining pets through their own grief journeys.

Read on here: https://aercmn.com/when-pets-grieve-the-death-of-another-pet

08/27/2024

In honour of International Dog Day…

08/25/2024

Fleas on Vacation

What did one flea say to the other?

Should we walk or take the dog…

08/17/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/fes9BPWg4qFfJGvY/?mibextid=WC7FNe

08/09/2024

https://theealyhomestead.com/2019/11/30/the-pros-cons-of-keeping-barn-cats-on-the-homestead/

Some people think of them as pets. Others think of them as a nuisance. But on our farm, our barn cats are simply a necessary part of the ecosystem. Are you a cat person? Because I wasn't. Not until we moved to the farm. But I've changed in a lot of ways since we started... Continue Reading →

08/08/2024

Put a cardboard box 📦 out for your cat to celebrate

07/27/2024

What happens to Jasper's animals when wildfire rips through their home?


Most large animals will have escaped but caribou don't have many safe places to go.

Jasper National Park is home to a dwindling number of woodland caribou in two herds, which are threatened by the wildfires. (Siobhan Darlington/CPAWS)
Jasper National Park is beloved for its breathtaking mountain landscapes — and the special opportunity to see iconic animals such as elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, grizzly bears and, with luck, endangered woodland caribou.

But this week, as thousands of visitors and locals alike fled raging wildfires that ripped through the park and its town, some might wonder what's befalling the park's wild residents.

Conservationists say wildfires are part of the natural cycle in the region and most animals are adapted to handle them. But some species at risk — in particular, the park's threatened woodland caribou — are less resilient as their habitats and populations have been eroded by human activity.

"I'm really fearful for what this fire means for them," said Tara Russell, program director at the northern Alberta chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. The local chapter formed half a century ago to advocate for better conservation in Jasper National Park.

Only two caribou herds still hang on in the park — the Brazeau herd has fewer than 10 caribou, while the Tonquin herd has about 50 with only around 10 breeding females, according to Parks Canada.

Physically, the caribou are capable of escaping the fires, Russell said. Traditionally, they would have faced wildfires from time to time and would have had other habitat to go to.

"And now they don't really," she said.

Russell says industrial development, including forestry, mining, and oil and gas, has disturbed most of the caribou's habitat outside the park.

"There's really so little left of their habitat to maintain that resiliency to the occasional fire," she said. On top of that, she said, climate change has made wildfires both more frequent and extreme.

Russell noted that caribou populations have faced steep declines across Canada, with many living in remote areas to begin with. This makes Jasper's herds all the more special.

The Tonquin herd "live on a very popular hiking trail, and that many people have magical experiences with," she said, recalling her own sighting of eight bulls during a backpacking trip last summer.

"We could see them all bedded down in the moss having a rest. And about 10 minutes later, as we followed the trail, we heard them kind of pop out through the bushes and they all crossed right in front of us. So that was really special to me."

Parks Canada had been working on a captive breeding plan for Jasper's caribou to boost their numbers. It had been constructing a facility for that purpose, which was to open this fall.

Chris Johnson, a professor of conservation biology at the University of Northern British Columbia, visited the facility three weeks ago and watched workers building fences.

"One of the things I noticed immediately when I saw the path of the fire was that it was going to go right into, or past, that facility," he said.

Both he and Russell are hopeful that it survived. If not, Johnson said, "that's going to set back the captive breeding program for a number of years."

Parks Canada staff are pairing with the Kelly Lake Cree Nation and Mountain Cree near Jasper to help bring dwindling caribou numbers back from near-extinction using a breeding program that’s never before been attempted in Canada. 1:59
Bigger animals more likely to survive

Caribou and other animals in the region mostly breed early in the spring. By late July, their young are able to travel higher into the mountains and get away from the fire, Johnson says.

He thinks most larger species will be able to escape.

"They'll be displaced by the fire," he acknowledged. "They'll go to other places and, we hope, return to those burned landscapes when they, you know … change and grow back."

Among smaller creatures, birds are able to fly away but many other species — such as amphibians, reptiles and small mammals — may have perished, he said. "If you're something smaller than a squirrel, it's going to be hard to outrun that fire."

Dale Gienow, executive director of Wildnorth, Alberta's northern-most wildlife rescue, told CBC's Radio Active that slow-moving animals such as porcupines and fledgling birds likely won't make it out.

But he said his organization rarely sees animals that have direct injuries from wildfires such as burns or smoke inhalation. Instead, it tends to see an increase in animals hit by vehicles as they're fleeing, or which come into conflict with humans when they end up in urban or suburban areas.

He said there are also longer-term effects when animals lose the nesting and hibernating sites they've used for years and face competition or other difficulty in finding a new one in another area. "That animal might perish through the next winter."

Johnson said the impact of wildfires on wildlife depends on their size, intensity and frequency. That's something that's changing with climate change — Parks Canada expects the wildfire season to be 20 to 60 days longer in most of Jasper by 2040 than it was in 2011.

But Johnson noted that wildfires are a natural occurrence, and can benefit many local species in the longer term. Tender new plants and leaves regrow to feed animals such as elk and caribou, and berry bushes that provide food for bears will pop up in areas now opened up by fire.

"Generally wildfire can destroy habitats," Johnson said, "but also at the same time rejuvenate habitats."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Chung
Science, Climate, Environment Reporter

Emily Chung covers science, the environment and climate for CBC News. She has previously worked as a digital journalist for CBC Ottawa and as an occasional producer at CBC's Quirks & Quarks. She has a PhD in chemistry from the University of British Columbia. In 2019, she was part of the team that won a Digital Publishing Award for best newsletter for "What on Earth."

07/27/2024

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/jasper-wildfires-wildlife-1.7276833?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0vBncmDJTemQnHTMIt02RajPRr7dsmb60pL_c7UhNLJSb1ocox7BTDJE4_aem_Yun4KuO9SdYkTaQZOColxw

Thousands of people have fled the raging wildfires that ripped through Jasper National Park and its town this week. But what about the parks' wild residents, such as caribou and elk? Here's how conservationists think they'll fare.

07/27/2024

“…there is life wherever there beats a pulse.” Igor Stravinsky

The bear is still there.

Craig Gilbert, St. Albert Gazette

As current and former Jasperites wait on tenterhooks for more accurate information about the extent of wildfire damage to the community, one user of X, former Twitter, gave them proof Thursday that its iconic Jasper the Bear statue had survived.

And it could just be the glow of the streetlights, but is that a glint of defiance in his eye?

Jasper the Bear is the town’s de facto mascot. The Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce owns his trademark, and a full-sized mascot suit, which they roll out all over town – and beyond.

As the suit, he sees off and greets trains at the Via Rail station and flights on the tramway to the peak of Whistlers Mountain, he rides in motorcycle side cars and on horses, he mills through crowds giving high-fives and hugs, he skates with Santa Claus. He even hung out with Hunter at Rogers Place during a promotion with the Edmonton Oilers.

As a statue, he’s an Instagram darling.

“That statue, all day long if you care to watch, has people hanging off it taking photos,” Pattie Pavlov, executive director of the Chamber, said Friday.

She’s lived in Jasper for more than 30 years, too.

“Old folks, young folks, it doesn’t matter," she said. "He is a part of Jasper’s fabric. He provides Jasper with a pulse.”

07/24/2024

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/u-s-changes-dog-rules-could-be-temporary-minister-says-1.7272661

A recent decision to drop some burdensome new border-related paperwork requirements for Canadians entering the U.S. with their dogs might only be temporary, Canada’s health minister says.

07/24/2024

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/u-s-changes-dog-rules-could-be-temporary-minister-says-1.7272661

UPDATE: Recent changes to the Proposed CDC Dog Import Requirements as of August 1, 2024

Please note: The link to the Honourable Holland's statement has been updated from the July 17 statement to his July 22 post.

On July 22, 2024, Minister of Health, the Honourable Mark Holland, confirmed in a statement that the United States has agreed to a ...nine-month grace period... while Canada and the U.S. find a workable, permanent solution so Canadians and Americans can travel with their dogs with minimal interruptions.

Most of the proposed requirements for dogs being imported into the U.S. from Canada as of August 1 have been dropped in lieu of the owner completing an online form prior to crossing the border. The form will be valid for multiple entries for six months from issue date of the receipt.

In addition to the owner providing a receipt for the CDC Dog Import Form at the border, the dog must appear healthy, be at least six months of age, and have a microchip that can be read by a universal scanner.

Over the past several weeks, CVMA staff and volunteers have contributed countless hours to liaising with stakeholders and sharing the views of the profession on the proposed changes with government officials and the media. The CVMA position was aligned with that of Minister Holland.

Frequent updates on the requirements and negotiated changes were provided in the form of media interviews, social media postings, CVMA news, and a webinar. Additional updates and timelines may be published which the CVMA will share with Canadian veterinarians as they become available.


Please continue to reference the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) websites for additional information.

CVMA July 23, 2024

A recent decision to drop some burdensome new border-related paperwork requirements for Canadians entering the U.S. with their dogs might only be temporary, Canada’s health minister says.

07/23/2024

Well isn’t this a rollercoaster…secure your dog import form online and they say you should be good to go. And by May 2025 this will change according to CDC.

https://cdc-786687.workflowcloud.com/forms/090dc543-7b2f-4538-b2c7-2919d12ecc73

Updates to CDC’s August 1 dog importation rule: If you are bringing a dog into the US from a dog rabies-free or low-risk country, you now only need to fill out the simple CDC Dog Import Form. Other forms are no longer needed. The requirements for dogs arriving from high-risk countries have not changed, and these dogs are still required to have additional documents. Read the full requirements: www.cdc.gov/dogtravel

07/21/2024

As we head into the warmer months of summer it is always good to be aware of Blue Green Algae. Check out mywildalberta.ca for blue green algae advisories. If there are lakes or bodies of water that are affected it should also be posted on site or at entrances. If your pet comes in contact with Blue Green Algae please contact an emergency clinic or call the Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661

Photo credit Blooms of blue-green algae have been spotted in lakes across Alberta.

07/19/2024

CDC DOG IMPORT FORM

Take a look 👀 at the CDC dog import form to be filled out online by the dog owner to travel to USA.

https://cdc-786687.workflowcloud.com/forms/fb112553-dd9a-4c3e-a75f-12d6b7e2f2a4?

04/08/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/4kShYgc1Yz2joWZx/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Recognizing the signs of aggression and fear in animals can help you avoid dog bites. Early warning signs are often present if we know how to read them. Remember that a dog may exhibit one or more signs of aggression at once. Learn more about dog bite prevention: https://bit.ly/3ogC28E.

04/02/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/qeQbNsbptke2Vkmp/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Today, we are proud to honour Temple Grandin for her unparalleled contributions to animal welfare and her role as a champion for autism awareness.

03/27/2024

https://www.albertaanimalhealthsource.ca/content/common-household-hazards-poison-prevention-week

Our homes are filled with substances that, while harmless to humans, can be dangerous for our furry friends.