Hockley and Ottawa Valley Mobile Veterinary Services

04/04/2023

A pet dog has contracted HPAI and died following consumption of an infected Canada goose. More here: https://www.canada.ca/en/food-inspection-agency/news/2023/04/domestic-dog-tests-positive-for-avian-influenza-in-canada.html

05/01/2023

Excited to be speaking at an evening with chickens at GHS Jan 25!

You can sign up here!

(Please not we did not organize it but if you have any questions about the event we can try to answer)



https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/an-evening-with-chickens-tickets-306753005497

16/12/2022

Happy Holidays from our family to yours. We are away for the break but Dr. Amari is available for appointments next week if needed, give us a call if you'd like to schedule.

03/12/2022

Have you always wanted chickens? Have you been talking to your partner/friend/second cousin twice removed/lady you met at the grocery store about birds😂? Boy have we got a talk for you! Plan to join us at Guelph Humane Society January 25 at 7 pm while we do what we do best...talking about backyard poultry! It's open to the public and we'll be talking about husbandry and giving a brief overview on medical issues and what to look out for.

01/12/2022

Poultry peeps! If you are in on the weekly AI webinars, you may already know this, but the government has announced a SWEET cost sharing program for non supply managed folks to improve their biosecurity. It has come out of AI, but will be helpful for beefing up your operations (think new farm gates and such!). It is unfortunately only for those with more than 300 birds although with chicken math we're sure some of you could make it happen 🤣🤣

24/11/2022

We know how hard it can be to assess pain and quality of life in birds since they hide it so well. Dr. Patel and I put together these scales for folks to use to help with assessing the signs they are seeing, and sometimes, with making difficult decisions. You can find the full version of these on our website https://www.hockleymobilevet.com/forms-and-links

As ever, it's important to assess each case individually and consult and work with your vet, but hopefully these will provide some insight. They are a work in progress and we welcome feedback. If you happen to see Dr. Patel on calls, be sure to compliment her on these amazing illustrations as well (isn't she talented?!).

22/11/2022

Some of our favourite little peanuts!

11/11/2022

A client in Laurel is missing their beloved hen. Can folks in the area please keep a look out?

21/09/2022

Hi there! Long time no talk, sorry we have been run off our feet but we wanted to drop by and share some information now that you may have heard avian influenza cases are coming back. The webinars will likely be back soon for more information, but in the meantime you can find information at the links below. With the birds migrating back south, it has recently been detected in some Canada geese (although it takes some time to upload these cases), you can track them here: http://www.cwhc-rcsf.ca/avian_influenza.php

The small flocks and commercial farms will be reported on CFIA along with the zones. You can find those here: https://inspection.canada.ca/animal-health/terrestrial-animals/diseases/reportable/avian-influenza/hpai-in-canada/status-of-ongoing-avian-influenza-response/eng/1640207916497/1640207916934?utm_campaign=cfia-acia-avianinfluenza-22-23&utm_medium=sem&utm_source=ggl&utm_content=ad-text-en&utm_term=avian+influenza&adv=2223-260950&id_campaign=17067478476&id_source=134758936703&id_content=595205628412&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqYL_0Nem-gIVjorICh1-Sgo4EAAYASABEgKW0fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

In speaking with experts and following patterns in other countries, it is becoming clear that this may be an issue and a pattern in years to come, so it's important to establish a biosecurity plan (and chat with your vet if needed) that works for you and your flock and situation. Stay safe out there!

The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza - Wildlife Dashboard is a public interface that displays suspected and confirmed cases of Highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) infections detected in wildlife in Canada. Suspect cases are those that tested positive for avian influenza at provincial laborator...

24/08/2022

Doggo friends. Just an FYI about an emerging disease in a neighbouring state that we are keeping an eye on. In general, this is a really great blog to follow from the pathologist at U of G.

https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2022/08/articles/animals/dogs/outbreak-of-fatal-disease-in-michigan-dogs-what-is-it-is-it-real-and-what-do-we-know/

10/08/2022

Bird folks! One of the hats I wear is as a small flock poultry representative on the Ontario Animal Health Network Poultry Network. Right now I'm working on a series of podcasts and webinars all about birds for all of you Ontario peeps 🐤 If you have any photos of diseases in your birds (lice, mites, bumblefoot, I'm looking at all of you folks who send me p**p pics 🤣), please send them my way so I can use them in presentations! Getting our ducks in a row 🤣🤣

28/07/2022

Darling Nikki would like to remind you that we also do telemedicine appointments if you are far away or it suits you and your lifestyle better! We can unfortunately only serve folks living in Ontario and of course there are some things that we can't diagnose over the phone but it's a good option if you're stuck or need help urgently, although it's not an emergency service and we aim to work co-operatively with your primary care facility.
You can book directly here: https://hockleymobilevet.as.me/

27/07/2022

This is Brucie. Bruce is a little $ #!t but he's handsome and he knows it 🤣. Bruce deserves good care and husbandry like everyone else despite his rotten attitude. He's super thrilled about getting his nails trimmed and spurs dremelled.

Reminder that it's warm out and prime fly strike season so check your friends for any p**py bums or wounds. I have silkies who need more maintenance so I do this at least once a month (I call this nail and bum day 🤣). While I'm trimming nails I make a point to give everyone the once over including just below the vent, and make a note of anything unusual.

24/06/2022

We are welcoming another crazy bird lady to our crew 🤣🤣

A crazy bird person through and through, Amari is very excited to join the Hockley Valley team as its newest veterinarian! Their professional experience with birds began soon after they started their undergraduate degree in Guelph, where they became involved with the environmental education program Wild Ontario, working with its ambassador falcons, hawks, and owls. As a university researcher, she also spent her summers applying her bird training experience to chickens and teaching them to solve learning problems in order to study their behaviour. Not only did this lead to an undergraduate thesis on feather-pecking, but Amari believes that this is probably where their obsession with chickens all started! As a veterinary student, she also worked with OMAFRA to investigate proventricular dilatation syndrome on commercial farms. It won’t surprise you to learn that Amari spends most of their free time training and cuddling with their feathered friends at home, which includes both chickens and parrots!

22/06/2022

Meet our rooster Virgil! In typical silkie fashion, he decided to break his spur and needed sedation to remove it. Poor bean! Here he is recovering after his procedure in our greenhouse 😂

Birds feel pain too! We hear from a lot of folks that their birds don't seem to be in pain since they are eating and drinking and moving around. They're a prey animal, so they don't show signs of weakness or pain outwardly most of the time. And once they do, you usually have a very sick bird on your hands. If it seems like it might be painful for you, it's probably painful for them. It's important to control their pain as part of their therapy and we are here to help!

09/05/2022

Just a reminder that we shouldn't have to give. We know Mondays suck. We are all doing our best here. Please try to be kind and remember that your actions have consequences.

03/05/2022

AI confirmed in Waterloo Region: https://www.fbcc.ca/new-hamburg/public-map

Elevated mortality in Wellington County: https://www.fbcc.ca/eramosa/public-map

26/04/2022

So sorry, I've been under the weather and not updating as much but here we are...18 cases officially, and one high mortality pending results in Wingham.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
Ontario Update
April 26, 2022

On behalf of the Feather Board Command Centre (FBCC), the following provides important updates regarding the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) situation in Ontario.

THE CURRENT SITUATION

As of April 26, 2022, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of HPAI, subtype H5N1 on 18 premises in the province. Since our last update (April 19), HPAI has been confirmed in the following regions in Ontario (click on the location name to access the 10km FBCC buffered biosecurity advisory area):
1 premise in Peterborough (small flock)
1 premise in Regional Municipality of York (poultry flock)
There is also an elevated mortality premise awaiting test results:
Wingham (poultry flock) https://www.fbcc.ca/wingham-high-mortality/public-map - UPDATE: This one is confirmed

Each confirmed infected premise has been placed under quarantine. CFIA has also established specific movement control measures and permitting processes (as outlined below).

In the last week, HPAI has also been confirmed in poultry flocks in Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec and Saskatchewan. Details can be found here. HPAI has been detected in poultry in 29 states in the United States of America.

12/04/2022

Update from FBCC below. 12 cases confirmed so far, two pending. Another zoom update tonight.

On behalf of the Feather Board Command Centre (FBCC), the following provides important updates regarding the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) situation in Ontario.

THE CURRENT SITUATION

As of April 11, 2022, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of HPAI, subtype H5N1 on 12 premises. Since our last update (April 6), HPAI has been confirmed in the following regions in Ontario (click on the location name to access the 10km FBCC buffered biosecurity advisory area):

April 10 – Township of South Glengarry (poultry flock)

April 6 – City of Markham (poultry flock)

April 6 – Municipality of Chatham-Kent (poultry flock)

April 5 – Prince Edward County (backyard flock)

April 5 – City of Markham (poultry flock)

There are also two high-risk premises awaiting test results: 

Township of South Glengarry (poultry flock)

Hanover (poultry flock)

Each confirmed infected premise and high-risk premise has been placed under quarantine. CFIA has also established specific movement control measures and permitting processes (as outlined below).

FOR FARMERS AND INDUSTRY IN BIOSECURITY ADVISORY AREAS

On Thursday, March 31, 2022, the CFIA established Primary Control Zones (PCZ), in the areas where the disease has been identified. The PCZ have been established to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza:

Map: Avian Influenza Control Zones – Ontario

Physical road boundary descriptions of Primary Control Zones

Notice to industry

Permits and movement permissions

07/04/2022

Picton : https://www.fbcc.ca/high-risk-picton/public-map

06/04/2022

We do see dogs and cats too despite all the chicken posts lately 🤣🤣

05/04/2022

UPDATE with ninth event in Markham:
https://www.fbcc.ca/suspect-hpai/public-map

My darlings, I hate making these posts but here we are anyways. It's now in all 7 provinces and 24 states. See below for links and updates. Seminar tonight and Thursday. Please email or call or IG or FB if you have questions. We are here for you.

Ontario:
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has been confirmed in six Ontario poultry flocks. In every case, the FBCC created biosecurity advisory areas and advised all poultry farmers and small flock growers within 10 km. On March 26, the Feather Board Command Centre (FBCC) had issued an advisory for province wide heightened biosecurity based on two HPAI suspect cases and on March 27 called for voluntary movement controls in two biosecurity areas pending CFIA official declaration of Primary Control Zones.

Since March 27, 2022, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the following cases:

March 27 – commercial flock in Township of Guelph/Eramosa
March 28 - commercial flock in the Township of Zorra
March 29 - commercial flock in Township of Woolwich
March 31 - small flock in the Township of Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation
March 31 – small flock in the Township of Selwyn
April 5 – commercial flock in the Township of Centre Wellington area

There are also two additional high-risk premises awaiting test results:
April 4 – suspect flock in the South Glengarry area
April 5 – suspect flock in the Blenheim area

These premises are under quarantine and CFIA is conducting control measures.

In response to the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has now established Primary Control Zones 1 and 2 to control risks associated with movement of poultry and poultry products moving in, out and/or through these areas. The CFIA has now posted the movement control permissions. Please access this information to determine which type of permit you require.

Specific Permits
Anyone requiring specific permits for immediate movement should reach out to CFIA by calling 519-953-6658, 8 am to 6 pm (EST), or email: cfia.ontmovementlicandpermitsdeplacementlicenceetpermis.acia@inspection.gc.ca. Please note that the permitting line is experiencing a high volume of calls at this time.

General Permits
The General Permit must be filled out with the specifics of the movement and a copy must be kept with each movement of the commodity. (Note: The recommended browser is Internet Explorer; alternatively try downloading the file first and then opening.)

05/04/2022

We thought everyone could use a change of pace. Tell us what you're doing to keep your girls busy during AI if you've got them cooped up more! We are building cat trees for our chickens with leftover wood scraps 🤣🤣

Also, here is the link to the latest high mortality case in South Glengarry in case you haven't seen it: https://www.fbcc.ca/hr-lancaster/public-map

04/04/2022

https://www.facebook.com/239962609905/posts/10159695218504906/

A statement from McMurray Hatchery regarding highly-pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

04/04/2022

With the rapidly developing situation in Ontario there will be two HPAI situational updates focused on the small flock community on Tuesday night and Thursday night at 6:30 EST (April 5 and 7, 2022). The updates are from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, (OMAFRA) and Canadian Food Inspection Agency, (CFIA) and are hosted by Poultry Industry Council. We will also have the opportunity for a live Q&A session after the updates. We will do further updates in the coming weeks on an as-needed basis. Please distribute to your network as anyone involved as a small flock stakeholder is encouraged to attend.



The link below is the registration for the Webinars so that any further updates, zoom calls or information can be pushed out in an e-blast to registrants. To those that do not have access to internet, the call in numbers are below:



Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5PboflSGSaW_34PJ_CzUhA



Call In numbers:

Canada:
+1 647 374 4685
+1 647 558 0588
+1 778 907 2071 +1 780 666 0144 +1 204 272 7920 +1 438 809 7799 +1 587 328 1099



Dial in ID:

860 2842 9708

Dial in Passcode:

096530

01/04/2022

Four confirmed cases now.
1. Guelph/Eramosa
2. Zorra
3. Woolwich
4. Township of Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation

There is a high mortality situation in Peterborough. CFIA has not established zones for anyone yet. FBCC zones for 1 & 2 & 3 were posted here previously.

FBCC zone 4: https://www.fbcc.ca/high-mortality-situation-bruce/public-map

FBCC zone 5: https://www.fbcc.ca/high-mortality-situation-peterborough/public-map

31/03/2022

Tex and I wanted to say a big heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone in the bird world doing their part this spring. We know it's a pain in the ass to switch your boots every time you get to your (maybe many!) coops. We know it's hard to make the decision to cancel or not go to sales especially after many have been cancelled due to COVID in the previous years. We also cancelled our chick order this spring and we know that twinge of sadness or disappointment that comes with it. We appreciate you and every small thing you can do and are doing to protect your own birds and everyone else's and our hearts go out to those already affected. Thanks to those asking questions and attending the seminars and trying to get informed. We have birds too and we are trying to navigate this ever changing situation and feeling worried too. We're all in it together, hang in there folks! We're here for you.

30/03/2022

Bruce Peninsula high mortality incident. FBCC establishes zones to warn everyone, CFIA will define and follow up with zones if positive. Update on this and more at tonight's seminar.

29/03/2022

Hey You! There is a CFIA/OMAFRA avian influenza update happening tomorrow night. Bring your questions! All are welcome!

https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fus02web.zoom.us%2Fj%2F88304966397%3Fpwd%3DQkNOZWRnSGwwZjF1UXVzbWdjbHltZz09&data=04%7C01%7Cal.dam%40ontario.ca%7C74a4979efe98443b1dd408da10ec88df%7Ccddc1229ac2a4b97b78a0e5cacb5865c%7C0%7C0%7C637840905336245103%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=px0k3Eov7tFQd6ShyubxklNYn2uaREFxY%2B0vrs1IdXI%3D&reserved=0