'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
Health Canada is warning that there will be a global shortage in euthanasia drugs for animals due to an explosion at a manufacturing plant overseas, but according to the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), pet owners in Canada shouldn’t worry.
On Tuesday, Health Canada posted an alert for veterinarians, stating that they became aware earlier in 2021 that an incident at a manufacturing site would cause a global shortage of pentobarbital sodium, which is the “active ingredient used in most euthanasia products for animals,” the alert explained.
“A shortage is expected to impact the existing Canadian supply in mid-to late 2021 and continue until mid-2022,” the agency stated.
“Health Canada is working in collaboration with CAHI (Canadian Animal Health Institute), the CVMA, drug manufacturers, importers and distributors to mitigate the impact on the veterinary health system and Canadians requiring end-of-life care for their animals/pets.”
The CVMA told CTVNews.ca in an email that they had been aware of the shortage before Health Canada’s public announcement.
“Drugs shortages do occur from time to time so in that sense it was not a surprise, however given the importance of this particular drug to the welfare of animals in Canada it immediately became a matter of great concern,” the CVMA stated.
The exact products that are affected include Euthanyl, Euthanyl Forte and Dorminal, all of which are used with “dogs, cats, horses, cattle, laboratory animals and birds,” according to Health Canada. Euthanyl and Euthanyl Forte are also used with mink.
The shortage is concerning because being able to offer euthanasia is an important part of veterinary services.
“Euthanasia is an extremely important aspect of veterinary practice that allows pet parents and their veterinarian to ensure that a beloved animal has a gentle and painless end to its life,” the CVMA said. “It is (a) special privilege for veterinarians to oversee and manage the euthanasia of an animal and a responsibility that veterinarians take very seriously.”
CAHI also posted an alert about the situation in late May. They stated that the manufacturing site needed to recover from the explosion, which occurred in December 2020.
"As this manufacturing site works to restore operations, the shortage of the active ingredient is beginning to have an impact on the global supply of euthanasia products,” the release said.
Health Canada and CAHI did not provide any further details regarding the explosion. CAHI is a trade association whose members are responsible for the majority of the animal health products sold in Canada.
It asked for Canadian veterinarians to administer only the recommended amount of pentobarbital sodium, and to order only the amount of euthanasia drugs that they would need at their practice, avoiding stockpiling that could exacerbate shortage for other veterinarians.
It was advice that Health Canada and CVMA echoed.
The CVMA said that were “recommending that veterinarians conserve supplies to the extent possible and share supplies with their colleagues, in accordance with regulations, if the need arises.”
It added that it was working on guidelines for alternative methods of euthanasia that do not use pentobarbital sodium, in case alternatives are needed.
“The CVMA, through an expert advisory committee that includes veterinary pharmacists, anaesthesiologists, palliative care experts and species specialists is developing resources and guidance on products, methods and protocols that can be used as alternatives to pentobarbital sodium products for euthanasia that will be shared broadly across Canada’s veterinary health system,” they stated on their website.
The CVMA told CTVNews.ca that pet owners “shouldn’t worry” that there might not be a dignified end for their pet available.
“Existing supplies of pentobarbital are being managed prudently, alternate supplies are being sought, and veterinarians can employ alternative methods of euthanasia that are as humane and effective as pentobarbital sodium.”
Health Canada added in its statement that it is “currently assessing whether foreign authorized alternative euthanasia products could potentially be imported on a temporary basis to mitigate this shortage.”
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Police are searching for a suspect in a homicide investigation after a man was slashed in downtown Toronto on Sunday.
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
English, history, entertainment, math and geography: high school trivia teams could be quizzed on any of it when they compete at the Reach for the Top Nationals in Ottawa in June.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.