Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
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 was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
B.C. conservation officers recently seized a nine-foot-long Burmese python from a home in Chilliwack.
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
The Ontario government is introducing changes to auto-insurance, but some experts say the move is ill-advised.
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Newfoundland’s unique version of the Pine Marten has grown out of its threatened designation.
A Toronto man is out $12,000 after falling victim to a deepfake cryptocurrency scam that appeared to involve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
There’s a group of people in Saskatoon that proudly call themselves dumpster divers, and they’re turning the city’s trash into treasure.
Ontario is facing a larger than anticipated deficit but the Doug Ford government still plans to balance its books before the next provincial election.