Columns for Canadian Veterinary Journal

Pictures of Clare Palmer, Peter Sandøe & Dan Weary This page contains recent columns written by Clare Palmer, Peter Sandøe, and Dan Weary for the Canadian Veterinary Journal and are published on a monthly basis. They are presented on this page approximately after a 3-month embargo.

The Veterinary Medical Ethics columns are made publicly available after an agreement between the authors and the Editorial committee of the Canadian Veterinary Journal.

Welfare concerns

2024.07.01

Ethicists’ commentary on addressing animal welfare concerns involving non-patients and non-clients

Ethical question of the month, April 2024 You are an equine veterinarian who provides services to a sport-horse facility. There is an educational clinic for young riders being held at the facility, with a guest…

Spaying

2024.06.01

Ethicists’ commentary on deciding whether to proceed with spaying an unexpectedly pregnant animal from a “no-kill” shelter

Ethical question of the month, March 2024 You provide veterinary services to a “no-kill” small animal shelter. A mature female bulldog crossbreed dog is presented for a spay procedure. The history supplied is that the…

Misinformation

2024.05.01

Ethicists’ commentary on confronting misinformation in the animal-care community

Ethical question of the month, February 2024 While discussing vaccine protocols with the owner of a new puppy, you learn that the owner and head trainer at a local dog education center has also been discussing vaccines…

Biosecurity rules

2024.04.01

Ethicists’ commentary navigating client requests to engage in “harmless” fraud or rule-bending

Ethical question of the month, January 2024 Your clients compete at international horse shows that have strict biosecurity rules. These competitions require preventative vaccinations that are recorded in passports with…

Potential misconduct

2024.03.01

Ethicists’ commentary on considerations when judging whether to formally report a colleague’s potential misconduct

Ethical question of the month, December 2023 A veterinarian in our area has developed a reputation for significant errors that individually might be forgiven, but as they multiply, start to form a pattern. The range…

Treatment policies

2024.02.01

Ethicists’ commentary on medical and professional challenges arising from inconsistent treatment policies within a clinic

Ethical question of the month, November 2023 You are a recent graduate working in a small animal hospital with a longtime veterinary owner and a loyal clientele. You are presented with a small dog that has a history…

Bee welfare

2024.01.01

Ethicists’ commentary on current considerations when advising on destroying honeybee colonies

Ethical question of the month, October 2023 You are a veterinarian who advises on the care of honeybees. You have a client with a colony that is suspected to be infected with American foulbrood, a reportable disease in…

Euthanasia

2023.12.01

Ethicists’ commentary on the importance of meaningful discussion around the decision to euthanize

Ethical question of the month, September 2023 I recently had to make a difficult decision about my beloved, 1-year-old cat. She had some behaviors, respiratory issues, and urinary disease that were challenging to manage…

Fish welfare

2023.11.01

Ethicists’ commentary on standards of euthanasia for moribund fish in aquaculture

Ethical question of the month, August 2023 A priority of agriculture and aquaculture veterinarians is to ensure a quick and humane death upon slaughter. In ideal conditions, techniques are constantly monitored, assessed…

Veterinary integrity

2023.10.01

Ethicists commentary on navigating client confidentiality and veterinary integrity in the context of a medical records request

Ethical question of the month, July 2023 You are an equine practitioner who receives a request for medical records for a show horse whose owners are prominent clients of your practice. The requesting veterinarian, a…

AnimalEthics