A waiting list is available for those who didn't book an appointment on time. (Facebook/WCVM Today)

By Derek Cornet

health care

Upcoming spring vet clinic already full

May 2, 2023 | 5:21 PM

The upcoming veterinarian clinic May 11-14 at the Jonas Roberts Memorial Community Centre is full.

“We’ve got all of our surgeries and vet check spots full and so, right now, anyone who is still sending us registration forms are getting put on a waiting list,” said Dr. Jordan Woodsworth, a clinical associate in wellness at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

“If we don’t get to those appointments this time, then we will schedule people ahead of time for the August clinic. I think we have about 85 surgeries coming in and around the same numbers for vet checks. That’s pretty standard for us. Usually, that’s about what we expect. Sometimes we have done a bit more, sometimes we have done a bit less, but with the number of volunteers we’ve got coming up this time, it’s about perfect.”

As in the past, Woodsworth will be bringing with her veterinarian students from all years of the program. Others involved include veterinarians and vet techs from private clinics in Saskatchewan, as well as the vet college. There will also be non-professional volunteers joining to assist in tasks like reception.

This marks the 10^th year since the Western College of Veterinary Medicine has conducted such clinics in La Ronge. In that time, more than 1,000 wellness checks have been completed on dogs and cats in the tri-communities. About 90 per cent of wellness checks are spays or neutering, but WCVM staff and students also provided vaccines, deworming and other preventative care procedures.

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“[We have] anywhere between 15 and 45 students per clinic,” Woodsworth said. “We easily had, I would guess, 600 to 900 students who have come through. That’s really valuable for our learning program. A lot of these students are repeats, but we do get a number of contact hours with students during the duration of the program, and it’s really helps to bolster their … learning that is part of the curriculum.”

The annual spring and fall vet clinics in La Ronge provide a unique learning experience for those involved. Woodsworth noted that’s because they cover materials participants wouldn’t receive anywhere else like cultural humility, and the history of colonization in Canada and how that impacts the current picture of dog care and control, especially in Indigenous communities.

“The clinical experience they get and other student volunteers get, is also really great because it’s a high value in a short amount of time,” she said. “What we typically find is those students get a really large increase in their skills set and comfort level in a short number of days, simply because we have so many patients coming through.”

Those with appointments should bring veterinarian records for the animal receiving care. Cats should also be kenneled and dogs should be leashed. Those without a kennel or leash can borrow one from organizers of the vet clinic.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno