Amid vet shortage, worried NWT pet owners take first aid courses

As Yellowknife’s shortage of veterinary staff continues, pet owners are turning to canine and feline first aid courses to prepare themselves in case of an emergency.

Jessica Morris has been teaching the courses for Arctic Response for more than a year, aided by her dogs, Sadie and Magnus. She said most people seem to sign up for the course because they’re worried about an accident-prone dog or cat.

“I know that there’s interest because of the shortage of vets and emergency care,” Morris said.

“That’s our main goal, to help people determine whether they’re sitting on an emergency that needs to be dealt with now, or if it’s an emergency that can wait a couple hours, or if it’s something even you can see to yourself.”

The course covers what to do if different poisonous plants or toxins make it into your pet’s stomach, clearing your pet’s airway in the event of choking, how to perform CPR on a dog or cat (depending on the course), and how to stabilize your pet until they’re able to be seen by a veterinarian.

“People are just worried,” Morris said. She sees “so many” messages on Yellowknife Facebook groups about dogs who get into accidents in the middle of the night or late in the evening, after the vet clinic is closed.

“A lot of people are looking for some sort of information and guidance to make them feel more confident in dealing with things themselves or making the correct call,” she said.

The NWT has had veterinarian staffing shortages for years, and the small number of veterinarians in the territory have trouble keeping up with the need for services. In April, Great Slave Animal Hospital said it was overrun with emergencies and new patients daily.

Morris hopes more people become aware of the first aid courses, which are offered every other month, and that they “please, please register.”

“The easier we can make it on the vets, the more chance that we’ll be able to have,” Morris said.

“If we can know how to deal with the smaller stuff on our own, then it’ll leave them more open for any bigger incidents that happen, and make it easier on everybody in the community. Hopefully.”