Catherine, how did you choose to pursue veterinary medicine?

As far back as I can remember, I’ve always loved animals. I grew up in the countryside, in the small village of Lac-Etchemin in the Chaudière-Appalaches region. My parents owned a fish farm. We had several dogs, and I loved observing animals in the forest. The recent passing of Jane Goodall made me realize just how much of an inspiration she had been to me. This British primatologist and anthropologist, who dedicated her life to studying chimpanzees, sparked two major dreams in me: becoming a veterinarian and going to Africa.

Why was she so inspiring to you as a child?

I found her research fascinating. In fact, when I started veterinary school, I wanted to work with wildlife. After completing several internships related to wildlife, I found myself with two options: practicing exotic/zoo medicine at the Ecomuseum Zoo, or pursuing a master’s degree on ticks.

And you chose ticks?

Yes! (laughs) Two years earlier, I had done an internship in Africa, in Kenya and Tanzania! With two fellow students, we noticed that the most heavily parasitized cows were often blind. Local veterinarians explained that their blindness was caused by a blood parasite transmitted by ticks. The economic consequences were major for local residents, whose subsistence herds were severely affected. That’s when I realized the impact that the work of a veterinary epidemiologist can have on both animal and human health.

Now that you work as a veterinary epidemiologist at the Public Health Agency of Canada, do you still go into the field to collect ticks?

Of course! I’m an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Université de Montréal, and I sometimes accompany master’s or doctoral students in the field. However, I now devote a larger portion of my time to designing and managing research projects, in collaboration with Canadian university professors, other researchers, and various government organizations.

When you talk about your work as an epidemiologist studying ticks, how do people react?

It depends! (laughs) Some are fascinated and ask me tons of questions, while others struggle to hide their disgust. In short, ticks leave no one indifferent! And that’s a good thing, because they are a real public health issue. Ticks can transmit bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens to humans through a bite. The most well-known of these diseases is Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia.

Is there a link with climate change?

Yes, absolutely. When I began studying ticks during my doctoral studies in 2008, I worked in the field from June to October. Today, tick season lasts longer in many regions. With more time for exposure, their life cycle also lengthens, increasing increasing the risk of infection in the population.

Are there any misconceptions about ticks that need to be debunked?

Yes! Many people believe that ticks fall from trees, jump, or even fly, but that’s not true. They actually stay on low vegetation, where they benefit from the moisture of the soil, until an animal or a human brushes by, so they can latch onto them and later bite them.

Finally, what should we be monitoring from an epidemiological perspective in Quebec?

One of my current projects focuses on monitoring anaplasmosis in Quebec. It’s a bacterial infection transmitted mainly by the blacklegged tick. For now, human cases have been reported mostly in the Eastern Townships—the region that also has the highest number of Lyme disease cases. We have therefore developed master’s-level research projects to identify which natural reservoirs explain the regional emergence of this bacterial infection.

Psst…
Catherine Bouchard is a veterinary epidemiologist (scientific researcher) at the Public Health Agency of Canada. She manages the Ticks and Tick-borne diseases unit within the Public Health Risk Sciences division and she is a professor adjunct at Université de Montréal.

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As veterinarians, we always strive to avoid these situations, even though it’s not always possible. Veterinarians are not infallible, and medicine, along with how patients react, can be full of surprises.

Here are some thoughts and suggestions to help you navigate these often worrying moments, and to guide you toward the appropriate next steps.

Medical error or poor response to treatment?

Just like you, your veterinarian wants every medical or surgical treatment to work perfectly every time. But each patient is unique: some respond beautifully to treatment, others only partially, temporarily, or not at all. Side effects or unexpected reactions, such as allergic reactions, can also occur.  All of these factors are important to consider during follow-up care.

The same applies to diagnostic procedures. Whether it’s a physical exam, blood tests, or imaging (like X-rays or ultrasounds), these tests might simply not reveal the cause of your pet’s health problem. However, the information they provide is far from useless. On the contrary, these results help rule out possible causes and guide the next steps in the investigation. In medicine, knowing what your pet doesn’t have is very useful as we’re figuring out what they do have.

Medical error or professional misconduct?

Does a medical error automatically mean the veterinarian has violated the code of ethics or committed professional misconduct?

Not necessarily. A veterinarian is not expected to guarantee results, but must use all necessary and reasonable means based on current scientific knowledge; it is a duty of means, not a duty of results. Guaranteeing an outcome for every intervention would be humanly impossible.

According to the Code of Ethics of Veterinarians, the vet must take all necessary steps and communicate the procedures and available options to the client in order to “formulate their diagnosis with great care.”

The veterinarian must “seek to have a complete understanding of the facts before giving an opinion, providing a service, or offering advice, and must clearly and objectively explain to the client the nature and scope of the problem based on the facts available.” A veterinarian must not “make a diagnosis, begin a preventive program, or prescribe medication without personally conducting an appropriate examination of the animal or group of animals.”

So, while an error may occur, it is not automatically considered professional misconduct. However, the Code of Ethics requires that a veterinarian inform the client as soon as possible of any incident, accident, or complication that could have or has had significant consequences on the health of the animal.

What should you do?

You’ve received some information but still aren’t sure what your options are?

All licensed veterinarians are required to carry professional liability insurance, in the event of a problem that occurs during the course of their professional practice. If you wish to make a claim, the veterinarian will need to forward it to their insurer, who will conduct an investigation. The outcome does not guarantee compensation, but if applicable, the insurer may reimburse all or part of the expenses.

You can also contact the Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (OMVQ). Like all professional orders, its primary mission is the protection of the public. The Order can inform you of your rights as a client and the veterinarian’s professional duties, including your right to file a complaint with the Office of the Syndic. This office can conduct a separate professional investigation to determine whether breach of professional ethics has occurred.

Communication is key

It’s important to remember that most difficult situations between pet owners and veterinarians arise from poor communication, just like in any other relationship.

If you have doubts about your pet’s condition, the outcome of a treatment, or if you’re unsure whether you fully understood what was explained to you, don’t hesitate to first reach out to your veterinarian. Express your questions or concerns, or simply ask for clarification.

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Most AHTs are women.

A typical day

Surgical admissions, updating medical records, preparing equipment and supplies, reassuring pet owners, and comfortably settling patients: this is often how AHTs begin their day. Then it’s the veterinarian’s turn to step “on stage.”

Throughout the day, they take part in patient care and assist the veterinarian with many other tasks, much like a nurse on a human healthcare team. Blood draws, lab analyses, medication preparation, surgical assistance, anesthetic monitoring of little furry patients… their days are full!

In the evening, while veterinarians finish charts and return calls, AHTs also wrap up their files, prepare everything needed for the next day, and continue administering care and treatments to hospitalized patients.

What to know about the AHT profession

The AHT diploma is a Diplôme d’études collégiales (DEC), earned after a 3-year program. The program is offered at the following institutions:

• Collège Lionel-Groulx (St-Thérèse)
• Vanier College (St-Laurent)
• Cégep de La Pocatière
• Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe
• Cégep de Sherbrooke
• Cégep de St-Félicien
• Cégep Beauce-Appalaches (St-Georges)
• Collège Laflèche (Trois-Rivières)

AHTs are trained to work with companion animals, farm animals, and laboratory animals. They also study animal nutrition, behavior, and grooming. They’re trained to assist professionals in surgical care (anesthesia, monitoring, sterilization), as well as to perform blood and urine sampling and laboratory testing.

AHTs are trained in cardiac resuscitation. Working alongside veterinarians, they can make a real difference in the success of such procedures.

Job prospects for AHTs are excellent: 90% of students find full-time employment immediately after graduation. Some go on to university studies in related fields such as biology or agronomy, or pursue veterinary medicine.

At the end of their third year, AHTs must complete a 5-week full-time internship in a veterinary facility, as well as one or two additional internships (depending on the college and their interests) in research labs, equine settings, exotic animal care, etc.

As a veterinarian, I am extremely proud to work every day alongside AHTs with such big hearts; skilled, dedicated women who place animal well-being at the center of everything they do. ❤️

Pour (ré)écouter ma chronique sur le sujet, au micro de Geneviève Pettersen, c’est ici :

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