WCVM teams up with Canadian Challenge for unique learning experience
Three senior veterinary students at the University of Saskatchewan will gain hands-on experience as well as academic credit during this year’s Canadian Challenge Sled Dog Race, which takes place in northern Saskatchewan from Feb. 19 to 23.
How to keep your pets safe from marijuana poisoning
If you live with a pet, there is a good chance you consider it to be a member of your family. It is well established that companion animals, ranging from cats and dogs through to birds and rodents, can have a positive health benefit in our lives.
Ramp walking helps diagnose lameness in dogs
Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) are taking tips from the field of human medicine and rehabilitation to develop a technique to help detect and diagnose injuries in dogs.
Small, deadly parasite emerging in Canada’s North
Harsh terrain and brutally cold temperatures are not the only dilemmas Arctic dwellers face. Dr. Emily Jenkins and her team of researchers at the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) have identified parasites in the gastrointestinal tract of carnivores from northern Canada as Echinococcus spp, a small tapeworm no larger than a mustard seed. Despite its miniscule size, Echinococcusis is extremely dangerous.
WCVM: The animal side of critical care
One early Monday morning last October, the clinical team at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) Veterinary Medical Centre (VMC) was preparing for rounds when an emergency patient was brought in to the hospital.
WCVM hosts biosecurity seminar at Equine Expo
Members of Saskatchewan's horse community will have the opportunity to learn from an international expert in infection control and biosecurity about how they can better protect the health of their horses.
Llama drama: Research into the mechanics of llama ovulation reveals a rare tumour
All it took was one ultrasound image to change all of our plans. I was part of a research team from the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) investigating how llamas ovulate. The season was just gearing up and we were doing the usual reproductive-function exams on the 25 research llamas at the college’s llama and alpaca farm near Saskatoon.
Boehringer Ingelheim forges partnership with USask Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence
The University of Saskatchewan has announced a five-year partnership and $250,000 contribution from research-driven pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. that will support advancements in innovation and leadership at the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence (LFCE).
WCVM grad returns as emergency and critical care specialist
Becoming a veterinarian was never a question for Dr. Jennifer Loewen, who had her career planned out since she was attending elementary school in her hometown of Winnipeg, Man.
Researchers seek clues to better treatment for deadly dog disease
Taking your adorable new puppy to play at the dog park: priceless. Potential cost of not fully vaccinating your puppy first: several days in the veterinary hospital, thousands of dollars in intensive-care fees … and still no guarantee your puppy will survive.
Prairie vet: ‘I can’t think of a better profession’
Dr. Julie de Moissac couldn’t be happier with her lifestyle and work environment as the sole veterinarian at her practice near Outlook, Sask.
Clinic tour part of 2019 Equine Expo
Curious about how veterinarians identify a lameness problem or a reproductive issue in a horse? Want to learn more about the tools that equine specialists use to diagnose and treat lameness, colic, infectious diseases and more?
WCVM Today’s top five stories of 2018
It’s been a busy and exciting year at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), and to celebrate the end of 2018, here are five stories that were readers’ favourites on the WCVM Today website and the college’s social media channels.
Six world-first vaccines among USask’s VIDO-InterVac contributions to global health
The University of Saskatchewan (USask) Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac) has established itself as a leading global institute in protecting human and animal health since 1975, with six world-firsts among the eight vaccines it has commercialized.
Feeding centre opens in WCVM Small Animal Clinic
When it’s feeding time in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s Small Animal Clinic, all food for hospitalized pets now comes from one spot: the new Nestlé Purina Inpatient Feeding Centre.
Leading by example
As I walk down the halls at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), I pass by walls lined with graduation portraits dating back to the first students in the 1960s. From a then-majority of sepia-toned moustaches to today’s colour photos featuring predominantly female students, we can spot the faces of our mentors, many of our teachers, and for some, even family members.
Pet protector
Horses have always been a big deal for Dr. Katherine Ball, who was seven when she got her first horse. After that she spent every possible moment riding or working in the barn.
Alberta student happy to return to her ‘Plan A’
Jude Morton was only five years old when she told her mother that she wanted to be a veterinarian. It seemed like the ideal career for Morton, who grew up surrounded by pets and farm animals on her family’s home in Scotland. The daughter of a shepherd, she helped her father with lambing, feeding the lambs and ewes, and many other jobs.
Animal health and food safety in hands of vets
Victor Kernaleguen first started working at a veterinary clinic when he was just 12 years old. His boss was his aunt, Dr. Anne Kernaleguen — a 1978 graduate of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) — who owned and operated a mixed animal practice in Stoughton, Sask.
Manitoba vet student following in mother’s footsteps
First-year veterinary student Chris Jermey has been shadowing a veterinarian since he was a baby. Early pictures show him sitting in a stroller watching his mother, Dr. Helen Metner-Jermey, at work on farm calls for her large animal ambulatory practice in Moosehorn, Man.
Volker Gerdts named new USask VIDO-InterVac director and CEO
Following an international search, Dr. Volker Gerdts has been selected to lead the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre, a world leader in infectious disease research and vaccine development.
Veterinarian finds path in public health
A love of horses drew Dr. Megan Jurasek into a veterinary career. But a love of learning and an eye for opportunity are taking the recent graduate of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) on a track to public service and regulatory medicine.
Sled dog racing roots drive student’s vet career
While growing up in northern British Columbia, first-year veterinary student Alannah Friedlund’s life revolved around sled dog racing and working with her family to maintain their kennel of Alaskan huskies. She was six years old when she ran her first race.
Vet’s world built on community connections
Relationships and trust — these two words sum up the core values that have guided Dr. Tom Schmidt throughout his veterinary career. Since his graduation from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) in 1989, Schmidt has been a trusted clinician, adviser and friend to his clients in the North Battleford area.
Puppy love: caring vets generously treat rare disease
Inspired by the tremendous care her dog Max received at the WCVM as a result of a rare disease, Katelyn Maruca pledged to help veterinary medicine students succeed through scholarship support.