Vet Topics (Spring 2024) now online

Click here to view the Spring 2024 issue of Vet Topics. This issue includes the following stories: 

To catch a cat killer. Graduate student Dorsa Mehrabanpour describes the work of her research team whose members are hoping to use positron emission tomography (PET-CT) scans to develop a more rapid, non-invasive way to diagnose feline infectious peritonitis — a severe illness in cats. 

WCVM research fund unveils new pet projects. Thanks to a record number of grant applications, the Companion Animal Health Fund (CAHF) is investing more than $152,000 in 10 pet health research projects for 2024-25.

Banned poison still endangers pets' lives. Despite a year-old ban on the use of strychnine to control rodents, pets and other animals remain at risk. Dr. Vanessa Cowan, a veterinary toxicologist at the WCVM, gives an update on recent poisoning cases in Saskatchewan. 

Diagnostic clues for Addison's disease. Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) have identified unique characteristics of critically ill dogs suffering from Addison’s disease — insights that may help veterinarians identify severe cases more quickly.

WCVM's cancer tumour bank. Last summer, veterinary student Eric Kim joined Dr. Arata Matsuyama, a specialist in veterinary medical oncology at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), and Dr. Behzad Toosi, an assistant professor and the WCVM’s Allard Research Chair in Oncology, to learn more about cancer through a comparative oncology study that's developing a cancer tumour bank. 

Digging up danger. As dogs dig holes and sniff their surroundings during their daily walks, owners should be aware of blastomycosis, a potentially fatal fungal disease that could infect their pets.

Research in print. A roundup of WCVM-related companion animal research articles that have been recently published in peer-reviewed journals.