Companion Animal Health Fund

The Winter 2012 issue of Vet Topics — news publication for the WCVM's Companion Animal Health Fund — is now available online. Click here to view Vet Topics.

This issue's highlights include:

• A Splash of Prevention: WCVM assistant professor Dr. Candace Grier-Lowe investigated the effectiveness of a water additive in reducing plaque and calculus in pets' mouths.

• Anything is Possible: A high school guidance counsellor once told Dr. Candace Grier-Lowe that she wasn't cut out for veterinary medicine. Now her story is an inspiration to young western Canadians.

Continue reading "Vet Topics (Winter 2012) now online" »

The Summer 2011 issue of Vet Topics — news publication for the WCVM's Companion Animal Health Fund — is now available online. Read your copy in a reader-friendly format.

This issue's highlights include:

• Scientists Get Paws on Pet Research: Eight research teams dig into pet health research projects at the WCVM after the CAHF targets more than $75,000 to this year’s projects. 


• Sharpen Up Your Vaccine Know-how: WCVM small animal internal medicine specialist Dr. Tony Carr answers frequently asked questions about pet vaccinations.



• Border Collie Collapse: Setting a Starting Point
: A WCVM research study sets the starting point for future investigations of border collie collapse (BCC). 


Continue reading "Vet Topics (Summer 2011) now online" »

The Winter 2011 issue of Vet Topics — publication for the Western College of Veterinary Medicine's Companion Animal Health Fund — is now online in a new, easy-to-navigate format. View the 16-page issue that covers the latest news in the College's companion animal health program:

• DOGS KEY TO UNDERSTANDING CONGENITAL DISEASE IN DOGS: A unique muscle disorder not previously seen in Labrador retrievers is helping human researchers learn more about a congenital muscle disease in infant boys.

Continue reading "Vet Topics (Winter 2011) now online" »

The Spring 2010 issue of Vet Topics — publication for the Western College of Veterinary Medicine's Companion Animal Health Fund — is now online in a new, easy-to-navigate format. View the 16-page issue that's full of stories about the College's companion animal health program.

Here's a quick view of the stories that you'll find inside:

• NEW SEASON OF RESEARCH BEGINS: The CAHF awards more than $103,000 to support 10 pet health research projects at the WCVM. Go to page 4.

• VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES ON THE MOVE: WCVM researchers are looking at the prevalence of Saskatchewan dogs' exposure to vector-borne pathogens that cause Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and other diseases. Go to page 6.

Continue reading "Vet Topics (Spring 2010) now online " »

The Autumn 2009 issue of Vet Topics — publication for the Western College of Veterinary Medicine's Companion Animal Health Fund — is now online in a new, easy-to-navigate format. Click here to view the 16-page issue that's full of stories about the College's companion animal health program.

Here's a sneak peak at what you'll find inside this issue of Vet Topics:

RETINAL DYSPLASIA - GENE PURSUIT: Veterinary ophthalmology resident Dr. Bianca Bauer pursues one potential cause of retinal dysplasia — the most commonly inherited eye disorder in dogs.

AN IMPRESSIVE RESEARCH LINEUP: The Companion Animal Health Fund awards $57,000 to six companion animal health studies for 2009-10.

LIFE ON THE EDGE: Specialized animal health care workers tend to the seriously ill in the emergency and critical care unit at WCVM's Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

EXTREME HEALTH CARE FOR PETS: Despite the pressure, the challenges and the heartaches associated with emergency and critical care, Dr. Jennifer Ogeer can't imagine being anywhere else.

BATTLING BUSTER'S BULGE WITH LOW GI DIETS: Can a common human dietary tool be used to control weight in pudgy pooches?

A FAMILY AFFAIR: Garry and Wendy Gerber, along with their dogs Hunter and Jade, are part of the Canadian Search Dog Association (CSDA) team.

Want to read the latest pet health news from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine? Make sure you don't miss our next issue by joining the Vet Topics mailing list. To join, please click on the "Join Now" link (at right), fill in all of the required information and then submit your completed form.

Once you've joined our mailing list, you will receive regular updates about WCVM's companion animal health research projects, intriguing profiles of researchers, veterinary students and donors — plus valuable pet health management information from the College's companion animal health specialists!

A new study about the microbial community in cats' intestines, management tips on dental health care for pets and a profile of a family that fosters pets undergoing radiation therapy are all part of the Winter 2009 issue of Vet Topics — publication for the Western College of Veterinary Medicine's Companion Animal Health Fund.

Click here to download the entire publication (1.1 MB) or click on the following headlines to read individual stories:

• MICRO KITTY: WCVM scientists are the first to witness the diverse, complex microbial community living inside cats.

• STUDENT SCIENTIST: Second-year veterinary student Kristyna Musil delves into the interesting world of feline intestinal bacteria as a summer research student.

Continue reading "Vet Topics (Winter 2009) now online" »

Canine rehabilitation, new research projects, and pet-hazardous foods and products are among the story subjects that you'll find in the Summer 2008 issue of Vet Topics. Click here to download your own copy (1.8 MB) of the Companion Animal Health Fund's news publication. Or check out the following Vet Topics stories and download the individual files:

• FELINE STUDY PUTS PCR TO THE TEST: A researcher's investigation of hemotrophic Mycoplasma in cat populations led to a double-check on the DNA-based test that's commonly used to identify the parasitic bacteria.

• BELLE'S BOND: The special human-animal bond is something that small animal resident Dr. Belle Nibblett appreciates and understands.

• OUR GROUP OF SEVEN: The Companion Animal Health Fund introduces its latest group of companion animal health studies.

• SURGEONS LEARN NEW TRICKS ABOUT DOG REHABILITATION: WCVM surgeons are recognizing the benefits of putting dogs on the treadmill to recovery.

• MELANOMA THERAPY: Veterinary medical oncologist Dr. Valerie MacDonald uses a new therapeutic vaccine for canine melanoma on one of her patients.

• HOME, HAZARDOUS HOME: What's in your home that's hazardous to your pet's health?

• BITS & BITES: The latest companion animal health news at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

Vet Topics (Fall 2007) is now on line: click here to download your copy (1.2 MB). Inside this issue:

• DOGGED DETERMINATION: Seven WCVM-led research teams receive more than $77,000 to conduct studies in companion animal health care.

• PURRFECT PAIN RELIEF: A WCVM team of scientists looks at the effectiveness of treating pain in cats with epidurally-administered analegics.

• A HEALTHY ADDITION: WCVM's health care resources for companion animals have gone through a growth spurt as more new facilities open this summer.

• DOES FIDO'S NOSE KNOW? A multi-disciplinary team of researchers looks at the potential for using trained dogs to detect transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder in other dogs.

• PUTTING PATIENT CARE FIRST: Dr. Jennifer Fowlie of Calgary, Alta., is the first recipient of the Buddy and Dr. Snead Award in Small Animal Care.

• CAHF DONOR ROLL: A partial list of CAHF contributors from July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2007, along with the Fund's 2006 financial statement. Click here to view the complete list of contributors to the Companion Animal Health Fund between the dates of July 1, 2006, and June 30, 2007.

Vet Topics has been the Companion Animal Health Fund's news publication for nearly three decades.

Inside every issue, you'll find stories and updates about companion animal research projects, profiles of donors and researchers, and informative pet health management articles that will help you take better care of your pets.

Published twice a year, the companion animal health newsletter helps the Fund achieve its goal of promoting pet health research, management and awareness among western Canadian pet owners.

As a regular Companion Animal Health Fund donor, you can receive copies of Vet Topics in your mail box. Or scroll down to view current and past issues of Vet Topics in PDF format.

Click here to download your copy of the Spring 2007 issue of Vet Topics. Here are some highlights from the Companion Animal Health Fund's news publication:

• THE ULTIMATE VARIETY SHOW: WCVM veterinary students are making the final preparations for VETAVISION 2007 — the largest veterinary exposition in Western Canada.

• MAJOR DONATION BENEFITS COMPANION ANIMAL HEALTH: WCVM's programs for companion animal-focused health care and training for veterinarians have received a major boost from the Heather Ryan and L. David Dubé Foundation.

• VETERINARY DENTISTRY RESIDENCY PROGRAM APPROVED: WCVM has received approval from the American Veterinary Dental College to offer Canada's first accredited residency program in veterinary dentistry.

• PETS AND SECOND-HAND SMOKE: A WCVM study suggests that there are measurable changes in the heart and blood vessels of dogs exposed to second-hand smoke.

• MEDICAL ONCOLOGIST JOINS WCVM: Dr. Valerie MacDonald will soon be establishing a clinical practice in veterinary medical oncology at WCVM, along with teaching and research programs in the specialized area.

Continue reading "Vet Topics (Spring 2007)" »

The Fall 2006 issue of Vet Topics — the publication for the Western College of Veterinary Medicine's Companion Animal Health Fund — is now available in PDF format. Here are some highlights from Vet Topics' latest issue:

• STRENGTH IN NUMBERS: Dendritic cell vaccines have shown promise in treating various types of human cancer. Now, WCVM researchers are testing whether the new immunotherapy can help dogs diagnosed with oral melanoma — a highly metastatic type of cancer.

Continue reading "Vet Topics: Fall 2006" »

Click here to download your Winter 2006 issue of Vet Topics.

Continue reading "Vet Topics: Winter 2006" »

Click here to download your copy of Vet Topics (Summer 2005).

Continue reading "Vet Topics: Summer 2005" »