MARCH 28, 2008 -- As of Friday, March 28, field service veterinarians from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine are treating 15 horses at a Saskatoon-area riding stable for equine herpes virus type one (EHV-1) infection, says Dr. Katharina Lohmann of WCVM's Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Last week, WCVM announced the suspension of non-emergency equine clinical services at its Large Animal Clinic after admitting two local horses that proved to be suffering from the neurologic form of EHV-1. The virus, which is contagious through contact and through aerosols, can be controlled by restricting contact and with stringent decontamination. EHV-1 can not be transmitted to humans or to other animal species and is not a reportable disease in Canada.

By March 26, the two horses that were initially admitted to WCVM’s Large Animal Clinic more than 10 days earlier had improved enough to be discharged. Both horses returned to the same riding stable where WCVM field service veterinarians continue to treat 13 other horses for the viral infection. The stable’s owners have kept their facility quarantined since the beginning of the outbreak to control the potential spread of EHV-1 to other farms.

Continue reading "WCVM equine herpes virus update for March 28, 2008" »

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MARCH 20, 2008 -- As a precautionary measure, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine's Large Animal Clinic at the University of Saskatchewan is not accepting any non-emergency equine patients to control risks related to equine herpes virus type 1 (EHV-1) infection.

WCVM suspended its equine clinical services following admission of two local horses that proved to be suffering from the neurologic form of EHV-1 infection, also called equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM).

The virus, which is contagious through contact and through aerosols, can be controlled by restricting contact and with stringent decontamination of hospital facilities. EHV-1 can not be transmitted to humans or to other animal species and is not a reportable disease in Canada.

All other activities and services provided by the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine are not affected by these precautions.

“We suspended equine admissions at the Large Animal Clinic and placed all of our remaining equine patients under isolation to minimize the risk of further disease transmission among horses,” says Dr. Katharina Lohmann, a specialist in veterinary internal medicine at WCVM’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital and an associate professor in the veterinary college’s Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences.

“In addition, we’re working closely with the local riding stable where the first two cases originated and where eight other horses have developed clinical signs. The stable owners have also implemented a quarantine of their facility to control the potential spread of EHV-1 to other farms.”

Continue reading "Western College of Veterinary Medicine at U of S recommends precautions to prevent spread of equine virus among horses" »

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The Western College of Veterinary Medicine was one of the featured educational institutions in the "Road to Higher Learning," a post-secondary education supplement produced by the Saskatoon Star Phoenix.

The article, which includes comments from WCVM Dean Dr. Charles Rhodes, highlights the veterinary college's education, clinical and research programs. "We aren't the largest veterinary school in North America, but I think our students match up with any other veterinary graduate in the world," says Rhodes.

The college's dean also gave an update on WCVM's $71-million construction project that includes several new expansions and renovations of the college's existing facilities. "The construction involves all areas of the college to some degree," says Rhodes, pointing out that approximately 70 per cent of the college's major construction projects are now complete.

For more recent updates about WCVM's projects and initiatives, please click here to download your own copy of The Ark (Winter 2008), the veterinary college's news publication.

ABOVE: Large animal surgeon Dr. David Wilson (right) demonstrates surgical knots to second-year veterinary students Karyn Arthur (centre) and Byron Hamlund (left) during a surgical exercises lab in the food animal teaching centre.

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The Winter 2008 issue of The Ark — news publication for the Western College of Veterinary Medicine — is now available on line. Click here to download your own copy (1.9 MB), or check out the following stories that are included in this issue:

• Dr. Reuben Mapletoft, S.O.M.: A longtime professor and researcher at WCVM receives Saskatchewan's highest honour.
• A Message from the Dean: WCVM Dean Dr. Charles Rhodes highlights some of the College's latest achievements.
• WCVM & Beyond: WCVM students, faculty, staff and alumni make the news across Canada.
• Tailor-made Veterinary Training: Members of the Class of 2011 are the first students to test-drive WCVM's revised curriculum for its DVM program.
• Westgen Research Suite Opens: A western Canadian organization's name is now part of WCVM's new research wing.
• Construction Update: WCVM's expansion and renovation projects surpass the 70 per cent mark.
• College Beat: A roundup of WCVM's news and kudos.
• Research Program Thrives: The numbers tell an exciting story: WCVM's research program is having a healthy growth spurt.
• Bench Press: A spotlight on WCVM's latest research feats.
• June Conference: WCVM and the Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association join together to present the June Conference, June 18-21.

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