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A rare reaction for a rare cat

July 17th, 2023

My cat Bart is my best friend. When I’m sad, he jumps to where I am and lies down for pets and cuddles. He goes crazy for chicken liver cat treats. And when I come home from a long day at university, he greets me at the door. Last year, I adopted Bart from a local pet shelter when he …

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puppy playing with bone

Guide helps put welcome mat out for pets

A team of researchers at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) are part of an initiative to explore the benefits of welcoming companion animals in places where they wouldn’t normally be allowed. PAWS in Places, led by Dr. Colleen Dell (PhD), is a collaboration between Royal Canin, the WCVM and the USask One …

February 18th, 2023 Full story »

border collie collapse

WCVM link to border collie research

University of Minnesota (U of M) scientists’ new findings about border collie collapse (BCC) have a direct link to previous studies conducted by Dr. Susan Taylor, a professor emerita of the WCVM’s Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences. The Companion Animal Health Fund (CAHF) supported some of these initial BCC research investigations. The U of M research team’s genetic work, …

April 07th, 2022 Full story »

sample culture

Cracking a multi-species mystery

A team of University of Saskatchewan (USask) researchers have cracked a multi-species mystery, documenting the flow of a common canine pathogen from a dog to a human. This finding is the first documented, symptomatic urinary tract infection (UTI) in a human patient caused by transmission of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius bacteria from a dog. Led by Dr. Joseph Blondeau (PhD) of the USask College of …

April 07th, 2022 Full story »

anesthesia team

Anesthesiologists essential to patient care

Rounds, where each patient’s plan for the day is reviewed, begin at 8 a.m. The room is full of scrubs and sneakers and coffees. A dozen fourth-year veterinary students at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) are taking their clinical rotation through anesthesia for four weeks; each has a case plan written up that is presented to the panel …

April 18th, 2017 Full story »

Puppy makes remarkable recovery

Ashley Woodvine recounts the unbearable drive into Saskatoon, Sask., after her puppy Sharley was run over. The puppy had been sleeping under the car, and Woodvine unknowingly backed over the then four-month-old, mixed-breed farm dog. Sharley was in such extreme pain that she snapped at Woodvine and her partner Brian Stephenson. They quickly wrapped the puppy in a blanket and …

August 05th, 2016 Full story »

VIDEO: Angus on road to recovery

The WCVM team worked hard to save Angus, a giant Alaskan malamute who suffered extensive injuries after he was run over by a vehicle last summer. Video by Christina Weese. Weese, BDes, is a freelance writer, graphic designer, photographer and avid equestrian who lives near Saskatoon, Sask. Since 2008 she has also been the editor for the Canadian Arabian Horse News.

March 07th, 2016 Full story »

Joint disease hidden concern for aging cats

Think your senior kitty no longer moves around or plays because it’s simply growing older? Think again. Inactivity is a common clue that your cat may have degenerative joint disease (DJD). According to a research study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) cats over 12 years old have a 90 per cent chance of developing …

January 11th, 2016 Full story »

Clinic curbs Winnipeg’s feral cat population

Randi Roberts knew something had to be done about the overpopulation of stray and feral cats in the north end of her hometown of Winnipeg, so she took action. With help from her friend Jessica Thompson, Roberts – then a receptionist at Winnipeg’s Machray Animal Hospital — began recruiting volunteers to help deal with the out-of-control stray cat population in …

September 09th, 2015 Full story »

Dental surgery fetches pain relief for Ben

When Dr. Erinn Hilberry first met Ben, the blind border collie was shy and withdrawn as he lay on the floor with his head down. Two weeks after dental surgery, Ben was a totally different dog. “It was amazing! He was wagging his tail, walking around the room sniffing stuff and coming up to people to say hi,” recalls Hilberry, …

June 03rd, 2015 Full story »