Profiles
-
Comrades honour RCMP police service dog
“Rev” was an RCMP police service dog that spent most of his life protecting and helping people in Western Canada. The dedicated, hard-working German shepherd was close to retirement when tragedy struck last spring: Rev was involved in a car accident near Saskatoon, Sask., and died of his injuries on June 14, 2013. “It was a bad car accident that …
December 22nd, 2013 Full story »
-
Medical imaging career demanded change
Veterinary radiologist Dr. John Pharr has always embraced change and the opportunity to learn — and that thirst for knowledge has defined his career at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). “Things are always changing, and that never stops,” reflects Pharr, who retired from the WCVM’s Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences on June 30. “I’ve been doing this …
October 24th, 2013 Full story »
-
Taylor and Candy bring home treats
Veterinarian Dr. Susan (Sue) Taylor definitely loves her Candy — that is, the four-legged variety. Candy is a seven-year-old Labrador retriever whose formal name is FC FTCH AFTCH NMH GMH TaylorLab’s Sugar and Spice. Earlier this year, the dynamic duo captured the honour of Reserve Champion (second place) at the 2013 National Amateur Retriever Championships that were held in Morin, …
October 19th, 2013 Full story »
-
CAHF fellow helps fungus-filled dogs
Physicians use the drug voriconazole in their human patients to cure fungal infections in difficult-to-treat sites and to combat fungal diseases such as systemic aspergillosis. But can this anti-fungal drug be used in dogs? While the use of voriconazole in dogs hasn’t been extensively studied, the drug does offer advantages over other medications. “This drug has a very good penetration …
September 19th, 2013 Full story »
-
Anka, the dog who never lost her smile
On February 3, 2012, our beautiful Norwegian elkhound Anka succumbed to complications from bladder cancer (transitional cell carcinoma or TCC) just a few weeks shy of her fifteenth birthday. Anka bravely fought her cancer for over two years. She never lost her smile through the operations, tests and treatments. And she never lost her unique ability to make every adult …
September 17th, 2013 Full story »
-
Canine cancer survivors still enjoy life
Gambit is a 15-year-old Shih Tzu-poodle cross who loves to roll on his back. “I call it his happy dance,” says his owner Sharon Morgan of Saskatoon, Sask. “When he’s on his back wiggling and rolling around, either in the grass or the snow, you can just tell he’s ecstatic. He’s in that doggy heaven, and life is good.” As …
February 01st, 2013 Full story »
-
Calendar includes Clark with cat and calves
Looking for a fresh and fun gift idea that costs only $20? Here’s one for your list: the 2013 Men with Cats calendar that showcases Saskatchewan men who love cats — including one large animal internal medicine specialist. This is the second year that Saskatoon’s SCAT Street Cat Rescue has partnered with local professional photographers to produce the calendar – …
December 11th, 2012 Full story »
-
Clinical pathology career a custom fit
Originally from Spruce Grove, Alta., Dr. Melissa Meachem grew up among all kinds of animals ranging from the family dog to the cows, horses and sheep at her grandparents’ farm. But the thought of a career as a veterinarian never entered her mind until her second year of undergraduate studies at the University of Alberta (U of A). “I studied …
September 19th, 2012 Full story »
-
Small animal surgery clicked with Plesman
Dr. Rhea Plesman developed her keen interest in veterinary medicine while growing up on a feedlot operation in Coaldale, Alta. “I really loved the farm and I wanted to have a career that was related to it,” says the 2008 Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) graduate. Given her background, Plesman initially intended to focus on bovine medicine. But during …
July 17th, 2012 Full story »
-
Cancer research piques clinician’s curiosity
When Dr. Kirsty Elliot decided to return to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) for specialized training, the veterinary oncology resident initially thought her focus would be on clinical research. But after hearing more about WCVM professor Dr. Vikram Misra’s ongoing cancer research, she decided to experience the other end of the spectrum – benchtop work in a laboratory …
July 03rd, 2012 Full story »
