Dr. Melissa Meachem
Diagnostic precision for pancreatic cancer
September 19th, 2012
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Feline pancreatic adenocarcinoma is a rare and fatal malignant cancer of the pancreas in cats. Symptoms of the disease appear very similar to pancreatitis and are generally non-specific, making it a challenge to diagnose. “In some cases, it can be difficult to establish a diagnosis before death,” says Dr. Melissa Meachem, a Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) graduate student …
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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 »
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A pancreatitis primer for cat owners
Pancreatitis is an increasingly important pancreatic disorder in cats, but what exactly is it? What happens when a cat becomes ill due to pancreatitis? The pancreas is glandular organ has two main functions: to produce metabolic hormones that control blood sugar and to produce enzymes that aid in food digestion. Normally, due to their destructive nature, the protein-digesting enzymes trypsin …
September 19th, 2012 Full story »
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Grad student’s feline research earns award
Feline health research conducted by Dr. Melissa Meachem of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) earned top marks during the 2011 American College of Veterinary Pathologists‘ (ACVP) annual meeting that was held from December 3-7 in Nashville, Tenn. Meachem, a 2008 WCVM graduate and a PhD student in the college’s Department of Veterinary Pathology, received the ACVP Young Investigator …
January 02nd, 2012 Full story »
