Western College of Veterinary Medicine

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Vet’s vision revives textbook
When Dr. Monique Mayer (DVM) began studying the dog’s lymphatic system as part of her work as a cancer researcher, she relied on an unlikely assistant: her mother. Mayer, a professor and board-certified veterinary radiation oncologist at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), was using a textbook written by German anatomist Dr. Hermann Baum in 1918. With no English …
April 07th, 2022 Full story »

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Dr. Duke’s 30-year legacy
In 1999, Dr. Tanya Duke-Novakovski travelled to Leipzig, Germany, for a one-year sabbatical leave from her role at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). The veterinary anesthesiologist’s goal during her stay in the former east German city was to help curb the number of horses that died after surgery in the Universität Leipzig’s large animal clinic. The problem was …
April 07th, 2022 Full story »

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Pet boom increases vet demand
As the only 24-hour veterinary hospital in Saskatoon and area, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) Veterinary Medical Centre (VMC) is experiencing increased demand for its services. “The VMC emergency service has been busier, especially over the past year. This is not just a VMC problem but something we’re seeing across North America,” says Dr. Jen Loewen, a board-certified …
April 07th, 2022 Full story »

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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 »

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The feline diabetes puzzle
Kevin the cat has faced a roller-coaster of health problems during his five years of life. First, dental surgery. Next came pancreatitis, followed by a diabetes diagnosis. Kevin’s most recent health scare led to a late-night emergency visit to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM)’s Veterinary Medical Centre (VMC). Kevin was with a cat sitter when he stopped eating …
April 07th, 2022 Full story »

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Vet Topics (Spring 2022) now online
The Spring 2022 issue of Vet Topics, news publication for the veterinary college’s Companion Animal Health Fund, is now available online. Click here to download the PDF. This issue includes the following stories: Saving Ooma Girl. After a Manitoba couple rushed their dog Ooma Giirl to the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre (VMC), the college’s surgical team was able to perform a …
March 22nd, 2022 Full story »

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Fine tuning ferrets’ pain control
There’s no room for assumptions in pain management — that principle has prompted a research team at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) to initiate a study investigating the efficacy of pain relief medications in ferrets. Ferrets are now considered the fourth most popular pet mammal, and veterinarians in the WCVM’s avian, exotic and wildlife medicine service regularly see …
November 10th, 2021 Full story »

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Canine pathogens on the Prairies
A new research project at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) aims to identify disease-causing organisms among dogs — an overlooked population on the Canadian Prairies. “This is a group of animals we really should be more interested in,” says Dr. Erica Sims, a WCVM graduate student who is leading the canine portion of the Companion Animal Surveillance Initiative. “These …
August 13th, 2021 Full story »

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The donation of a lifetime
Jacqueline (Jacqui) Shumiatcher, a dedicated supporter of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) Companion Animal Health Fund (CAHF) and long-time member of its advisory board, passed away on February 1, 2021, at the age of 97. Jacqui and her husband, Dr. Morris Shumiatcher, were well known throughout Saskatchewan for their generous philanthropy initiatives. “Jacqui and her husband Morris had …
July 20th, 2021 Full story »

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Remote clinics return to the North
Despite challenges caused by COVID-19, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) resumed its annual remote veterinary clinics for northern Saskatchewan communities this spring. The college’s team, along with community volunteers, held two clinics in Saskatoon and La Ronge in May and June after a one-year break. “I think being able to get there, honestly, was a bit of a …
July 10th, 2021 Full story »
