News
One curious equestrian
March 03rd, 2025
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From the show-jumping arenas of her youth to the labs of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), Dr. Madison Ricard’s passion for horses has driven her every step of the way in her academic career. The horse enthusiast received her PhD in anatomic pathology at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) Fall Convocation in November 2024. Ricard’s doctoral research sheds …
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Healing or harming?
Imagine you’ve been battling a relentless respiratory infection for days. Exhausted and desperate for relief, you head to the doctor, expecting a quick fix from a course of antibiotics. Instead, you discover that the bacteria causing your illness are resistant to every available drug, leaving you with no effective treatment options. This frightening scenario could become a reality due to …
March 03rd, 2025 Full story »
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Head of the class
A recent pair of grants from Merck Animal Health Canada has helped the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) take strides to enhance its equine health teaching tools. Merck’s grants, valued at more than $50,000, highlight a longstanding partnership between the company and the WCVM. While Merck’s contributions have supported various initiatives over the years, the company’s most recent investment …
March 03rd, 2025 Full story »
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Horse Health Lines (Spring 2025) online
The Spring 2025 issue of Horse Health Lines, news publication for the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) Townsend Equine Health Research Fund, is now online. Click here to view Horse Health Lines (digital edition) Download Horse Health Lines (PDF) Here’s a quick look inside the issue: Head of the class. A recent pair of grants from Merck Animal Health Canada has helped the Western …
March 03rd, 2025 Full story »
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Switching ‘off’ equine herpsesvirus
The Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) has awarded US$99,846 over three years to University of Saskatchewan virologist Dr. Kristen Conn in support of foundational research targeting equine herpesvirus (EHV). One of the most common EHV species is EHV-1, a highly infectious virus that can cause serious illness including respiratory disease, neurological disease, abortions and neonatal death. Current vaccines don’t prevent EHV-1 …
September 01st, 2024 Full story »
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Pumping up equine health
Imagine being able to diagnose equine myocardial disease — diseases that affect horses’ heart muscles — quickly, accurately and right at the barn. That’s the goal of new research at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), where researchers will explore the value of implementing blood test that can produce results in just 10 minutes. Dr. Vanessa Cowan (DVM, PhD), …
September 01st, 2024 Full story »
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Horse health recharged
This spring, researchers and graduate students based at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) received over $132,000 in support of equine health studies and student training. The funding supports three equine health research projects, a summer research student award, two graduate tuition awards and a graduate research fellowship. While the bulk of the funding stems from the college’s Townsend …
September 01st, 2024 Full story »
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Workshops make equine anatomy come alive
Tired of memorizing the intricacies of equine anatomy? Put that textbook aside — Dr. Madison Ricard (DVM, PhD) offers an entertaining way to help make learning about horses’ limbs, organs and systems much more memorable for people of all ages. Ricard is a veterinarian, a board-certified pathologist and a lecturer at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). While completing …
September 01st, 2024 Full story »
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Curing cuts with cod
Dr. Alannah Friedlund (DVM) has gained firsthand experience treating all kinds of bloody, nasty cuts, gashes and slices on horses’ legs during her time at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). “We see a lot of horses with leg wounds coming into our clinic [WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre]. Owners can spend a lot of time cleaning wounds, bandaging wounds …
September 01st, 2024 Full story »
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Reisbig earns top research prize
Dr. Nathalie Reisbig’s research work on an often-overlooked part of the equine anatomy earned the Western College of Veterinary Medicine veterinarian a top prize of $10,000 at the Calgary International Equine Symposium in September 2023. The annual event, which is hosted by the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, showcases equine sports medicine research from around the world and …
February 03rd, 2024 Full story »
