News
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Equine Expo designed to please horse lovers
After half a decade, organizers of the annual Saskatchewan Equine Expo know just what makes horse lovers trot to the entrance gates each year. The event is a collaboration between the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM)’s Townsend Equine Health Research Fund, the Saskatchewan Horse Federation (SHF) and Prairieland Park. This year’s event takes place in Saskatoon from Feb. 12-14, …
February 08th, 2016 Full story »
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Sable Island horses buck bacteria trend
Could bacteria resistant to antimicrobial drugs routinely used in both human and veterinary medicine be found in wild horses on a remote island in the Atlantic Ocean? By answering this question, Dr. Joe Rubin and members of his research team at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) hope to gain a better understanding of how bacteria carrying acquired resistance …
January 12th, 2016 Full story »
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Scientists study treatment for septic arthritis
Researchers at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) are investigating a better way to guide veterinarians’ treatment of septic arthritis in horses. This debilitating disease, which is caused by a bacterial infection in a horse’s joint, requires immediate, aggressive treatment. “Right now the gold standard treatment is when we get these horses they go for an arthroscopic lavage,” says …
December 21st, 2015 Full story »
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Stem cells could speed equine healing
A team of researchers at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) is investigating the potential use of stem cells — an exciting new area of veterinary medicine — on wound healing in horses. “Stem cells in the purest definition are cells that are able to regenerate themselves and differentiate into all cell types,” says Dr. Suzanne Mund, a veterinarian who …
December 18th, 2015 Full story »
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WCVM alumna to lead AAEP
Dr. Kathleen Anderson, a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan, will serve as the president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) in 2016. The Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) alumna was installed as the equine organization’s new president on Dec. 8 during the AAEP’s annual convention in Las Vegas, Nev. She was first named as vice-president of …
December 15th, 2015 Full story »
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EHRF renamed to honour first research fellow
A chance conversation with Dr. Hugh Townsend outside the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) led Dr. Joe Bracamonte to focus his career on equine health. “He changed my career in the parking lot, just with a conversation,” says Bracamonte, an associate professor at the WCVM who specializes in large animal surgery. Stories like this abound: Townsend has a gift …
November 02nd, 2015 Full story »
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CFI funds four U of S research projects
Four University of Saskatchewan (U of S) researchers have been awarded $393,000 to support projects to develop high-capacity mobile telecommunications devices, bacteria-based cleanup of petroleum contamination, a mobile lab to study and treat lung health in horses, and equipment to catalogue the trillions of microorganisms that live within us. The funding, through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), provides 40 …
August 03rd, 2015 Full story »
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Understanding horse insurance
Although many horses in Western Canada have high performance, breeding and emotional value in the eyes of their owners, few of the animals are covered under an equine insurance policy. Horse insurance can help owners with the cost of treating these horses. “We are often dealing with horses that are injured or sick, and owners are facing the choice of …
May 01st, 2015 Full story »
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Alberta horse industry honours Burwash
Dr. Wayne Burwash, a 1969 graduate of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM), is the 2015 recipient of the Horse Industry Association of Alberta’s (HIAA) Distinguished Service Award. The longtime Alberta equine veterinarian, who was recognized for his lasting influence and contributions to the equine industry, received the award in early January during the Alberta Horse Breeders and Owners …
February 11th, 2015 Full story »
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Studying the airway microbiome in horses
Veterinary researchers at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) are investigating whether certain bacterial populations in a horse’s windpipe can contribute to a respiratory disease called recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). More commonly known as heaves, RAO can be triggered by something as simple as feeding poor quality hay to a horse. Exposure to dust, mouldy hay, ammonia fumes and fungal …
February 04th, 2015 Full story »
