equine health
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The tick factor
Like many Saskatchewan residents, I’ve have had to resign myself to dealing with ticks in recent years. Slowly but surely, ticks appear to be creeping into parts of the province that were previously (and blissfully) tick-free. The first tick I ever encountered was flung clear across the room in horror (never to be seen again). But I’ve since become a …
July 02nd, 2012 Full story »
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Quick tick facts
“Know your enemy” is a well-known military maxim that’s also good advice for people on the Canadian Prairies who are seeing increasing populations of tick species in the region. Here are some quick facts about ticks and tick-borne diseases: Ticks, like spiders and mites, have eight legs in their mature form (as adults) and are members of the class Arachnida. …
May 11th, 2012 Full story »
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Undergraduate equine research
The Western College of Veterinary Medicine has a solid track record of administering and operating excellent summer research programs for undergraduate students — and the EHRF undergraduate summer student research program serves as an ideal example of the College’s success in this area. Each summer, the Fund selects one first- or second-year veterinary student to work alongside an equine specialist …
May 01st, 2012 Full story »
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Fund backs baker’s dozen of research projects
Researchers at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) have received more than $183,000 in grants to support a baker’s dozen of vital research projects that will enhance equine and companion animal health care in Canada. “The calibre of the submitted research proposals was very high this year — making it difficult for the funds to make a final selection …
March 12th, 2012 Full story »
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Saskatchewan’s first equine expo a success
When Stacey Nahachewsky of Saskatoon, Sask., heard that the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) needed volunteers for the Saskatchewan Equine Expo, the second-year veterinary student jumped at the chance. She also brought along Harley, her 12-year-old Standardbred gelding that patiently underwent several procedures — including a painting session with veterinary students who outlined an equine skeleton and vital organs …
March 09th, 2012 Full story »
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Equine specialists to visit B.C. horseowners
Specialists from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) will meet with horse enthusiasts in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley during an evening of equine education on Wednesday, March 14. The event, which begins at 7:00 p.m. and is followed by a reception, will take place at the Creekside Theatre in Winfield, B.C. Local veterinarians, horse owners and riders of all …
March 08th, 2012 Full story »
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Noor: “An incredible learning experience”
Veterinary surgeons weren’t the only WCVM specialists faced with “firsts” during the procedure on Noor, the Arab mare with a cancerous growth on her jaw. The veterinary college’s anesthesiology team also had the chance to break new ground during the horse’s lengthy surgery. “I learned that you can anesthetize a horse for 13 hours and everything can go well which …
December 12th, 2011 Full story »
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The art of collaborative research
Years of dealing with complicated, multifactorial diseases such as endotoxemia in horses has taught the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s Dr. Baljit Singh that the best approach to finding solutions is multidisciplinary teamwork. “If you’re going to develop new ideas or find new treatments, it’s going to be through collaboration with people who are away from your field,” says Singh, …
December 11th, 2011 Full story »
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Can nanomedicine end endotoxemia?
A previous study conducted in the United States showed that eight out of 10 horses experience colic during their lifetime. Of those affected horses, 40 per cent of them die, likely as a result of endotoxemia – a complicating factor in many common equine diseases like colic and metritis (inflammation of the uterus). Endotoxemia in horses occurs when the circulating …
December 03rd, 2011 Full story »
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Under pressure
When your horse is undergoing major abdominal surgery for a condition such as colic the last thing you want to worry about is whether the surgical incision site may open up during recovery or in the early post-operative period. It can happen, but thankfully, acute incisional bursting (or dehiscence) following abdominal surgery is extremely rare in horses. “Acute incisional bursting is …
December 03rd, 2011 Full story »
