Vet Gazette

Jacqueline C. Neilson, DVM, DACVB, will be giving the keynote address at the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine graduation on Sunday, June 14, at 1:30 pm in the LaSells Stewart Center on the OSU campus. Dr. Neilson is a leader in the field of pet behavior, has published several books on the subject, and writes a column for DVM360.com.

Dr. Neilson obtained her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree with honors from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 1993, and completed a behavioral residency at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 1997.

Read an interview with Dr. Neilson.

Reed Walter’s dad was an OSU Political Science professor for thirty years. She left Oregon for college and a career in Colorado, but after retiring decided to move back. Then she started looking for ways to be a part of the community.

Fortunately for the college, Kelley Marchbanks, CVM Development Director, met Walter at a party, and discovered that she had been a Patient Advocate at Kaiser Permanente for twenty years. Marchbanks said, “I might have the perfect volunteer position for you. How would you like to help clients at the OSU Veterinary Hospital?”

As a pet owner, Walter knew this was a good fit for her. “I know what it is like to have a pet that is sick. You are worried and unsure about what is happening.”

Walter is working with hospital client advocate Tammy Barr, and fellow volunteers Joan and Terry Ferguson, to learn the ropes in the small animal hospital. “I greet the clients, get water or treats for the pets, and offer a friendly face so it feels like home,” says Walter. “After two weeks, I already know some of the regulars.”

Walter will primarily be working on Tuesdays. “The clients who come here have very sick animals so it’s very emotional. These animals are their family,” says Walter. “I try to support them, and help them through it.”

Timothy Putman, PhD candidate in Dr. Dan Rockey’s lab, was recently selected for the MacVicar Scholar Award for his work on genome sequencing of the bacterial pathogen, Chlamydia abortus, that causes Ovine Enzootic Abortion. The pathogen is present in sheep flocks world-wide, and Putman’s work will aid in the development of preventative therapies. The MacVicar Award is given for quality research that impacts animal health.

Putman will give a presentation on his research On Thursday, May 21 at 3:30 pm in Magruder room 102.

Rockey and Putman have also developed a new process for extracting and ‘growing’ difficult bacteria like chlamydia so it can be genome sequenced. Read more.

The Shelter Medicine Club is looking for volunteers to help at their free clinic in Avery Park on Saturday, May 16, 1-4 pm. They will be providing exams, vaccines, flea preventative, and de-worming to pets of homeless people. If you are interested in helping, contact andersal@onid.oregonstate.edu.

In April, the large animal hospital received a lovely ‘Thank You’ note from Shannon Priem. She and a good friend are mourning the passing of their beloved horses, Fiver and Ten, who were 34 and 28 years old. “I still get giant lumps in my throat, when I think about them in ‘higher pastures’ together”, she writes. “Fiver was one of the oldest Arabs on the endurance circuit before retiring. Her quality of life toward the end was improved, thanks to you.”

Shannon made a donation to the equine hospital in memory of Fiver, and to “inspire young vets to continue a legacy of research to extend healthy lives. All of us horse-crazy people love you, and what you do for our sacred companions.”

Kudos to everyone in the large animal hospital!

Each year, OSU veterinary students volunteer to help the animals of Ometepe Island, Nicaragua.

Ometepe, a volcano located within Lake Nicaragua, is currently home to an estimated 10,000 rural families and 41,000 dogs, in addition to countless pigs, cattle, horses and chickens. Minimal veterinary care is available for the dogs and cats that inhabit the island.

In response to this need, the student members of OSU’s International Veterinary Student Association have implemented a program for the last 8 years to supply veterinary care to the community of Mérida for two weeks in September.

The service trip includes community education, over-population management, wellness exams and preventive medical care for both large and small animals.  Every effort is made to provide high quality medicine, however, due to variable, sometimes unpredictable conditions, flexibility and improvisation are often necessary skills for providing efficient health care to the patients.

Veterinarians and technicians are critical to the success of this trip! If you have questions, or are interested in volunteering, contact oregonivsa@gmail.com.