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Vet Gazette

Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine eNewsletter

Equine Reproduction Workshop

December 16th, 2011

Mare and Foal

The College of Veterinary Medicine is offering a four day workshop on reproductive management of mares and stallions.

Designed for horsemen and veterinarians who want to learn how to achieve maximum reproductive efficiency, the workshop includes informational presentations on anatomy, hormones, management of pregnant mares, behavior issues, and more.There will also be opportunities for hands-on experience doing semen collection and artificial insemination.

The workshop takes place February 16 – 19, 2012 at Magruder Hall on the OSU campus. Please register by January 13, 2012.

Mustache Mania Strikes CVM

December 16th, 2011

Movember Contestants

In November things were a little hairy at the OSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Twenty-seven faculty, staff, and students, including 12 women, started the month clean shaven and ended it with full-fledged moustaches.

The group joined thousands of people across the country who changed November to Mo-vember by sprouting facial hair to raise money and awareness for men’s cancer issues. Known as Mo Bros, these generous guys and their Mo Sistas become walking, talking billboards for men’s health.

At CVM, some of the participants shaved their facial hair on November 1st just to start growing it again the next day. The female participants were widely acknowledged as having the fastest growing facial hair.

All the participants raised money by signing-up sponsors for their Mo-growing effort. This year’s winner was student Randall Trzaska with a total of $574. In addition to the philanthropy, the Mo-vember contest is a great way for faculty, staff, and students to add a bit of silliness to the serious business of caring for animals.

“This is a yearly thing we do for community building as well as for cancer research,” says official Mo-photographer and veterinary technician Jennifer Gartner. “And it’s fun!”

 

Innovative Scholarship Plan

December 6th, 2011

dog and cateWith the average cost of a veterinary degree in the U.S. approaching $100,000, most students will begin their careers under a heavy debt load. John Maddigan, and his wife Sheri  Morris are doing something to help. At their veterinary practice in Keizer, Oregon, fifty cents from every physical exam goes to the Oregon Animal Health Foundation’s scholarship fund.  The scholarships are awarded to CVM students who promote animal welfare through community involvement and volunteer work.

One of this year’s recipients is Leslie Dunham, a third-year student who is actively involved in fundraising events for local animal shelters and free clinics for low-income pet owners. “I was honored to receive this scholarship,” says Dunham. “The OAHF promotes animal welfare and the human-animal bond and that is important to me. I think it is amazing how much happiness can be brought to a person by helping their pet; you improve the quality of life for both.”

Faced with increasing costs and stagnant wages, Maddigan is concerned that some young people who are interested in veterinary medicine will decide to opt out. “We are very much worried that some of the best and brightest will go into other fields,” he says. He is actively encouraging his fellow veterinarians to create a similar donation program at their practice. He believes this kind of support is critical to the future of veterinary medicine.  “It is the right thing to do,” he says. “It guarantees the long-term stability of our profession.” Maddigan also notes that veterinarians have a direct stake in helping ease the debt load of graduating students. “It increases the likelihood that a recent graduate will be able to afford to buy the practice of a retiring veterinarian,” he says.

The OAHF scholarship was created in partnership with the OSU Foundation and the College of Veterinary Medicine. For more information about the Oregon Animal Health Foundation and donating to student scholarships, contact oahf@oregonvma.org or call (800) 235-3502.

Dairy Cows Are Athletes Too

December 5th, 2011

cow on bicycleIt took a lot of high-tech research for Lance Armstrong to win the Tour de France seven times in a row. His team used wind tunnels, computer modeling, cutting-edge bike frame materials, and the latest in high-tech clothing to help him succeed.

Technology and research are also a big part of the dairy herd at OSU. They may not look like lean, mean farm machines but Assistant Professor Aurora Villarroel considers these milk-producers high-performance athletes. She and Ben Krahn, Director of the Dairy Research Center, have set up a state-of-the-art dairy operation which uses the latest technology to keep the cows healthy and productive. The center also uses an automated system to collect detailed information about the cow’s daily lives.   The information is stored in a massive database that can be used for research.

Wired magazine recently featured a photo essay on the OSU Dairy Research Center.

Lots of Giving Going On

December 5th, 2011

Giving Tree

The Magruder Hall atrium is filled with light: some of it natural, some of it LED, and some of it from the spirit of giving that surrounds this year’s holiday tree.

Last week, the CVM Shelter Medicine Club decorated the tree with nearly 90 colorful, hand-made ornaments. Each ornament featured the face of an animal and a request from one of the local animal charities. Within a couple of days, nearly all the ornaments were gone and items started appearing under the tree: dog food, cat litter, horse halters, and lots of bleach. Club members had to get out their scissors and glue once again.

This spirit of giving is nothing new at the College of Veterinary Medicine where students, staff, and faculty work every day for the welfare of animals. On December 16th, the college will celebrate these generous, dedicated people by hosting a holiday party from 4 – 7 pm in the atrium.  Food and beverage will abound and the giving tree will be surrounded by those who made it a huge success!

Lamb Hijacks Class

December 1st, 2011

Lamb and mom

This fall OSU extension veterinarian Chuck Estill taught a lambing seminar to novice and veteran farmers in Elkton, Oregon. He covered a broad range of topics. “All the way from nutrition and the preparatory stages to care of the baby lambs and kids after they are born,” says Estill.

Then mother nature provided some unexpected visual effects when a ewe went into labor right in the middle of his seminar. Surprised students got hands-on experience putting to work what they had just learned.

Watch the video.

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