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College of Veterinary Medicine Advance Newsletter

Message from the Dean: Spring is a Time of Change

Seeing the rolling green hills of spring on the Palouse is a striking metaphor for positive change. It has me thinking about similar changes in the college—changes underway, and future changes as we continue to meet our new challenges and opportunities. Over the coming year, for instance, you will see many changes to patient services at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. We seek to perform more efficiently and effectively, which will improve our service to clients and referring veterinarians. » More ...

Meet Mr. Bear: One of thousands of patients that has been helped because of MRI

Beryl Swanson veterinary student with Mr. Bear
After noticing an odd lump on his dog’s head in the spring of 2013, Joel Greenhalgh of British Columbia, Canada, took Mr. Bear, a then 11-year-old Australian Sheppard-Rottweiler mix, to his local veterinarian. At first the advice was to watch and see, but when it didn’t go away, his veterinarian took a biopsy. Mr. Bear had cancer. » More ...

The WSU Clinical Simulation Center

Veterinarian Julie Cary with veterinary student Amy Berry
In a large room filled with a half dozen tables, groups of students are following what might appear to be sewing instructions with stich names such as “cruciate” and “simple interrupted.” At the top of the sheet it reads: Practice Made Perfect. For the WSU veterinary students who are actually learning basic surgical suturing skills, this kind of practice gives them the confidence they need to perform surgeries later in the program. » More ...

More than a Machine. To our patients, MRI is a life saver.

Earlier in this issue you read about Mr. Bear, an Australian Sheppard-Rottweiler that received life-saving brain surgery. Mr. Bear is one of thousands of patients who have been helped because of MRI. But after 18 years of dedicated service to our patients, the lifespan of our MRI machine is quickly approaching its end. As we look to the future of patient care, a new MRI cannot wait. » More ...

A WSU Small Animal Intern Gets Specialized Critical Care Training

Marie-Lou Gauthier
After earning a DVM from the University of Montreal, Marie-Lou Gauthier was thrilled to be accepted as an intern at the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital to further her education and gain more hands-on experience. So she felt very fortunate when she and other WSU interns were given the opportunity to spend two weeks at Animal Critical Care and Emergency Services (ACCES) in Seattle. » More ...

Healthier Animals, Healthier Children

When asked about their “big five,” most travelers to Kenya will regale you with talk of lions, elephants, or Cape buffalo. My big five were a bit different. As part of Washington State University’s Global Animal Health Pathway, I traveled to western Kenya for a six-week clinical rotation in research methods during the winter of my clinical year of veterinary training. » More ...

Meet Scout: One of thousands of patients that has been helped because of MRI

When "Scout," a 9-year-old German Shepherd mix, walked into the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital, he went to work right away. Calm and obedient with friendly eyes and a large scar across the top of his head, he lies down on the mat his owner, Anne Hensley, puts down for him. She kisses his head, and he watches her as she sits down. Scout is a therapy dog. » More ...

A Lifesaving Amputation Gives a Dog a Fighting Chance

Wrigley was an active, loyal, outgoing dog. One fall day after running on the beach at Point No Point near Hansville, Wash., Greg B. noticed Wrigley was limping. Worried that he had sprained his leg or had a torn ligament, Greg contacted his friend, Dr. Jerry Demuth, at Summit Veterinary Referral Center who suggested he bring him in for an x-ray. "All the signs pointed to osteosarcoma," said Greg. Two days later his veterinarian did a bone biopsy and the next day it was confirmed that Wrigley had bone cancer. » More ...

Making Teaching Matter: How Our Instructors are Enriching Student Education

Drs. Nelson and Gwinn are looking at an xray.
After giving a test to third-year DVM students in her small animal medicine class, associate professor Lynne Nelson made a startling discovery. She found that when students were given the name of a disease, they had no trouble listing the symptoms. But when presented with a patient scenario listing those same symptoms, many students were unable to work backward to make a diagnosis. "It really showed how well they do on recall versus clinical problem solving,” says Nelson. “I wondered why there such a big difference in skills and how I could help them get better at using the knowledge.” » More ...