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College of Veterinary Medicine Advance Newsletter

A Puppy Mill Dog’s New Chance

Holli, Linda, and Tandy kneeling with Leah the dog in the WSU veterinary teaching hospital intensive care
For three days, “Leah,” a charcoal gray Cane Corso, or Italian Mastiff, with a white patch on her chest had not been breathing on her own. Hooked up to a ventilator in the intensive care unit of the WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital, the machine delivered each breath to her weakened body. After so much time, her owner Holli Peters wasn’t sure Leah was going to pull through. “I thought about taking her off the ventilator, because her prognosis was not good,” she says. But on the fifth day, Leah started showing signs of improvement. She was starting to breathe on her own. » 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 ...

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 ...

An Adopted Tabby’s New Lease on Life

Chester lying on a WSU cougar pillow
Roya Eshragh and Gyan Harwood of Vancouver, British Columbia, wanted a cat. So they did what many animal lovers do; they went to their local shelter to adopt an older animal in need of a home. They fell in love with an orange tabby and named him “Chester” (he had previously been called “Cheetoh,” but they thought he looked more like a “Chester”). On January 30, 2012—Chester’s adoption day—his life changed forever. » More ...

A Dog May One Day Walk Again Thanks to the Good Samaritan Fund

Juno at a campground
On a Sunday morning in October 2012, Tara Johnson and her husband heard their dog "Juno," a 4-year-old Husky, whimpering several yards from their house. They ran to find her lying on the ground not moving. Although they couldn't see any bite marks through her fur, they did see saliva on her neck. "That would be typical of a wolf attack," said Johnson. "We'd had several wolf sightings near our house a few months before she was injured." » More ...

Giving Back Just a Little Makes a Big Difference

As a non-traditional student with a wife and three kids to support, Billy Hansen ('14 DVM) has a lot on his plate. Because of the skyrocketing costs of a veterinary education, Billy, like so many of his classmates, relies almost entirely on student loans to pay for school. So when he received the $750 Dr. Aaron and Laura Gibbons Family Giving Back Scholarship it meant a lot. "It was a small amount compared to my student loans, but it made the burden of the semester lighter," said Hansen. "I didn't have to worry so much about finances and that helped me concentrate on school and my studies." » More ...

Donor Gifts Help Purchase a Needed Ophthalmology Table

Dr. Allession giving an eye exam to the dog on the table.
Small gifts can add up to make a big difference. In 2009, Dr. Terri Alessio, WSU veterinary ophthalmology specialist, received a new height-adjustable examination table that has helped hundreds of her patients that she can now easily bring to eye level. "It really helps for patient comfort," said Dr. Alessio. "We can adjust the table to where the animal feels most comfortable." » More ...

A Gift to Last

Katherine Rempe in a laboratory
Every year for 6 years, Pat Youngman ('43 BS in Bacteriology and Public Health) did something that has helped hundreds of WSU students. She provided enough support for the now School of Molecular Biosciences to purchase one Leica microscope each year. "The microscopes made all the things we read in text books or hear in lecture become real," said Katherine Rempe ('10 Microbiology), who is currently a Ph.D student in molecular genetics and microbiology at Duke University. "We could see how bacteria move and behave differently." » More ...