Disenfranchised grief. That’s how Bojena Kelmendi, clinical counsellor at OVC, describes what many pet owners experience when their companion animals die or become seriously ill. “Grieving over an animal is often not socially acceptable,” she explains. “People are afraid of being judged or criticized by others if they are upset.”

Those who have not had that kind of special bond with an animal may not understand how painful the loss can be, she says. Even those who do recognize the sadness often expect the grieving person to get over it quickly. “As a society, we have less and less patience, we want a quick fix. So people are told to get over it, move on, get on with your life. The reality is that we need to stop and allow ourselves to process so that we really can move forward and grow from the experience.”

Kelmendi, who is a registered social worker trained in bereavement and grief counselling, works with OVC clients who are dealing with a pet that is very ill or the loss of a pet. She also works with OVC veterinarians and students who are looking for guidance in helping their clients or who need support to deal with stress and anxiety.

For more, see the story in At Guelph.

Bojena Kelmendi offers guidance to pet owners struggling with grief and stress associated with the death or illness of their animal companions.

A project being headed by a University of Guelph graduate student has been honoured at an event organized by former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Gavin Armstrong

The Lucky Iron Fish Project was among two “Coming in Second” projects recognized at the annual Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU) conference held at Arizona State University March 21-23. “Coming in Second” projects involve taking ideas pioneered by others and finding ways to market them to make a difference.

The Lucky Iron Fish project involves using a fish-shaped chunk of iron to combat life-threatening anemia in developing countries. U of G student Gavin Armstrong, who is working on a doctorate in Biomedical Sciences, is commercializing the technology, which was developed by former Guelph graduate student Christopher Charles.

Armstrong was called up on stage during the conference and acknowledged for his efforts by Chelsea Clinton.

"I am so overwhelmed," Armstrong says. "Out of more than 500 students from 80 Countries they choose two commitments to recognize on stage, and Lucky Iron Fish was one."

For more, see the U of G campus bulletin.

Members of the OVC community are invited to a pair of lectures this week that will explore the special bond between horses and humans.

 The Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare (CCSAW) presents Dr. Sandra Olsen of the University of Kansas, who will present an evening lecture and an afternoon seminar / webinar.

On Wednesday evening, Olsen will deliver the CCSAW / Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada Lecture in Memory of Basil Capes. Olsen’s talk, “The Evolution of the Horse-human Relationship through Time,” will take place Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Room 1714 of the OVC Lifetime Learning Centre.

The talk will begin with Stone Age horse hunters and their beautiful art, progressing through the domestication process and its impact, to the development of breeds for warfare, work and transportation.

The AWFC Lecture in Memory of Basil Capes is supported by the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada.  The 2014 lecture has also been generously sponsored by the Arts, Science and Technology Research Alliance (ASTRA) at the University of Guelph.

On Thursday, Olsen will present a seminar / webinar titled “The Arduous Journey of the Arabian Horse: From Chariot Warfare to Today.” This talk will take place Thursday from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Room 1713.

All are welcome to attend. Register here for the Wednesday evening lecture. For those who cannot Thursday’s seminar in person, the talk will also be offered via webinar. To receive the webinar link, please register by noon on March 26 and  to receive the webinar link by email. Register for the webinar here.

For more information, contact Alexandra Harlandar at aharland@uoguelph.ca.

Olsen is a research associate in the Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas. As a zooarchaeologist, she focuses on the social impact of horse domestication and breed differentiation, especially the development of the Arabian horse.  Her work has been featured in a variety of media including BBC radio, National Public Radio, Discovery Channel Canada, Discover magazine, LA Times, London Times, and Discovery Channel News, Live Science, and National Geographic Society News websites.

The 90^th annual College Royal weekend drew an estimated 30,000 people to the University of Guelph and once again OVC students and volunteers were a big part of the event’s success.

The always-popular Teddy Bear Surgery was named best overall exhibit in university-wide judging as well as best OVC exhibit. This was the first year that Teddy Bear Surgery was a collaborative effort involving two OVC classes — the 2016 Caracals and the 2015 Stags.

Devon Barnes and Phil Levis accept the ribbon for best exhibit on behalf of the Teddy Bear Surgery volunteers.

“We had a tremendous amount of support from students from both classes which made this event possible,” said Phil Levis of the Caracals, who shared primary organizer duties with Devon Barnes of the Stags. “We also received countless compliments and congratulations from parents stating that this was the best event they have been too all weekend. Many kids have taken part in TBS year after year, and always look forward to coming back!”

College Royal organizers also acknowledged the volunteer contributions of Dr. Jeff Rau, a veterinarian with the OVC’s Ruminant Field Service. Rau was presented with the Jim and Joe Award, named in honour of U of G professors Jim Atkinson and Joe Prokipcak for their contributions to College Royal over the years.

Rau helps out by providing veterinary care for the animals involved in the College Royal livestock shows.

Dr. Jeff Rau

“I was surprised and humbled to receive the award,” says Rau, a proud OAC grad who went on to complete his DVM at OVC in 2007. Rau has participated in College Royal as a volunteer or a visitor ever since he was a first-year undergrad in the Holstein heifer show.

“Helping out brings me back to my roots. They’re an enthusiastic, hard-working group and their energy makes me want to be a part of it by helping them achieve their goals and keep the Aggie spirit alive.”

The College Royal open house was also a great showcase for about 40 would-be veterinarians and their families from the Buffalo-Niagara region in New York. The youths are part of the Niagara Frontier Veterinary Society Explorer Post, a hands-on program for high school students thinking about a career in veterinary medicine. The group is led by Dr. Rene van Ee, a veterinary surgeon in Tonawanda.

The group’s activities include field trips to zoos, humane societies, and veterinary schools including Cornell and OVC. In addition to take in the fun at College Royal, their trip to Guelph included a tour of OVC led by Americans enrolled in the DVM program.

About 40 youths and their families from the Buffalo area visited OVC during College Royal.

Braden Weltz is one of the student organizers of the 2014 Global Development Symposium.

It can be intimidating for a high school student to step onto a university campus for a conference, but when his ideas and comments are welcome and valued, it can pave the way to bigger things. 

For Braden Weltz, it made all the difference. Now a second-year student in the U of G’s International Development Studies program, Weltz attended the 2012 Global Development Symposium (GDS) along with a number of other Grade 12 classmates from his Walkerton high school. He’d always had an interest in international development and was considering studying a related field in university. The GDS helped focus his decision.

He was impressed to see faculty not only involved in planning the conference, but involved in the conference itself. “I wasn’t expecting that,” says Braden. He also was impressed that the University of Guelph President, the OVC dean and director of international studies were all at the symposium, and they were engaged and asking questions. “They weren’t there just for a photo op,” says Braden.

Now Braden is on board for this year’s GDS and helping symposium planning committee member Dr. Roger Thompson sort through abstract submissions and rank them according to eligibility.  He’s also a part of the marketing committee working to get the news out about the symposium. One of those messages is that this is symposium has something for everyone interested in global issues.

Initially, Braden wondered whether he would be a good fit for a conference hosted by the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC), since he had no connection to veterinary medicine.  However, he soon realized there are a lot of connections between international development and veterinary science.

“OVC could have chosen to host a conference focused on veterinarians,” he says.  “But they opened it up to economists, lawyers and doctors.”  He found he had information to contribute and everyone had a voice at the conference.

Another benefit of the conference for Braden — it clearly illustrates the interdisciplinary strengths of the University of Guelph. “I’ve seen that since coming here, and it’s not just in the International Development program.”

For more, read the story about Braden on the GuelphGDSblog or visit the symposium’s website, and follow the event on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

The Pedaling Princesses were the top fundraising team at this year’s Guelph Inside Ride.

The community spirit of OVC students, faculty and staff was on display once again at three charity events that took place around Guelph over the weekend.

The sixth annual Guelph Inside Ride brought out 19 teams of six riders — including many from OVC — who raised $18,700 for the Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation which supports children and their families living with and beyond cancer.

The top team in the event was the Pedaling Princesses; top individual fundraisers were OVC 2014’s Lisa Scott and Michael Woodward.

Seventy runners, walkers and their pets braved the cold, blustery conditions to raise $9,040 for the OVC Pet Trust Fund at this year’s OTS Dog Jog, organized by the Omega Tau Sigma Professional Veterinary Fraternity. Top fundraisers were Jane Dawkins, Emily Mcintyre, and Terri Lowe. For more, see the Facebook photo gallery.

The OVC Community Outreach Club and the Guelph Animal Hospital hosted a charity dog wash on March 22. Over 30 dogs marked the first weekend of spring with a clean, shiny coat, and over $450 was raised to support the wellness clinic at the Kettle and Stony Point First Nation near Sarnia. For more, see the gallery.

An OVC administrative assistant was honoured last week for her dedication and service to students.

Sally Maclachlan, a staff member in the Department of Population Medicine, was awarded the 2014 R.P. Gilmor Student Life Award, presented annually to a staff or faculty member and a student or student group for their contributions to improving the student experience at the University of Guelph. The award was presented March 20 at the Student Life Recognition Banquet.

Maclachlan was nominated by two graduate students in Population Medicine and the nomination package had letters of support from 10 grad students, two faculty members and the department chair, Dr. Cate Dewey.

“Sally is always available to students and very supportive of them,” said Dewey.  “She welcomes people into her office with a smile and never seems to be too busy to help. She treats everyone like they are the most important person to her at that moment in time.”

Dewey added Maclachlan does a lot to make the department a cohesive unit including organizing events such as the annual adopt-a-family, Christmas party with Santa, summer barbecue, welcome reception and Halloween costume contest.

“We are lucky to have Sally and this award is a token of our appreciation.”

An OVC student veterinarian was also recognized at the Student Life awards. Evan Bell OVC 2015 received the André Auger Citizenship Award. For more on Evan’s award, see the story in the March 9 Bulletin.

The Ontario Veterinary College welcomes animal health officials from 21 countries who are in Guelph this week to attend a World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) workshop focused on wildlife diseases.

The third OIE Regional Workshop: Training of OIE National Focal Points for Wildlife for the Americas, takes place Tuesday through Thursday at OVC. The goal of the workshop is to strengthen networks in OIE member countries and enhance the exchange of information at the national and regional levels.

The workshop will include talks and small group sessions using case simulations covering a range of topics including the role of the OIE in wildlife disease surveillance, risk analysis, reporting and notification standards, validation of diagnostic tests for use in wildlife, and the international wildlife trade in the Americas.

The program gets underway Tuesday with a welcome from Dr. Elizabeth Stone, OVC dean, as well as Dr. Martine Dubuc, Canada’s delegate to the OIE and the chief food safety officer for Canada and vice-president of the science branch of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

The program also includes several speakers from the OIE as well as Dr. Ted Leighton, executive director of the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre.

Dr. Cathy Rae of Zoetis presents a cheque to Dr. Elizabeth Stone, OVC dean, and Drs. Todd Duffield, Dave Kelton and Stephen LeBlanc.

OVC dairy health management faculty and students will have more resources to conduct herd health investigations, document cases and share what they’ve learned thanks to support from the Zoetis Investment in Innovation Fund.

The animal health company recently awarded $19,250 to the Dairy Herd Problem Investigation Program proposed by Drs. Todd Duffield, David Kelton and Stephen LeBlanc of the Department of Population Medicine.

Veterinarians from the OVC dairy heath management group are frequently called upon to investigate and advise on complex dairy herd problems related to nutrition, infectious disease, pregnancy, milk quality and production issues. These cases happen throughout the year, and when time and resources allow, the investigations involve a team of faculty, DVM and graduate students.

“These cases provide excellent learning opportunities for DVM and graduate students,” said LeBlanc. “However, because Canadian veterinary schools don’t have an explicit mandate to provide extension support for dairy practitioners and producers, we have limited funds to support these investigations. Support for this project will allow us to more comprehensively document herd health cases and develop them as teaching tools to benefit students and dairy practitioners here as well as at other veterinary schools.”

The funding from Zoetis will cover the costs of a summer DVM student, laboratory tests, transportation, and development work to conduct three herd investigations in 2014 and make case studies from them.

The cheque was presented March 4 by Dr. Cathy Rae, manager of veterinary services for Zoetis, who visited OVC to attend Industry Day.

“The Canadian dairy industry is changing dramatically and so is the role of the veterinarian on dairy farms. Our company is pleased to support innovative approaches to herd health problems that will benefit producers as well as veterinary students and practitioners,” said Rae.

An artifact can tell us many things. The function of objects themselves can shed light on how some aspect of veterinary medicine was practiced in a particular time and place. Likewise, the provenance (history of ownership) of an artifact can enlighten us about the history of a particular person. The artifact shown here, a materia medica cabinet owned by C.D. McGilvray, does both.

Charles Duncan McGilvray (OVC 1900) was appointed the third Principal of the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) in 1918, a position he held until his retirement in 1945. The OVC underwent tremendous change under McGilvray’s leadership. In the post-World War I period, McGilvray solidified the four-year B.V.Sc. program, raised admissions requirements, and increased standards at the college. Furthermore, McGilvray planned and oversaw the OVC’s move from Toronto to Guelph. Moving the college to the relative hinterland of Guelph reflected the decline of horses in urban environments and the desire to foster greater ties between the college and Ontario’s agricultural community.

The cabinet itself reflects the fascinating history of veterinary pharmaceuticals. For much of history, farriers, veterinarians, and other individuals involved in animal care would mix their own medications from a variety of exotic sounding substances such as “Turkey Rhubarb” and “Jamaica Ginger.” Many of these substances are still used in veterinary medicine in other, more modern forms.

Do you have a family member or member of your family tree who is/was an OVC grad?  Feel free to contact us with photos, stories, copies of business ledgers/practice records, diplomas, veterinary tools or other artifacts. We’d love to hear from you! Contact Lisa Cox at coxl@uoguelph.ca

To learn more about the history of OVC order your copy of Milestones: 150 Years of the Ontario Veterinary College here: http://www.amazon.ca/Milestones-Years-Ontario-Veterinary-College/dp/0889556016”

A month after needing a ventilator to keep him alive, Albert was able to go home with this mother.

The OVC Health Sciences Centre’s equine health team plays a key role in the heroic story of a millionaire pacing mare and her foal featured in Standardbred Canada’s online Trot magazine.

Earlier this year, Illusionist and her foal Albert beat the odds after Albert was born by emergency c-section two weeks premature on Jan. 8. In the following weeks, OVC veterinarians, technicians and volunteers worked around the clock to help provide a happy ending to a story most thought would end in sadness.

Read the story here.

All are welcome to attend two upcoming Department of Food Science seminars presented by candidates for the research chair in dairy microbiology sponsored by Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO).

The candidates will discuss “The Future of Dairy Microbiology Research.”

This week features Dr. Ashraf Hassan, currently an associate professor in the dairy science department at South Dakota State University. Hassan’s talk will take place Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in Room 1713 OVC Lifetime Learning Centre.

Next week will be Dr. Deanna L. Gibson, an assistant professor in the Department of Biology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. Her talk takes place April 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in Food Science Room 241.

The dairy microbiology research chair is part of a $3-million gift from DFO announced last summer. The DFO gift also supports a research chair in dairy health at OVC held by Dr. David Kelton, Population Medicine. DFO also committed $5 million on behalf of industry stakeholders to construction of the new $25-million dairy research centre at the Elora Research Station.

Faculty, staff and students are invited to attend the 2014 Budget Rumour Mill this week hosted by U of G president Alastair Summerlee and provost Maureen Mancuso.

The event is an opportunity for the University community to separate fact from fiction when it comes to information circulating around campus.

The Budget Rumour Mill takes place Wednesday from noon until 1 p.m. in Peter Clark Hall.

The University of Guelph will host leading experts in the field of avian immunology this summer.

The Avian Immunology Research Group (AIRG) Meeting will take place July 16-19 on the U of G campus in Rozanski Hall.

The meeting will include discussions on cutting-edge research in avian immunology and the program will feature a mix of oral and poster presentations with opportunities for colleagues and friends to intermingle, establish new collaborations and exchange ideas.

For more information, visit the AIRG2014 website.

Attending the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) conference in St. John’s this summer?

Then why not join former classmates and colleagues along with Dr. Elizabeth Stone at the OVC Alumni Reception.

The event takes place Thursday, July 10, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Humphry’s Restaurant, located at 177 New Gower Street, just across from the conference centre.

First-time visitors to Newfoundland will be “ Screeched-in”!*

Register online today. We look forward to seeing you in St. John’s!

For more information, please contact Stefanie Sharp , OVC alumni advancement manager at 519-824-4120 Ext. 56679 or by email at ssharp03@uoguelph.ca.

*The “Screech-in” is not mandatory if you attend.

Picture a bladder stone big enough to fill a man’s palm. Andrew Moore doesn’t have to imagine. That’s the size of the largest samples he has seen arrive over the past 15 years for testing in U of G’s Laboratory Services.

Large or small, if your pet’s bladder stone was removed in a Canadian veterinary clinic, chances are that it came to Guelph for analysis.

Andrew Moore

Since 1998, the Canadian Veterinary Urolith Centre (CVUC) has received thousands of stones extracted from dog and cat bladders – more than 100,000, to be exact. That benchmark was passed in late January. Quips Moore, supervisor of analytical microscopy with the unit: “It’s a bit of a milestone.”

The centre tests those samples for client veterinarians in Canada and a handful of other countries, and makes dietary recommendations to help pet owners prevent recurrence of the problem. The analysis program is funded by Royal Canin Canada, a specialty pet food company based in Guelph.

The CVUC looks at about 9,000 stones each year from about 1,800 vet clinics across Canada. Samples also come from Hong Kong, Australia, Iceland, Denmark and the United Arab Emirates.

For more, read the story in At Guelph.

Need help writing your NSERC or CIHR grants?

A CIHR grant writing workshop has been scheduled for April 24, and the Office of Research is organizing an NSERC Discovery Grant writing workshop tentatively slated for May 14.

For more information on these and other opportunities to enhance your research program, check out the OVC Research Communiqué.

As the academic year comes to an end the OVC social media team wants to know about your OVC great moments from 2014!  If you have a photo of a great moment or best memory from this school year please share them with us and we will post them on our Facebook and Twitter!

How to submit:
Tweet #ovcgreatmoments2014 to @ontvetcollege on Twitter.

Post to our Facebook page.

Email photos to jdawkins@uoguelph.ca.

Be sure to check out photos that have been submitted so far in OVC’s #ovcgreatmoments2014 photo album on Facebook.

The scientific community is mourning the loss of a former OVC professor whose research laid the foundation for the widespread use of cryopreservation by human fertility clinics and in agriculture, research labs, and conservation programs aimed at preserving endangered species.

Dr. Stanley Leibo

Dr. Stanley Leibo, a faculty member in OVC’s Department of Biomedical Sciences from 1991-1998, died March 25 at the age of 77. He had been a professor in the University of New Orleans Department of Biological Sciences since 1999.

Leibo was a pioneering influence in the field of cryobiology — studying the effects of low temperatures on the biology of embryos, cells, tissues and viruses. In 1972, he was part of team that became the first to successfully freeze mouse embryos in ultra-cold temperatures, then thaw and transfer the embryos to foster mothers, where they developed into normal live pups.

Over the years that original research has been extended and applied with advances in methods of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer resulting in the births of millions of animal and human offspring from cryopreserved embryos.

At OVC, Leibo was director of the Animal Biotechnology Embryo Laboratory (ABEL), which was started by University professor emeritus Keith Betteridge in 1986. His achievements at OVC included developing a simple and reliable method for freezing and preserving mouse semen, which was a critical advance for researchers using transgenic mice to study a variety of diseases and develop new pharmaceuticals.

For more, read the memorial on International Society for Transgenic Technologies (ISTT) blog.

A retired OVC professor’s plans for a “creative retirement” are taking off.

Dr. Doris Dyson

Dr. Doris Dyson, who retired in 2011 after 30 years at OVC as a professor of anesthesiology, has stepped into a new career creating wooden crafts from reclaimed materials.

Dyson was one of the artisans whose products were on display at the 2014 One of a Kind Spring Show and Sale that wrapped up over the weekend at Exhibition Place in Toronto.

Her work was featured in the gift guide published in the Globe and Mail and Toronto Star for the event. Dyson was one of 18 artisans profiled out of 450 exhibitors at the show.  Her saltbox house and lobster buoys were also used in a promotional spot for the show on Canada AM, and some of her pieces were part of central show display that greeted visitors as they entered the centre. 

For more, see the profile on the One of a Kind website or visit Dyson’s Rocking Horse Past website.