The Council on Undergraduate Academic Advising (CUAA) has selected Dr. Peter Conlon as the recipient of the 2009 Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising Medallion.

Peter is the Associate Dean Students in the Ontario Veterinary College and an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences. A two-time Guelph graduate and long time faculty member, he is a well-deserving candidate who is highly regarded by both students and professional colleagues.

"I'm delighted and proud that Peter has received this honour," said Elizabeth A. Stone, dean of OVC. "He consistently demonstrates commitment to DVM and Bio-Medical BSc students and concern for their welfare."

Peter said, "I'm honoured to receive this award and to be recognized for the work I do with students. It is a privilege to help them achieve their academic and personal goals. I truly enjoy the opportunity to interact with a variety of interesting and inspiring students."

The 2009 Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising Medallion will be presented at the beginning of the Fall 2009 semester at the annual Community Breakfast. (Presentation details will be available on the website of the Undergraduate Academic Information Centre (UAIC) at during the Summer 2009 semester.)

The Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising Medallion recognizes a faculty advisor, program counsellor, or academic advising staff member that contribute to providing high-quality academic advising. It is awarded annually to an individual who has been nominated by undergraduate students as having made an outstanding contribution to academic advising at the undergraduate level at the University of Guelph. Previous recipients are Dr. Jim Atkinson (2004), Linda Allen (2005), Valerie Allen (2006), Dr. Nathan Perkins (2007) and Dr. Stephen Lynch (2008).

Any inquiries about the 2009 Excellence in Undergraduate Academic Advising Medallion may be directed to Shari Dorr at <s.dorr@exec.uoguelph.ca>.

A dozen University of Guelph students will travel to rural Kenya this fall to work on a school that provides education to AIDS orphans and destitute children. They will raise money and provide the labour to help build and furnish a classroom at the Bukati Primary School, which was "adopted" by Prof. Cate Dewey, chair of the Department of Population Medicine.

The students, in collaboration with Guelph Campus Ministry, are holding a dinner and silent auction March 28 to raise money for the initiative. It begins at 6 p.m. at the Rockmosa Community Centre in Rockwood. Tickets are $50 ($35 for students) and are available at the University Centre Info Desk and McNally House. All proceeds will go towards the costs of labour and building supplies, not the students' travel expenses.

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Ontario Veterinary College is delighted to wish a special happy birthday to Dr. Trevor Lloyd Jones – OVC Class of 1934 and former principal – who celebrates his 100th birthday on Thursday, March 19.

Dr. Jones joined the OVC as an instructor in the Department of Pathology in 1935 and apart from a six-year absence to serve as provincial animal pathologist in the Alberta Department of Agriculture and as a captain in the Canadian army, spent the rest of his career with the College.

After rejoining the Department of Pathology in 1946, Dr. Jones was appointed acting principal ('50-'52) of OVC, principal ('52-'64), and its first dean ('64-'68). He retired in 1974.

As principal, Dr. Jones began to reorganize OVC to support his long-range plans for veterinary education, particularly in relation to research. He centralized executive and administrative responsibilities within the Faculty Council and co-ordinated the work of numerous divisions and groups within broad subject areas.

Dr. Jones was a strong supporter of the move to university status in the early '60s, with the proviso of preserving OVC's identity.

Dr. Jones' influence extended beyond OVC. He served on the boards of various groups in Guelph. Internationally, he was named an adviser to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, named a consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations, and appointed to the International Panel on Veterinary Education of the FAO and WHO. He also served on various executive posts of veterinary associations in Canada and the United States.

In a congratulatory letter to Dr. Jones, current dean Dr. Elizabeth Stone said: "Throughout your leadership at OVC, you were known for practicality, charm and idealism. You were always a good example for students, faculty and staff. And your influence lives today in the students who learn at OVC, in the faculty who have been inspired by the innovations you implemented and the staff who are dedicated to the excellence of OVC."

Research into various elements of companion animal health has received $232,500 in funding from donations to OVC Pet Trust. The funding will support 18 projects at the Ontario Veterinary College, on topics involving companion animals such as cats, dogs, parrots, and veiled chameleons.

OVC Pet Trusts' Companion Animal Scientific Committee awarded the funds following a Fall 2008 research competition.

One project will explore the needs and expectations of pet owners whose animals are receiving cancer care at the OVC. "The emotional trauma and confusion caused by a cancer diagnosis unfortunately doesn't end with the decision to treat, but continues at varying, and often fluctuating levels throughout treatment, which is often a long-term process," says the proposal submitted by Dr. Jason Coe, Population Medicine.

Ten clients whose dogs are patients of the Oncology service will be interviewed at three stages of their pets' treatment to explore the clients' perceptions, experiences, and expectations of how they, themselves are treated along with their dogs. While specialized technology to meet patient-specific treatment needs is available, the complexities of client care not well understood, the proposal states. The project was awarded $7,465.

More effective and less invasive treatment of kidney and eureteral stones in dogs is the goal of Drs. Alice Defarges and Brigitte Brisson's, of Clinical Studies, study. Surgical removal of these stones is invasive, challenging and can lead to severe complications. The doctors will use Ho:Yag laser lithotripsy (the treatment of choice in humans) to pulverize the stones where they are lodged in the dog's body. The fragmented pieces then pass and will be analyzed to compare the ability of diagnosing the exact type of stone, compared to stones removed by surgery.

If laser lithotripsy is shown to be safe and efficient within the test group of dogs, further clinical studies will be performed. "With the study, minimally invasive laser lithotripsy could become the standard of care to treat kidney and ureteral calculi in dogs and might also become an option to treat renal calculi in cats," the proposal concludes. The project was awarded $18,600. Drs. Defarges and Brisson also received $25,000 from the OVC Pet Trust Equipment Competition to purchase cytoscopes and ureteroscopes.

Dr. Alexa Bersenas and Carolyn Kerr, Clinical Studies, will use their funding to compare three sedative regimens for cats that require mechanical ventilation, which is becoming a more common treatment for companion animals in respiratory failure due to such illnesses as heart failure, pneumonia, and asthma. The study will consider the safety of sedatives and anesthetic agents and their cardio-vascular effect in cats, as well as side-effects, how long they last, and what effect they have on the recovery period. The project was awarded $23,300.

Additional projects receiving funding are:
Evaluation of Coagulation in Dogs following Acute Trauma; Dr. Marie Holowaychuk, Clinical Studies; $28,100

Tissue Doppler, ECG and Genetics in Boxer ARVC; Dr. Lynn O'Sullivan, Clinical Studies; $27,060

Real Time PCR Detection of Bacterial Infections in Dogs with Septic and Autoimmune Conditions; Dr. Stephen Kruth, Clinical Studies; $17,800

Interleukin-11 in Corneal Healing and Disease; Dr. Jonathon LaMarre, Biomedical Sciences; $17,250

Use and Validation of a Continuous Cardiac Output Monitor to Assess the Effects of Fluid Therapy on Cardiovascular Function on Anesthetized Dogs; Dr. Alexander Valverde, Clinical Studies; $14,750

Characterization of the Hormonal Patterns of Abnormal Reproductive Cycles in the Female Veiled Chameleon; Dr. Dale Smith, Pathobiology; $11,000

Ultrasound Guided Brachail Plexus Nerve Blockade in Dogs; Dr. Melissa Sinclair, Clinical Studies; $10,600

Evaluation of Enterococcal Infections in a Small Animal Intensive Care Unit; Dr. Scott Weese, Clinical Studies; $10,000

Bacteriophages in Canine Pyoderma; Dr. Anthony Yu, Clinical Studies; $9,925

Evaluation of the Effect of Aspirin and Clopidogrel on Platelet Function in Normal Dogs; Dr. Stephen Kruth, Clinical Studies; $7,000

Speciating Isolates of Campyobacter, a Canine Pathogen, from Fecal Specimens Collected from Dogs as Part of a Cross-Sectional Study Being Conducted in the Waterloo Region of Ontario; Dr. David Pearl, Population Medicine; $7,000

The Use of Immunohistochemistry to Characterize the Tissue Distribution of Avian Borna Virus, and Describe Its Association with Inflammatory Lesions in Psittacine Birds with Proventricular Dilatation Disease; Dr. Dale Smith, Pathobiology; $6,500

Serological Evaluation of Exposure to Blastomyces Dermatitidis and Sporothrix Schenckii in Healthy and Sick Dogs in Ontario; Dr. Kelly Mitchell, Clinical Studies; $5,000

The Effect of Inflammation on Activated Clotting Time: The Serial Measurement of Inflammation and Coagulation Assays in Relations to Clinical Outcome in Dogs; Dr. Karol Mathews, Clinical Studies; $4,200

The OVC Hip and Elbow Certification Program: Assessing Repeatablility of the OVC Method and Searching for Generic Markers for Canine Hip Dysplasia; Dr. Heather Chalmers, Clinical Studies; $2,000

In the busy weeks leading up to her departure for South Africa, Laura Kiemele RVT took the time to travel a bit closer to home – to London, Ont., where she accepted the OVC Pet Trust Award of Excellence at the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians conference on Friday, February 27.

The award recognizes the expertise of registered veterinary technicians and the important role they play in promoting the human animal bond. Kiemele was recognized for the work she has done in international animal rescue and rehabilitation.

It is this work that takes Kiemele back to South Africa. She has a 6-month contract to work with Community Led Animal Welfare (CLAW), the first animal welfare support group to work in Soweto's communities. She will use the $500 she received as part of the Pet Trust award to purchase supplies.

Kiemele already has worked a 3-week and a 5-month stint with the organization. "On a typical day we treat all of our in-hospital patients, perform numerous spays and neuters, deliver food parcels to families in need, arrange adoption viewings, school talks and fundraising events, help at local AIDS hospices and orphanages...in 35 informal townships and informal settlements. The staff literally go door-to-door to provide free veterinary care."

Kiemele, who graduated from Seneca College in 2003, has always been interested in working in international animal rescue and rehabilitation. She obtained her Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) certification so that she could earn a living while helping the animals in the countries where she taught. Her first teaching job was in Taiwan where she also quickly started working to care for the street animals – helping to organize fundraising events, spay and neuter clinics, and public outreach events.

"I was able to ship 15 dogs to Canada for special medical attention," Kiemele says. "We were well aware that shipping dogs to another country was not going to solve the problem, that is why the trap, neuter and release programs were number one on our list."

She first went to South Africa to take part in a program called Vets-in-the-Wild, with EcoLife International Universities Programs. "(It was) a 3-week trip that would change my life," she says. She left Taiwan and spent another five months volunteering with CLAW, before returning to Canada.

She has ambitious plans as she departs again for South Africa. "I hope to help run the hospital and all of the outreaches to the best of my ability. My main goal is to properly train the staff and find loving homes for all the unwanted dogs."

She has an 11-month visa for South Africa, but may return to Canada to start a registered professional nursing program in September. "I would like to continue with animal medicine, but I am extremely interested in getting involved with the Red Cross and AIDS work. I want to combine animal and human medicine, but this is all tentative," she says.

We have received preliminary notice from the AVMA Council on Education that the OVC has achieved full accreditation from the AVMA/CVMA. The official letter, including recommendations and comments, will be sent shortly. We are planning a Community Meeting within the next few weeks and can review their recommendations with you at that time.

I'm proud of all the faculty, staff and students who worked so hard to make our accreditation experience a success. Thank you for everything you do for the OVC!

Elizabeth Stone, Dean

New online manual from OVC will help small-animal veterinarians stem disease spread among pets, people.

More than two out of three medical doctors fail to wash their hands between patients, according to an Ontario study released last year. Ask veterinarians about their hygiene and infection control practices, and you might get an even worse response, says Prof. Scott Weese, Pathobiology.

Helping small-animal veterinarians improve their practices and prevent infectious diseases from spreading among pets and people is the purpose of a new online manual developed at OVC.

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