"Every day in my clinic is like a visit to the zoo," says David Eshar, a new veterinarian at the Ontario Veterinary College Health Sciences Centre. While cats, dogs and livestock make up the majority of most veterinary practices, Eshar specializes in birds, reptiles and other exotic pets.

On this particular afternoon, he's just finished overseeing work on a guinea pig's overgrown molars; next he will be treating a gecko and later a hawk. On other days, Eshar has provided care for a serval cat, a baby lion, lizards, snakes, tortoises and many birds. "Parrots are a significant percentage of our clients," he adds.

Eshar, who was born and raised in Israel, has always been interested in these less-common animals. "As a child I had all kinds of animals as pets. When I started vet school, I would go to the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo on weekends to help out and learn more about the different animals."

For more, read the feature in At Guelph.

The co-directors of the U of G Institute for Comparative Cancer Investigation will be featured speakers during the U of G's 87th College Royal Weekend March 19-20.

Drs. Brenda Coomber, Biomedical Sciences, and Paul Woods, Clinical Studies, will discuss "Cancer in Pets: Comparative Cancer Treatment and Research (Of Mice and Men and Cats and Dogs)." Coomber will take the podium on March 19 at 1:30 p.m. while Woods will deliver the March 20 lecture at 1 p.m.

The College Royal lectures take place in Rozanski Hall Room 103.

Also featured is "Asking the Animals," by professor emeritus Ian Duncan, Animal and Poultry Science, a leading expert on animal welfare issues.

For a complete schedule of events, visit the College Royal website.

The OVC Health Sciences Centre celebrates the official opening today of new facilities that will improve patient care for companion animals and enhance learning opportunities for student veterinarians.

The official ribbon cutting unveiled a new intermediate care / fluid ward and an updated and expanded intensive care unit. The new facilities are the result of a $750,000, 2,400 sq. ft. renovation completed recently in the Small Animal Clinic. The project was supported by a generous gift from an anonymous donor.

"We've made significant improvements to make more efficient use of available space and meet a variety of patient needs," said Dr. Alexa Bersenas, head of the emergency and critical care service.

In addition to a larger admissions area, more animal housing, improved flow and visibility for patient care, the new intensive care unit has an isolation area for patients admitted with infectious diseases and antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. A new emergency entrance allows cases to enter the hospital without going through the main entrance and lobby.

The adjacent intermediate care unit provides an area where 24-hour supervision can be maintained at an appropriate level for patients that are not critically ill. Previously, the ICU was the only area in the hospital where patients could receive intravenous fluids. But the majority of those cases were receiving diagnostic or other procedures that didn't require being kept in the ICU.

From a teaching perspective, students will gain more experience handling cases in a way that is more in line with what they'll see in practice, but in an environment that provides 24/7 patient care, Bersenas said.

"The new space will help us provide optimal and appropriate care for all our patients without providing excessive care," she said. "We've also been able to make use of previously existing skylights to provide natural light in the ICU, something that has been shown to speed recovery in human patients."

From Nov. 22, 2010 University of Guelph press release

A University of Guelph study has found that a prescription drug thought to have anti-cancer properties when used off-label may not only be less effective than claimed but may actually protect some kinds of cancers.

"Sodium dichloroacetate is not very effective at killing some kinds of cancer cells and, in fact, it has the opposite effect and could even make things worse," said Brenda Coomber, a professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences in Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College.

This research, which was published recently in the journal Cancer Letters, is featured in today's Globe and Mail.

Developed three decades ago to treat a rare, serious metabolic disorder in children, sodium dichloroacetate (DCA) has been touted as a safe, inexpensive anti-cancer drug.

In patients with this metabolic disorder, DCA "resets" malfunctioning mitochondria to restore the body's normal energy pathway. Mitochondria are cellular "power plants" that convert glucose into energy. Normally, they also generate oxygen radicals used in further metabolism but that are also toxic to cells. Mitochondria also help trigger cell death, a normal part of tissue growth and health.

Scientists believe that, when oxygen is present, DCA forces cancer cells to use the mitochondrial pathway, producing oxygen radicals that kill the cancer cells while leaving normal cells unharmed. Studies of brain tumors have found that DCA selectively kills cancer cells without damaging normal tissue.

But that's not what Coomber found with colorectal cancer. Along with her team -- research associate Siranoush Shahrzad, graduate students Kristen Lacombe and Una Adamic, and technician Kanwal Minhas â€" she looked at ischemic regions of tumours, or areas with low oxygen and nutrients due to abnormal blood flow. They had expected that, under fluctuating oxygen levels, DCA treatment would force cancer cells to use the mitochondrial pathway, generate oxygen radicals and die.

In normal culture, DCA killed some human colon cancer cells. But under low oxygen, the same cancer cells were more likely to survive. In mice with human colon cancer cells grown as tumours, DCA provided no therapeutic benefit; in fact, some treated tumours grew better than untreated ones. Fewer cells in ischemic regions died in DCA-treated tumours than in untreated ones.

"The bottom line is that cancer is not a single disease, so it's unrealistic to expect a single drug to be a 'magic bullet' that's effective against every type of cancer," Coomber said, adding that many factors influence how cancer cells develop and behave.

"We are only beginning to tease these things out. DCA may well turn out to be an effective treatment in some cases, but it's not necessarily safe in all cases. There are people out there buying this drug off the Internet and self-medicating -- who knows what's going on in their tumour? They might actually be making it worse."

Her team now plans to study the pathways DCA uses to protect some cancer cells.

This research was funded by the Canadian Cancer Society's Research Institute.

The OVC Pet Trust Fund invites you to get ready for the holiday season by having a professional portrait taken of you and/or your pet.

OVC Pet Trust is teaming up with Guelph-based photographer Dean Palmer, known for his beautiful shots that often grace the cover of Dogs in Canada magazine.

The OVC Pet Trust Photo Day takes place Saturday, Nov. 27 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hill's Pet Nutrition Primary Healthcare Centre. For a minimum donation of $20, you'll receive a professional 5" x 7" photo of your pet (or you and your pet). Additional prints will be available for purchase online from the photographer.

The first hour of the day will be devoted to cats and their owners. Spaces are limited. To reserve your spot, please RSVP by email to rsvpovc@uoguelph.ca and sign up for one of the following time slots:

• 9 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. (cats only)

• 9:30 a.m. – 10 a.m. (cats only)

• 10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

• 10:30 - 11 a.m.

• 11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

• 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.

• 12:30 p.m. – 1 p.m.

• 1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

• 1.30 p.m. – 2 p.m.

• 2 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

• 2:30 p.m. – 3 p.m.

• 3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

• 3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Please arrive 15 minutes before your time slot to groom yourself and your pet. All proceeds to the OVC Pet Trust Fund.

Your contribution will help OVC build Canada's first comprehensive animal cancer centre. The OVC Pet Trust Fund is now more than halfway toward its goal of $15 million in support of the project. Construction is scheduled to begin by early 2011.

A memorial service for Dr. Roberto Poma will be held today at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church, 98 Alice St. in Guelph.

The service will be followed by a gathering of friends and family at the Italian Canadian Club, 135 Ferguson St.

Poma, a faculty member and neurology specialist in the Department of Clinical Studies, died on Nov. 15 of an acute brain hemorrhage at the age of 41.

He is survived by his wife, Dr. Becky Valentine, and children Leonardo and Valentina, and extended family. A trust fund has been established for the children. For more information, see the obituary or contact Andrew Bradford at agbradford@shaw.ca to make a donation to the fund.

OVC students have organized a "green ribbon" campaign in his memory and as a gesture of support for Poma's grieving family.

Green ribbons can be purchased for a donation at several locations around the OVC campus. Proceeds will go to the family. Ribbons will be available outside the OVC cafeteria during lunchtime through Friday, and will most likely be available in Room 1438 throughout the rest of the day.

For more information about the ribbons, contact Amber Reed at reeda@uoguelph.ca.

The OVC community is mourning the loss of a beloved colleague and gifted clinician, scientist and teacher.

Dr. Roberto Poma, a faculty member and neurology specialist in the Department of Clinical Studies, died on Nov. 15 of an acute brain hemorrhage at the age of 41.

He is survived by his wife, Dr. Becky Valentine, their children and extended family.

Please check the OVC website for updates. As a gesture of respect and condolence, the University of Guelph will lower its flags to half-mast on the day of his funeral.

A graduate of the veterinary school at the University of Turin, Italy, Poma came to OVC for a DVSc in neurology in 1998. After successfully completing his residency, he spent three years as a staff veterinarian in the OVC Teaching Hospital before joining the faculty in 2004.

Poma's research was focused on finding better ways to diagnose and treat canine epilepsy, and improve understanding of the disease in companion animals and humans.

He also worked closely with groups such as the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club to reduce the incidence of syringomyelia, a very serious neurological disorder that is rare in most breeds but increasingly afflicts King Charles Spaniels.

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Animal lovers are invited to help the OVC Pet Trust Fund fight cancer in pets by supporting a social media campaign launched this month by a Canadian pet insurance provider.

PetSecure Pet Insurance kicked off its 2010 "FURther the Fight" campaign to mark Pet Cancer Awareness Month in November. The company is using Facebook and Twitter to raise funds in support of pet cancer research at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC).

For every new fan to join PetSecure's Facebook page, or follow them on Twitter in November, the company will donate $1 to the OVC Pet Trust Fund.

Watch the video on YouTube to learn more.

Last year, PetSecure donated over $1,400 from the campaign to Pet Trust and this year they're hoping to do even better. For more information on the FURther the Fight campaign, see the PetSecure news release, or become a new "fan" of their Facebook page and sign up to follow them on Twitter.

Cancer claims one in four dogs and one in eight cats. Dogs develop many of the same cancers as humans, and the tools used to diagnose and treat the disease are also similar.

Each year, the OVC Pet Trust Fund supports a wide range of studies that lead to advances in veterinary health care that benefit animals all over the world. In addition, more than $8 million has been raised in just the last five years to help build Canada's first comprehensive animal cancer centre at the OVC.

Construction is scheduled to begin by early 2011. To learn more, visit the Pet Trust website and while you're at it, become a fan on Facebook.

An OVC oncologist is featured in the current issue of Dogs in Canada magazine.

Dr. Paul Woods, co-director of the U of G's Institute for Comparative Cancer Investigation, is profiled in a series called "The Specialists."

The article talks about diagnostic and treatment options available for dogs with cancer as well as Woods's research interests, including an investigation into biomarkers for cancer.

Read the full article online or in the October-November edition of Dogs in Canada. Watch for the January issue when The Specialists will feature OVC theriogenologist Dr. Cathy Gartley.

Ever wonder what's on your dog's mind?

Find out the answer at the 2010 OVC Pet Trust Forum on Oct. 2 when renowned dog psychologist Dr. Stanley Coren explores "How Dogs Think" in a special guest presentation.

An award winning behavioral researcher and psychology professor, Coren is best known to the general public for his books and television appearances. His books include bestsellers such as How to Speak Dog. Coren was the host of the Life Network television show Good Dog! and he is now seen regularly on the Pet Network's Pet Central.

During his talk, Coren will provide insight into the silly, quirky and seemingly irrational behaviours that dogs demonstrate on a regular basis -- as well as those occasional flashes of brilliance. He will explore the latest research that attempts to answer questions like, compared to other animals, how intelligent are dogs? How much language can a dog understand?

The annual OVC Pet Trust Forum celebrates the special bond between people and their pets by giving Pet Trust supporters a behind-the-scenes look at how their donations benefit companion animal health and contribute to the success of the veterinary profession.

This year's event takes place Oct. 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the OVC Lifetime Learning Centre. The day wraps up with optional tours of the Hill's Pet Nutrition Primary Healthcare Centre.

In addition to Coren's presentation, program highlights include:

• "Research projects and what they mean to the pet owner" with Dr. Gordon Kirby, OVC's associate dean of research and innovation

• "Cushing's disease, endocrinology and obesity in pets" with Dr. Shauna Blois

• "What's new in avian/exotics?" with Dr. Michael Taylor

• "Ask a Cancer Specialist" with Drs. Sarah Boston and Paul Woods

• optional tours of the new Hill's Pet Nutrition Primary Healthcare Centre

Seating is limited. For more information or to register, call 519-824-4120, Ext. 56929, or rsvpovc@uoguelph.ca.