CCSAW
Animal Behaviour and Welfare Seminar Series

PHRN
Learn more about upcoming seminars and lectures

Each week we will be highlighting posts to show what’s new on Instagram for those that do not have an account. Thank you to everyone who has shared with us so far.

‘ Greg Oliver final year student on his fourth year primary healthcare rotation at OVC Smith Lane Animal Hospital in the Hill’s Pet Nutrition Primary Healthcare Centre.  Today, Greg removed 155 quills from Otis the jack Russell under the supervision of veterinarian Dr. Tiffany Durzi. Great job Greg! Three important things Dr. Durzi says are important for vet students to remember when learning how to remove porcupine quills include: Never cut them; anesthesia is required in order to manage pain and ensure your patient is as comfortable as possible during the procedure; be sure to check your patient is up to date on their rabies vaccination. OVC Smith Lane Animal Hospital (@ovcslah) is a full service primary healthcare veterinary hospital located in the Hill’s Pet Nutrition Primary Healthcare Centre (@hillspet@hillsvet ) here at the Ontario Veterinay College.  In today’s world veterinary education goes well beyond building medical and diagnostic knowledge and abilities, it must also include small business skills, client communications and an understanding of the ‘whole team’ approach to care.  OVC Smith Lane Hospital opened in 2010 and was created for this very reason.  This rotation helps ensure students, like Greg, have a clear understanding of the inner workings of a companion animal hospital and the daily life of a primary healthcare veterinarian. #OVC2017 ‘

‘ Meet Indiana Jones (Indy) with Dr. Shannon Gowland and fourth year student Chanel. “Indy is a nine year old kitty in for a checkup today at the OVC Smith Lane Animal Hospital in the to evaluate his itchy ears. You may not be able to appreciate it in the photo, but Indy has beautiful eyes with some brown colour developing on his irises. This is one of the many things we will evaluate today as changes in iris colour in cats can be either completely harmless, or an indicator of some more serious conditions that can occur in our feline friends. Today Indy is getting off lucky with just an ear cleaning, and we will rely on our exam and diligent monitoring by his owners to keep track of any changes in his eyes or overall health. This is one of the many reasons we highly recommend routine wellness exams for pets with your family veterinarian.  Regular wellness exams allow vets to detect and track any changes in your furry family members before they become a problem, as many conditions are treatable if caught in their early stages!” Thanks for sharing Chanel! #ovc2017 ‘

‘ Nina the Cuddle Bug @ninathecuddlebug and Kingsley the Westie @kingsleythewestie are just some of the dogs having a great time today @purinapawsway Fun Fair to support #ovcpettrust. If you are in Toronto stop by Purina Pawsway!! On til 3 today. Learn more about OVC Pet Trust at www.pettust.ca and see more great pics from the Fun Fair @ovcpettrust on Twitter!!🐶❤️🐾 ‘

OntVetCollege now has 18,251 followers from around the world that include prevets, vet students, practicing veterinarians and veterinary teams, alumni, industry, graduate students and more.

We are always looking for photos to share on Instagram.  If you have an interesting case, images of your team working in your lab or research out in the field, student learning,  currently on 4th year rotation or other images that would help show what it is like to learn and work at OVC  please email:

Jane Dawkins
OVC Marketing Communications/Social Media Manager jdawkins@uoguelph.ca with “Instagram Post” in the subject line or PM us at @OntVetCollege on Instagram.

Tuesday, September 27
9:00 AM
Room 1812, Pathobiology, OVC. Examination to follow in Room 113, Population Medicine Building, Ontario Veterinary College  

Interested members of the University community are invited to attend the Final Oral Examination for the Degree of Doctor of Veterinary Science of

Juliana Ferreira of the Department of Population Medicine       

Thesis Title: “Dynamics of influenza A virus transmission in a swine herd and analysis of risk factors for recurrent infections”

Examination Committee: Dr. Olaf Berke (Chair), Dr. Robert Friendship, Dr. Zvonimir Poljak, Dr. Terri O’Sullivan, Dr. Daniel C. L. Linhares (Iowa State University)

Advisory Committee: Dr. Robert Friendship (Advisor), Dr. Zvonimir Poljak (Co-Advisor), Dr. Eva Nagy

Wednesday, September 28
1:00 PM
Rm 1642 (seminar) and 2635 (closed portion)

Interested members of the University community are invited to attend the MSc defence for:

Moez Ahmed of the Department of Biomedical Sciences

Thesis Title: TGF-β-Dependent Regulation of miR-21 in Bovine Fetal Fibroblasts

Examination Committee: Dr. J. LaMarre (Advisor), Dr. B. Kalisch (Advisory Committee). Dr. R. Mosser (Graduate Faculty, Molecular and Cellular Biology), Dr. N. MacLusky (Exam Chair)

Advisory Committee: Dr. J. LaMarre (Advisor), Dr. B. Kalisch, Dr. W. Allan King

Thursday, September 29
12:30 PM - 4:00
OVC PATHOBIOLOGY Room 1810

Cardiovascular Research Day Conference
Distinguished Scientist speakers are leaders in the field of cardiovascular research and include:

Dr. Lorrie Kirshenbaum, PhD
Director of Research Development, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba
Canada Research Chair in Molecular Cardiology
Professor, Physiology & Pathophysiology, Institute of CV Sciences, St. Boniface Centre
“Molecular Regulation of Cardiac Cell Death”

Dr. Zam Kassiri, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Alberta
AI-HS Scholar
“Diverse and Novel functions of disintegrin and metalloproteinase-17 (ADAM17) in different types of heart disease”

Dr. Robert Gilmour, PhD
Vice-President Research and Graduate Studies, University of Prince Edward Island
“Cardiac Defibrillation: It’s been a LEAP Year”

Dr. Kim Connelly, MBBS, PhD, FRACP
Scientist, Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science
Director, Krembil Stem Cell Facility, St. Michael’s Hospital
University of Toronto Cardiovascular Research Network
“The quest for immortality: A tale of quantum MRI physics, stem cells and the heart”

Poster session to follow in OVC Lifetime Learning Centre.

Friday, September 30
9:30 AM
Room LLC 1715 (Seminar/Defense)
Room 3648 (Examination/Defense)

Interested Members of the University Community are invited to attend the

Final Oral Examination for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of

Faisal Alibhai of the Department of Biomedical Sciences

Thesis Title: “The Critical Role of Circadian Rhythms in the Pathophysiology of Cardiovascular Disease"

Friday, September 30
11:30 AM
PAHL 1810

Dr. Matthew Miller from McMaster University will be kicking off the 2016-2017 Pathobiology Seminar Series

Title: Universal influenza virus vaccine strategies reveal new paradigms in humoral immunity. Co-hosted by Neda Barjesteh and Shayan Sharif. Refreshments will be provided.

The student-run OVC Animal Welfare Club not only provides an opportunity for DVM students to learn more about animal welfare, it also provides a gateway to share that knowledge with the wider community.

The annual OVC Animal Welfare Forum, organized by the student club, brings together diverse speakers focusing on animal welfare from a number of different perspectives.  The 17^th annual Forum, taking place on October 15 at OVC’s Lifetime Learning Centre, includes speakers focusing on aquatics, cattle, wildlife and integrating animal welfare into careers in veterinary medicine.

The Animal Welfare Club has more than 60 students on the roster, underlining the interest in this important area. Members attend lectures and wet labs throughout the year focusing on various areas of animal welfare, says Sarah Baert, OVC Class of 2018, and Animal Welfare Club co-president, who joined the club during her first year in the DVM program. With most of her experience in the companion animal side of veterinary medicine, Baert wanted to become more informed about welfare practices in other areas.

The Forum aims to cater to a broad audience and not all speakers are veterinarians. Speakers are asked to present multiple viewpoints with an unbiased approach, says Baert. The club executive researches areas of interest for possible speakers and selects the final agenda based on this and speaker availability. 

This year’s Forum features: Dr. Nikki LePage, associate veterinarian at Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada and adjunct faculty at OVC, who will discuss the evolution of welfare in aquatic animal medicine; Dr. Jeff Rau, veterinarian in the OVC’s Ruminant Field Service Clinic, who will look at welfare of cattle when they leave the herd; Dr. Dave Barney, Director of Wildlife at the Toronto Zoo, who will focus on the need for critical thinking in the role of operant conditioning and nutrition of wildlife in human care; Dr. Mike Petrik, Director of Technical Services at McKinley Hatchery, Dr. Lynn Henderson, Henderson Mobile Veterinary Services, and Dr. Lena Levison, Saputo Dairy Care Program Manager, who will participate on a panel discussing integrating animal welfare into careers in veterinary medicine, and Twyla Francois who will look at effecting change for farmed animals through investigations and art”.

The Forum is open to anyone at OVC, U of G and the greater Guelph community. “It’s a good way to increase animal welfare awareness in the greater community,” she adds. “Quite a few OVC students attend, as well as students who are applying or planning to apply to the DVM program.”

More information is available on the Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare website or click here.

2016 Gairdner Lecture
Date: Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.  
Location: OVC Pathobiology Room 1800

This year’s guest speaker is Dr. Rodolphe Barrangou, Associate Professor, Department of Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutrition Sciences, and Todd R. Klaenhammer Distinguished Scholar in Probiotics Research, North Carolina State University. Dr. Barrangou will discuss “CRISPR-Cas systems: from adaptive immunity to genome editing machines”.

Admission to this event is free and open to the public.

An inaugural research day for the Centre for Cardiovascular Investigations (CCVI) at the University of Guelph brought together more than 100 researchers, students and research collaborators from across the campus and beyond.

The research day rounds out the first year of activities for CCVI, which was launched in 2015.  A collaborative venture between laboratories in the Ontario Veterinary College, College of Biological Sciences and Human Health & Nutritional Sciences, CCVI involves 14 lead cardiovascular scientists and clinicians, as well as over 100 collaborators, graduate and undergraduate students.

From left: Dr. Robert Gilmour, Dr. Zam Kassiri, Dr. Lorrie Kirshenbaum, Dr. Malcolm Campbell, Dr. Tami Martino, and Dr. Kim Connelly.

It’s estimated there are 1.6 million Canadians living with cardiovascular disease, noted Dr. Tami Martino, OVC’s Department of Biomedical Sciences, who leads the CCVI. Beyond the sobering health implications, is the economic impact on the Canadian economy of more than $21 billion a year in physician services, hospital costs, lost wages and decreased productivity.

CCVI brings together expertise in cardiovascular biology and clinical medicine in a comprehensive, multidisciplinary environment, said Martino, with researchers engaging in innovative, translational and practical cardiovascular discovery. 

“At the U of G we truly aim to improve life,” said Dr. Malcolm Campbell, U of G’s vice-president (research), in opening the research day, noting the university spans research from fine art to physics and everything in between. This breadth of research includes people who look at how research resonates with day-to-day lives of people, he added.

The research day featured cardiovascular experts from across the country, including: Dr. Lorrie Kirshenbaum, Director of Research Development, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, and a Canada Research Chair in Molecular Cardiology; Dr. Zam Kassiri, Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Alberta; Dr. Robert Gilmour,Vice President Academic and Research at University of Prince Edward Island; and Dr. Kim Connelly,Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science and Director, Krembil Stem Cell Facility, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto.

“Through the Centre, we were excited to bring in the experts performing cutting-edge research to interact with our members, and in turn profile our research to the world’s leaders,” added Martino.

More than 30 posters from graduate students engaged in cardiovascular research at labs across the UofG campus wrapped up the day’s events. Speakers also joined CCVI researchers on a tour of cardiovascular research facilities at OVC and the clinical cardiology service at OVC’s Health Sciences Centre.

The CCVI student executive council, which includes representatives from labs across the UofG campus, prepped for the day with a journaling club where students and faculty discussed current research by CCVI speakers, added Martino. “The student executive council also was invaluable in assisting with organizing the day’s events.”

The  U.S. Department of Agriculture and World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) are seeking assistance spreading the word about an important and timely Symposium addressing Alternatives to Antibiotics (ATA) in animal production. 

The symposium, entitled “Alternatives to Antibiotics: Challenges & Solutions in Animal Production”, will take place at OIE Headquarters in Paris, France from 13-15 December 2016. The symposium’s Scientific Committee invites attendance of, and submission of scientific abstracts authored by, those with an interest in alternatives to conventional antibiotics R&D, toward the goal of protecting the health and well-being of animals, and the safety of food derived from animals.

The Symposium website provides preliminary program information, registration information and other event details.

Please note thedeadline for abstracts is Friday, 14 October. A group of platform speakers is being selected from the submitted abstracts.

While this symposium is focused on ATA R&D for agricultural animals, the organizing and scientific committees recognize the tremendous value in sharing innovative scientific ideas and approaches for the development of alternatives to antibiotics in humans and other species. This event will, therefore, afford participants the opportunity to interact with the broader international and interdisciplinary scientific community engaged in ATA R&D.

Please help spread the word to colleagues, societies and other interested scientists.

Are you interested in learning about the international veterinary work that OVC students did this past summer?

Global Vets, a chapter of the International Veterinary Medicine Club, will be giving presentations on Wednesday, October 5, at 12:30 p.m. in PATH 1800.

Come out to hear all about the students’ experiences in South America, Southeast Asia and South Africa and the impact they made on local communities and animals alike.

They will be sharing stories, photos, and details about the rewarding work they were involved in and the Global Vets program in general.

One Health has been part of the veterinary vocabulary for some time. Perhaps more than any other profession, veterinarians understand that the health of animals, people and the environment are intrinsically connected.

Increasingly an inter-disciplinary One Health framework for problem-solving is being embraced by other health professionals, governments, industries and the general populace.  Zoonotic diseases – Lyme disease, Zika virus, rabies – are increasingly being portrayed in the media as One Health issues; discussions around food safety and food security are taking on increased urgency in the media, and the environmental health of the planet dominates conversation. It seems that, after years of little progress, the One Health approach is gaining traction.

This year, One Health is the focus of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association’s (CVMA) annual Animal Health Week.  They’re taking this opportunity to remind pet owners the important role they play in One Health, through disease prevention practices with their pets, vaccinations, exercise, nutrition, regular check-ups, and parasite control, as well as the important role of veterinarians in managing the connections between all species and our ecosystem.

Here at OVC, the One Health concept is woven into all that we do – teaching, research and outreach. We’re fortunate to have the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses (CPHAZ) which boasts close to 90 graduate student members and 60 faculty members engaged in research in a huge range of One Health areas: public health; food safety; antimicrobial resistance; zoonotic diseases in companion, wildlife and food animals; disease surveillance, and outbreak response. 

This week CPHAZ is taking the lead in highlighting research and events happening in One Health here at the University of Guelph. The intrinsic ties between animals, people and the environment will be illustrated in case studies presented his week by Drs. Cate Dewey and Jan Sargeant: they will be speaking on Pigs, Poverty and Epilepsy in Kenya, and Caribou, Inuit and Climate Change.  (You do need to register for these and space is limited.  If you would like to attend the Thursday session with Dr. Dewey or the Friday session with Dr. Sargeant, please email cphaz@uoguelph.ca with your name, program, and department.)

You’ll also see a sample of the array of One Health research at OVC, portrayed in a series of stories on the CPHAZ website, throughout the week. Please help us by spreading the word through social media.

Graduate student members of CPHAZ will also have an opportunity to learn more about opportunities and careers in public health during CPHAZ’s annual meet and greet networking lunch this week.

One Health will continue to be in the spotlight this fall with an inaugural international One Health Day on November 3. Watch for more on this.

One Health is by its nature collaborative, and is a research strength represented within every college of UofG.  Our university, in partnership with the agencies and institutions on our doorstep, is in a unique position to lead One Health in Canada, intersecting as it does with so many of the UofG foundational themes: food, health, environment, and community.  One Health is increasingly seen as a strong differentiator for our university. To this end, we wish to more purposefully document the One Health work at UofG; CPHAZ is actively seeking to hear from faculty members across campus involved in related work via a short survey on their website (https://uoguelph.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5vHa6GeiMniO2jz)

As CVMA points out in their lead up to this week – every step we take to protect the animals in our care contributes to the global health of the population and the planet.

At OVC and the University of Guelph we take these steps every day in our teaching, research and in our companion, food animal and wildlife services.  Please make an extra effort to celebrate and promote the One Health concept this fall.

Grant Opportunities

Internal

• Pet Trust Call for Research and Equipment Proposals
  Deadline: See Schedule of Dates on Competition Page
• Internal deadlines Project and Foundation Scheme Fall Competitions - CIHR
  Deadline for OR5s at Office of Research: Foundation Scheme Internal
  Deadline: October 5 - Project Scheme Internal deadline: October 11^th

External

• NEW U of G has issued the annual Call for Letters of Intent (LOIs) for the Partnership Research Program. (LOIs Due  by noon on November 1st, 2016)
• NEWZoetis Investment in Innovation Fund (Deadline for applications Friday, October 14)
• COREMI Short Term Scientific Missions
  (Open Call:May 2016- April 2017)
• Spark 2016 Program: Microbiome Competition
  (Internal Deadline: October 25th, 2016 External Deadline: November 1st, 2016)
• Ontario Molecular Pathology Research Network - Clinical Pathology Translational Research Grants (Deadline: October 31st, 2016)
• Morris Animal Foundation Call for Wildlife/Exotics Proposals
  (Deadline: November 16, 2016)
• Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation Inc. (Application Deadline: Monday, October 3, 2016 at 5 p.m. EST)
• NSERC Research Tools and Instruments - Call For Proposals
  (Internal deadline: October 18, 2016)

Student Support

External

• NEWMITACS - International Research Opportunities Abroad
  (Deadline: November 9th, 2016)
• NEW 2017 Dr. Roland “Doc” Lombard Student Research Award (Deadline for submission is November 1, 2016.)
• NEW Opportunity to Co-lead a Group of Students on an Overseas Volunteer Project Summer 2017
• Recruitment Campaign of Policy Leaders (RPL) of the Government of Canada  (Applicationswill be accepted on-line from October 20 to November 7, 2016)
  

General Announcements

• NEWSymposium: Alternatives to Antibiotics: Challenges & Solutions in Animal Production - OIE HQ, Paris, France  (Deadline for abstracts October 14, 2016)
• Office of Graduate Research Services - Information Sessions about applying for External Scholarships 2017-18   
• Mitacs Step Workshop - UC 442, October 13th
  

Check the OVC Research Announcementspage for current information and submission dates for grant opportunities, Graduate Studies information and funding opportunities.

CPHAZ celebrates One Health Week
http://ovc.uoguelph.ca/cphaz

Veterinarians without Borders/Vétérinaires sans frontières Miles Match Week
https://www.vetswithoutborders.ca/support-us/donate/aeroplan-miles

Tuesday, October 4th
12:30 (Rm 1800) Diagnostic Imaging Club - September Case of the Month - We will be presenting Sept case of the month to club members. Also discussing future club events.

Tuesday, October 4th
5:30-6:30 (Room 1835b) Pathology Club - Gross Rounds

Wednesday, October 5th
12:30 (Rm 1800) Global Vets - Presentations about 2016 projects and recruitment for the 2017 Global Vets team.

Wednesday, October 5th
12:30 (Rm 1714) OVMA - Pizza Lunch Talk - topic TBA

Thursday, October 6th
12:30 (Rm1812) Business Club - Annual General Meeting - Discussion about upcoming events.

Thursday, October 6th
12:30 (rm 1714) Christian Fellowship Club - Welcome Lunch - Learn about OVC Christian Fellowship and the CVM organization. A formal start to the group’s weekly meetings, hosted by our regional reprisentative Suzanne Laidlaw. Lunch provided!

Thursday, October 6th
6:30-7:30 (Rm 1713) Community Outreach Club - Dog House Building Challenge (sponsored by Nestle)

Thursday, October 6, 2016
9:00 AM
PAHL 1812
Examination to follow in Room 113, Population Medicine Building, OVC

Interested member of the University of Guelph are invited to attend the Final Oral Examination for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Trisha Westers of the Department of Population Medicin

Thesis Title:“Evaluating Strategies for Controlling Anthelmintic-Resistant
Haemonchus contortus in Ontario Sheep Flocks”

October 6, 2016
11:30 AM -12:30 PM
PAHL 1810

Pathobiology Seminar Series

Presented by Dr. Mike Mulvey, National Microbiology Lab/Winnipeg - PHAC

Title: Applying whole genome sequencing to monitor the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance from farm to fork to flush.

Hosted by Dr. Patrick Boerlin

October 7, 2016
11:30 AM -12:30 PM
PAHL 1810

PABI*6440 Seminars: Jay Korbelik and Laura van Lieshout

Titles:

Jay Korbelik: “Evaluation of the impact of antimicrobials on cutaneous microbiota in dogs with superifcial bacterial pyoderma.”

Laura van Lieshout:“Antibody-based protection against Ebola virus infection by vectored immunoprophylaxis.”

Hosted by Dr. Jan MacInnes

Pop Med Speakers’ Series

Title: “EcoHealth in Action: Increasing Community Participation in Research” Presented by: Dr. Sherilee Harper, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Population Medicine

OnOctober 14th at 9:00 am in OVC room 1438, there will be an engaging and informativeCareer Day event! 

The day will comprise of speakers stemming from various disciplines and fields, from Academia to Industry and the Public Sector, as well as two constructive Professional Development Sessions for both Academia and Industry. These two sessions will delve into CV writing as well as the interview process and they will be led by Drs. Nana Lee and Deborah Powell, respectively. 

It is definitely worth your time to attend! 

Our speakers include,
Devon Metcalf, PhD (Infection Control Specialist with the Guelph General Hospital
Nicolle Petrik, PhD (Medical Science Liaison at Allergan)
Kathlene Thompson, PhD (External Research and Laboratory Manager at Trouw Nutrition Research)
Leonardo Susta, DVM, PhD (Assistant Professor at the Pathobiology Department)
Michael Neal, PhD (Scientific Director at One Fertility Clinic)
Kayla Price, PhD (Canadian Poultry Technical Manager for Alltech Canada)David Hobson, DVM, DVSc, P. Eng (Industry Liaison, Manager and Technology Transfer for the Catalyst Center)
Marlene Paibomesai, PhD (Dairy Specialist with OMAFRA)

The event will also include breakfast, lunch and coffee breaks free of charge!

Space is limited. Have questions?  Please email ovccareerday@gmail.com as registration is now closed

Each week we will be highlighting posts to show what’s new on Instagram for those that do not have an account. Thank you to everyone who has shared with us so far.

Post #1

“ Congratulations Team Raise the Ruff winners of the #OVCDogHouseChallenge@PurinaCanada“2nd Annual OVC Community Outreach Club Dog House Challenge”, sponsored by Nestle Purina (@purinacanada). Be sure to check the amazing work of all 10 teams that participated on our snap story (user: OntVetCollege). Students built & decorated doghouses that will be donated to the Kettle and Stony Point First Nations.  These works of art will be on display around the @uofguelph campus over the coming weeks! #ovcdoghousechallenge#ovc2020#ovc2017#ovc2018#ovc2019 “

Post #2

“ VOTING is now open for your favourite team pic from the OVC Community Outreach Club, 2nd Annual Dog House Challenge. LIKE your FAV pic on the OVC Community Outreach Club Facebook page (LINK IN BIO). The team with the photo with the most LIKES will win this year’s social media prize! Share and LIKE!! ANYONE can vote - share it with your friends, family, mentors or more…Voting closes at NOON next Friday (Oct 14, 2016). The winning team pic with be featured on @purinacanada’s Twitter page. (see behind the scenes on OntVetCollege snapchat). “

Post #3

“ It is draw your pet into a Turkey Day on @OntVetCollege snapchat.  Share your pics with us :) #turkeyDay#HappyThanksgiving#pets#thanksgiving#pets#snapart#snapchatart#snapdrawing#snapping#snaps. See these and more on our snapchat and Instagram stories. 🐾❤️🦃 “

OntVetCollege now has 18,402 followers from around the world that include prevets, vet students, practicing veterinarians and veterinary teams, alumni, industry, graduate students and more.

We are always looking for photos to share on Instagram. If you have an interesting case, images of your team working in your lab or research out in the field, student learning,  currently on 4th year rotation or other images that would help show what it is like to learn and work at OVC  please email:

Jane Dawkins
OVC Marketing Communications/Social Media Manager jdawkins@uoguelph.ca with “Instagram Post” in the subject line or PM us at @OntVetCollege on Instagram.

The United Way planning team is excited to announce that after Week 1 of this 2016 campaign OVC has reached $9,000 of our $40,000 goal.

As a reminder payroll pledge forms are the donations that make the biggest difference in reaching the college’s annual goal, please consider making a pledge via payroll deduction. It is easy and makes a great tax donation.

If you would like to receive a payroll deduction form please contact
Judy Metherel, 519-824-4120, ext. 54768 for more information.

Upcoming Events to support the campaign include:

Play with Clay Night Monday, October 24

Chili Lunch Friday, November 4

Bake Sale Friday, November 18

*We will do a raffle with 3 prizes, (parking pass, large lindt Santa, gift card), running throughout the campaign, draw at end of November.

*We will do a “Cellar It” wine raffle, running throughout the campaign, ending at end of November.

Don’t forget about Cupcake Friday bi-weekly throughout the campaign.The next one will be on Friday, October 21st at the HSC Business Office, Rm 1450. 

Stethoscopes were traded for paintbrushes last week as student veterinarians channeled their creative efforts for a friendly doghouse building challenge.

In its second year, the Nestlé Purina Doghouse Build and Design Challenge brought together ten teams of students from the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) to assemble and custom design their dog houses destined to benefit Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, near Sarnia.

Dr. Debbie Sigesmund, OVC 2000, Veterinary Communications Manager with Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada, brought the idea for the doghouse build to OVC’s student-run Community Outreach Club (COC) last year. She worked with OVC Community Outreach Club faculty advisor Dr. Shane Bateman and the COC to fine-tune details of this year’s event.

“Last year unleashed creativity in students I never knew existed,” says Sigesmund. But this opportunity isn’t just about building houses and about creativity, “it’s also about building community and the common bond we share with caring for animals.”

Students had two hours to paint and custom design their houses, before Dr. Paige Golden, OVC 2013 and a Territory Manager with Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada, called time and judges went to work to select a winning team.

The judging panel, including OVC Dean Jeff Wichtel, Debbie Bick, Director, Nutrition Sales at Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada, Alison Bressette and Carl Feagan Willie, community members from Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, awarded points based on team cooperation, team spirit, creativity of design, and execution of design.

Team Raise the Ruff took home the prize for their house depicting the Northern Lights, complete with the night sky, mountains, howling wolf and a map of stars on the roof.

Team Raise the Ruff took home the prize for their house - Northern Lights.

This year teams are also competing in a social media challenge and shared photos throughout the evening of their team at work designing their dog house, using the hashtags #OVCDogHouseChallenge and #OVCPhotoContest.

The team’s whose photo receives the most likes by noon on Friday, October 14 will win this year’s contest and receive a special prize from Purina Canada. Winners will also have their photo featured on OVC and Purina Canada Social Media Channels. Photos are posted on the OVC Community Outreach Club’s Facebook page and voting is open.

Student involvement this year has been incredible, says Amy Weber, OVC Class of 2018 and First Nations Committee Leader with the Community Outreach Club. “I’m very impressed with the amount of participation. The club executives have worked so hard on this event, and are excited to bring awareness of the need for shelter for outdoor dogs on reserves, as well as the need for veterinary care for these amazing animals.”

“I’m so very proud of OVC’s student involvement in this project. Students have really thrown their creative efforts into this competition,” says Bateman. “The beautiful homes they are creating for dogs in the Kettle and Stony Point community are a lasting gift and a symbol of the ongoing friendship between OVC and the community. The Community Outreach Club and Nestle Purina should be very proud of this event.”

The club has developed a strong partnership with Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation holding regular wellness clinics at Kettle and Stony Point providing basic care, including core vaccinations and physical exams.

Bressette who was working to provide pet health information and resources to the First Nation Reserve, first connected with the OVC Community Outreach Club in 2011 and the relationship grew from there.

She invited the group to participate in an annual autumn Straw Day event where supplies of straw to insulate outdoor housing and extra dog food are distributed at the Reserve. Many dogs from reserves are free-roaming and live outdoors all year, says Bressette. These supplies support the dogs through the winter.

“I have witnessed the change from the very beginning when the students first came to the Chippewas of Kettle Point and Stony Point community to now where people are working together in one cause, which is to increase animal welfare for the animals,” adds Bressette. “It’s animals that are bringing people together.”

Once again this year, the custom doghouses will be delivered during Straw Day, along with a pet food donation from Purina Canada.

Sigesmund hopes many of the students will make an effort to go to Straw Day and meet the families who will use these houses.

From Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada: Dr. Debbie Sigesmund, OVC 2000, Veterinary Communications Manager; Dr. Paige Golden, OVC 2013, Territory Manager; and Debbie Bick, Director, Nutrition Sales.

“I am thankful that Nestlé Purina Canada and the OVC have created this annual challenge because I know through the OVC Community Outreach Club and Shane Bateman, that when they start something they mean to commit themselves,” says Bressette. “This is very important when groups or organizations begin a partnership or relationship with First Nations. It requires commitment because everything takes time to progress.”

The houses will be on display across campus until mid-November when they will be transported to Kettle and Stony Point First Nation. Locations include: lobbies of the OVC Companion Animal Hospital, Animal Cancer Centre, OVC Smith Lane Animal Hospital, OVC cafeteria, Purina Pawsway, and Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada Corporate Head Office.

The Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses (CPHAZ) is excited to host a ONE HEALTH POSTER DAY on November 3, 2016 from 10am - 3pm in the Summerlee Science Complex. In celebration of Global One Health Day, CPHAZ is looking to highlight examples of research, service and teaching that link human, animal and environmental health happening on the University of Guelph campus. Everyone is encouraged to display posters describing their research, practicum experience, infographics, club information and initiatives all related to One Health research, education and awareness. Even if you do not have a poster to display, we hope that you will stop by during the day to see all of the fascinating One Health activities going on at the University of Guelph!!

To register your poster, please send an email to cphaz@uoguelph.ca. Some funding to assist with printing posters is available for students on a first come, first served basis (include this need in your email to cphaz@uoguelph.ca). Posters can be original or from other events – there are no size format requirements. Students displaying posters for the day are eligible for a prize draw. Some space is available for booths if you have pamphlets or other materials that you would like to hand out or have on display, please email cphaz@uoguelph.ca for more information.

Let’s come together to share and learn about One Health on November 3, 2016 at the Summerlee Science Complex!

More information on Global One Health Day can be found here.

Check out the Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses website  for more information on the One Health Poster Day.

Wednesday, October 12th
12:30 (Rm 1713) - Equine Club - Dentistry Lunch Talk
The Equine Club will be hosting a lunch talk focusing on equine dentistry. This talk will be a prerequisite for anyone wishing to participate in the club’s equine dentistry lab later in the month.

Wednesday, October 12th
5:20 - 7pm  (Rm 1715) - Community Outreach Club - Aboriginal Resource Center Presentation
ARC staff member Maria Shallard will be presenting club members with a history, current status, and culturally sensitive issues of First Nations in Ontario

Thursday, October 13th
12:30 (Rm 1714) - Nutrition and Behaviour Clubs -Top 10 Tips for Cat Healthy Visits pizza lunch talk

Friday, October 14th
12:30 (Rm 1800) - Surgery Club - Internships and Residencies Lunch Talk
For those interested in pursuing an internship or residency. A lunch talk by Dr. Singh on the application process, benefits, whether it is worth the effort, the match program, etc.

Saturday, October 15th
8am-4pm (Rm 1714) - Animal Welfare Club - Annual Animal Welfare Forum
Each year the welfare club brings in 5 different speakers for an all day forum open both to students and the public. (online registration require, limited space)

An update on construction work that will begin October 11

Learning commons

• The contractors will begin hoarding off the back room    of the learning commons (2661) to begin renovation of the space
• The back stairwell (closest to the cafeteria) will    always remain open for a fire exit from the 3rd floor but there will be     workers in the stairwell at various times
• There will be some asbestos abatement in the 2661 over    the week of Oct 11th.  All appropriate precautions are in place to     ensure the safety of all personnel.

Building 46

• There will be some focal shutdowns and demolition in    102/103 and the adjacent corridor over the next two weeks.  The     hallway will remain accessible but there will be high construction noise     as block walls are removed.  Demolition materials will be removed     through the hallway using bins.  This will be done early in the     morning to minimize obstruction of the hallway.  There will be some     focal asbestos abatement.  All appropriate precautions are in place     to ensure the safety of all personnel.

Building 49 - Second Story

• Demolition of the lab space to accommodate the graduate    offices will occur over the next two weeks.  There will be contractor     traffic through the hallway as they remove lab benches and debris.      All materials will be contained on carts and dust will be controlled     but there will be high noise levels associated with this work.

Building 49 - Main floor

• There will be some focal shutdowns and demolition in    lab areas to the west of the ACC entrance over the next two weeks.      There will be several times when the hallway will be closed to     facilitate asbestos abatement.  This will be done early in the day or     on the weekend to minimize disruption.  All appropriate precautions     are in place to ensure the safety of all personnel.