Tom Cull exhibits Subliminal at the American Royal livestock show. (Photo: Bullvine)
Tom and Kelli Cull knew Subliminal would be an excellent cow when they saw her exhibited as a three-year-old at a Holstein show in 2012.
For the ten years the Culls have had her on their Wisconsin farm, she has proven to be just that: exceptional. Most recently, Subliminal was named the 2021 Star of the Breed, capping off over a decade of wins and achievements.
The Star of the Breed award recognizes a registered Holstein cow that exemplifies milk production and breed standards. It’s an extraordinary honor in its own right, but two things make Subliminal’s win especially significant.
First, at 13 years old, Subliminal is the oldest cow to receive this recognition. And second, getting to this point came with bumps in the road.
Soon after the Culls purchased Subliminal in 2013 and brought her to their Budjon Farm in Lomira, Wisconsin, Subliminal took a fall and dislocated her hip. The Culls immediately transported Subliminal to the UW School of Veterinary Medicine’s teaching hospital, where Shelia McGuirk, then a professor (now retired) of large animal medicine administered treatment with her surgery colleagues.
“It was a combination of amazing staff at the hospital and Subliminal’s calmness that helped her heal as well as she did.”
“Her prognosis was low when she went into the hospital,” Kelli recalls. But in the days and months following, the Culls saw Subliminal handle her extensive care and healing with calmness and strength.
After surgery, Subliminal remained in a sling for 90 days. Then she spent the rest of the year with hobbles on her legs to limit movement.
Only a year after her fall, Subliminal returned to dairy competitions.
“It was a combination of amazing staff at the hospital and Subliminal’s calmness that helped her heal as well as she did,” Kelli reflects.
In 2015, Subliminal won Supreme Champion of the World Dairy Expo Junior Show — the top honor at this world-class cattle show in Madison.
“Seeing her out there as if nothing had ever happened, her mobility unquestioned, it was a magical moment for all involved in her journey thus far” Kelli told Holstein Association USA’s magazine, The Pulse. “Subliminal definitely beat all odds.”
Subliminal’s strength only continued to grow as she went on to win more awards in the years following while continuing to breed and calf.
Last year, Subliminal received an EX-97 rating. This rating is among the highest for dairy cattle, meaning Subliminal is unmatched in her milk production, reproductive power, and muscular and fat build characteristics.
Subliminal’s story — her performance in competitions and her resilience throughout her life — has touched others worldwide and gained her a devoted fan following.
The Culls continue to bring cattle to UW Veterinary Care and are grateful for the expertise in supporting Subliminal and their entire dairy herd.
“We are blessed to work with the vet school,” Kelli says. “We are always very appreciative of what the vet school does.”
Britta Wellenstein
This article appears in the winter 2022-23 issue of On Call magazine.
It takes a lot of love and dedication to keep up with something for 27 years. Ramona Widick sure knows this. For each of the past 27 years, she has made a donation to the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine.
Widick made her first gift when her seven-year-old black lab and Irish setter mix, Megan, hurt one of her vertebrae.
“We don’t know how she did it,” Widick reflects. “She was completely paralyzed — couldn’t stand or walk.”
Megan was an active dog, which made the prospect of a spinal injury particularly worrying.
“She had a personality of ‘Irish shredder.’ She was wild,” Widick says. “I taught her to dive off the pier. She’d run twenty feet down and fly off. Every day I’d go swimming, and she’d swim with me.”
Megan’s veterinarian in Minocqua, Wisconsin, told Widick to go to the UW School of Veterinary Medicine’s teaching hospital for spinal surgery. The pair headed to Madison immediately.
“They were waiting for us at the doors and took Megan right away,” Widick recalls.
After Megan’s surgery, UW Veterinary Care clinicians called every day to see how she was recovering. They told Widick to anticipate that Megan wouldn’t be able to walk for a week.
“I had a sling and took her out to do her business,” Widick says. “But, almost one week to the day after her surgery, she just got up and walked to us.”
Just like that, Megan was back to swimming with Widick. Megan lived for seven more years, passing away at 14 years old.
Since Megan’s surgery, Widick has donated to the School of Veterinary Medicine. When asked why, she expresses thanks for the care the school provided her dog.
“I just think it’s a great program down there,” she says.
But even more so, Widick’s dedication and philanthropic spirit stem from her love of animals.
“When I was a young girl, I always wanted to be a vet,” she notes. “Growing up, we had horses, dogs, and cats, you name it.”
After Megan, Widick has continued to have several pets at her home in Woodruff, Wisconsin, including her current companion, a cocker spaniel.
Britta Wellenstein
This article appears in the winter 2022-23 issue of On Call magazine.
UW Veterinary Care social worker Rhonda Nichols, left, and social work intern Lee Xiong, right, support hospital clients, clinicians, staff, and students in processing difficult situations and emotions.
When Kevin Kasza entered his oncology clinical rounds as a fourth-year student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, he knew it would have some challenges.
Oncology, the study and treatment of cancer, can be an emotional, stressful component of veterinary practice. Clinicians not only handle complicated medical situations but often communicate with pet owners navigating difficult decisions.
Kasza saw this firsthand throughout his rounds, but one appointment stuck out. A client struggled to process their pet’s situation and seemed to be experiencing a mental health crisis.
“As veterinarians, we are not trained in crisis care or how to handle difficult situations like that,” Kasza reflects.
Fortunately, Kasza and other members of the client’s care team were able to discuss the situation with Rhonda Nichols, UW Veterinary Care’s new social worker. She joined the School of Veterinary Medicine in March 2022.
Nichols began her career in social work in 2001, when she graduated with a master’s degree from UW-Milwaukee. She has primarily worked in human mental and physical health care and supporting people with eating disorders. However, when Nichols learned about the social worker position at the SVM, she was immediately intrigued.
“I hadn’t actually heard of social workers in a field like this,” she says. “I thought this was so exciting. It makes so much sense to me why a social worker is needed in veterinary medicine.”
The idea of veterinary social work emerged in 2002 when the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine and College of Social Work created a post-graduate Veterinary Social Work certificate program. Since then, more veterinary universities and hospitals have brought in social workers. “Social workers are slowly trickling into the field,” Nichols says.
“Veterinary staff focuses their expertise on the animals. Social work is added to help the human needs involved, both with animal owners and staff.”
When people think of social workers, human health care is often the first scenario to come to mind. A social worker may support the patient and their family, for example, by talking them through their care and situation. They also support clinicians, helping to address stressful situations they encounter or helping communicate clients’ care options.
In veterinary medicine, a social worker operates similarly, working with an animal’s family and care team to help them through a crisis. Typically, in veterinary medical hospitals, client management is placed on the veterinarian. However, as Kasza experienced, veterinarians don’t often have abundant training in crisis management.
“Veterinary staff focuses their expertise on the animals. Social work is added to help the human needs involved, both with animal owners and staff,” Nichols says.
The human-animal bond is a significant, mutually beneficial relationship. Animals are seen as family members to many, making the loss or sickness of an animal companion challenging to process. Nichols helps guide UW Veterinary Care clients through such stressful events.
Nichols strives to understand the client’s relationship with their animal and their point of view when addressing that animal’s care, hoping to help them make the best choice for their animal and minimize regret and second-guessing in these emotionally taxing situations.
“The patients and clients are why everyone is here,” she says. “I’m trying to fill the emotional needs that come with the incredible relationships people have with their animals.”
Nichols spends her days responding to requests from faculty, staff, and students, talking with clients, and supporting those experiencing a variety of difficult situations, including processing the death of an animal. Eventually, she plans to implement a pet loss support group for clients.
“I want to let people know they are not alone when they lose a pet and feel these really significant emotions,” she says.
“The patients and clients are why everyone is here. I’m trying to fill the emotional needs that come with the incredible relationships people have with their animals.”
This summer, Nichols welcomed a social work intern, Lee Xiong, a graduate student from the UW–Madison Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work, who will build on the help provided.
In addition to client care, Nichols is also a resource for UW Veterinary Care employees. “Veterinary medicine is a highly demanding area of practice. I don’t think many people are very aware of that stress,” she says.
Mental health awareness in the workforce has been growing across all sectors, but especially in veterinary medicine. The job brings a range of stressors, including caring for ailing animals, compassion fatigue (the emotional and physical impact of caring for others), and financial stress over student loans. One in six veterinarians considers suicide, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Veterinarians also have higher rates of anxiety and depression than other professions.
The pandemic brought even more pressures to veterinary clinics, with worker shortages amplifying an already stressful job. Many veterinarians and veterinary staff experienced increased burnout and compassion fatigue, with the effects still lingering.
The UW School of Veterinary Medicine is part of a global effort to take a more comprehensive look at the care and needs of veterinarians, staff, and students in training, implementing more mental health awareness and well-being practices. Nichols is part of this movement towards a better working and learning environment.
“Many schools of veterinary medicine are including licensed clinical social workers in the team-based approach to patient care,” says Chris Snyder, UW Veterinary Care director. “Having a social worker helps manage some of the emotional stress of client management that was historically managed by the doctors and staff.”
“In addition to being a great resource for clients, having a social worker available to debrief and discuss personal feelings and circumstances surrounding difficult cases helps staff process and maintain a healthy state of mind,” he adds.
The UW School of Veterinary Medicine is part of a global effort to take a more comprehensive look at the care and needs of veterinarians, staff, and students in training, implementing more mental health awareness and well-being practices.
Through office hours and on-demand support, Nichols can ease high-stress circumstances.
“I work to be a connecting point for staff to find other resources,” she says. “It’s important to have someone there to help process difficult situations. It is more helpful if people can process situations like this sooner, instead of secondary traumatic stress building.”
Additionally, Nichols liaises with residents and interns (veterinarians pursuing advanced training in specialty areas) and DVM students to explore complex parts of their clinical responsibilities, such as the situation Kasza experienced. She shares ways to communicate effectively with clients, handle stressful situations, and adopt various wellness practices. One goal is to equip trainees with tools to approach these situations when a social worker may not be present.
Overall, Nichols’ position helps move the school and teaching hospital towards a more supportive culture for those delivering and receiving compassionate veterinary medical care.
“As many communication rounds and classes as we may take, client communication and crisis help are not our main focus as a degree,” Kasza reflects. “Rhonda’s position is very valuable to make everyone feel safer and less burdened.”
Britta Wellenstein
This article appears in the winter 2022-23 issue of On Call magazine.
The Funderburgs’ Labrador Retriever Opus had laryngeal paralysis and was part of a UW School of Veterinary Medicine study of the disease’s genetic basis.
When Allison Smith and Tom McManus noticed their Labrador Retriever, Beau, was breathing noisily more often and walking differently, they knew something was wrong. After taking Beau to the veterinarian, they discovered he had laryngeal paralysis.
This degenerative neurologic disease is common in Labrador Retrievers. Primarily affecting older dogs, the condition decays the fibers of motor nerves, which control muscle movements. This decay leads to impaired muscle function around the larynx and restricted breathing.
During normal breathing, a dog’s larynx, located at the back of the throat, will open for air to pass through. With laryngeal paralysis, dogs can have difficulty getting enough air into their lungs. Although surgery can lessen the severity of restricted breathing, it is not a cure.
The Comparative Genetics and Orthopaedic Research Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine is working to better understand this disease and identify the genetic mutations associated with it.
Directed by faculty members Peter Muir and Susannah Sample MS’07, DVM’09, PhD’11, the lab’s analyses of laryngeal paralysis will help improve veterinary care for the disease and help breeders reduce its prevalence in offspring.
Ultimately, the lab aims to create a genetic test for laryngeal paralysis in the Labrador and Golden Retriever (another breed where the condition occurs frequently). Then, they’ll determine whether the test applies to other dog breeds. Once developed, this diagnostic test can be used to inform dog breeding and patient management.
The team is also studying other genetic conditions, including cruciate ligament rupture in Labrador Retrievers (see page 24), fibrotic myopathy in German Shepherds, and degenerative suspensory ligament disease in horses. This research not only benefits veterinary species; it also sheds light on similar genetic disorders in humans.
Genetic samples (often collected through a small blood sample or saliva swab) from client-owned animals naturally experiencing these diseases support the researchers’ work. For example, for years, they have gathered samples from dogs across the U.S. and Canada to help unravel the mysteries of laryngeal paralysis.
“We could not do any of the research without outreach and support from the public. Donations from the public have a massive impact on moving things forward.”
Beau’s family enrolled him in the laboratory’s laryngeal paralysis study in 2015, adding his genetic material to the sample population.
Sadly, Beau passed away in 2016. After losing Beau, his family was driven to find a way for Beau’s legacy to live on.
“He was a therapy dog,” Smith reflects. “He gave in life and we wanted to find a way to keep giving.” So, Smith and McManus started Beau’s Fund for Excellence in Laryngeal Paralysis Research to raise money for the work done at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine, and they have encouraged others to support the research.
Hugh and Gail Funderburg also share an appreciation for this research, having first donated to the efforts in 2017 and recently contributing to Beau’s Fund.
Like the Smiths, the Funderburgs had a dog with laryngeal paralysis. Their dog, Opus, was diagnosed with laryngeal paralysis almost a decade ago. Over the course of Opus’ disease, he lost his bark.
“It was devastating,” Hugh says.
Hugh and Gail Funderburg, second and third from left, visit with members of the Comparative Genetics and Orthopaedic Research Laboratory.
The family’s veterinarian in Rockford, Illinois, advised them to visit the SVM for surgery to open Opus’ paralyzed larynx. It was there they learned of the school’s laryngeal paralysis research and added Opus’ genetic sample.
Opus died in 2018, but the Funderburgs still bring other pets to the SVM for specialized care and continue to make gifts.
“I’ve been impressed with the people here. The honesty and quality is just outstanding,” Hugh reflects.
All the way in Montana, Jaye Melcher also contributed to the research, establishing the Slick and Zephyr’s Fund for Excellence in Veterinary Medicine Research in the spring of 2022. Melcher’s dog Slick developed laryngeal paralysis in 2014, which is when she discovered the School of Veterinary Medicine laboratory and added Slick’s blood sample.
After receiving a letter of gratitude from the lab for participating in the study, Melcher was touched by their care and determination and donated to the group’s work. Then, in 2022, when her other dog, Zephyr, developed laryngeal paralysis, she created the fund.
“It was heartbreaking to have first Slick and then Zephyr, both of whom are dog agility champions and were active going into their senior years, diagnosed with this terrible disease,” she says. “When I learned about the SVM’s research, it gave me hope that someday there would be a genetic test to help prevent producing puppies that would be afflicted with laryngeal paralysis in their old age. I wanted to help support that and leave a legacy that would honor the human-animal bond and my wonderful dogs.”
As a biologist herself, Melcher understands the difficulty of obtaining research funding, which further inspired her gifts. “I know what it’s like to get funding for research. It’s really hard,” she says. “I can help fill that gap and make funding available for research that will benefit animals and their families.”
“When I learned about the SVM’s research, it gave me hope that someday there would be a genetic test to help prevent producing puppies that would be afflicted with laryngeal paralysis in their old age. I wanted to help support that and leave a legacy that would honor the human-animal bond and my wonderful dogs.”
The Comparative Genetics and Orthopaedic Research Laboratory relies on these public donations. Lab members have been touched by the widespread support of their work, partly due to the global reach of social media. Beau’s Fund, for example, has generated gifts from donors in 20 different states plus the United Kingdom.
“We could not do any of the research without outreach and support from the public,” Sample says. “Donations from the public have a massive impact on moving things forward.”
When the kitchen is full of baking and cooking, and the whole family is eating around the table, it’s easy to want your pets to join in the merriment. You may be tempted to slip them a piece or two of table scraps. However, you need to be careful about what human foods you feed your pets.
Amy Nichelason, a canine and feline practitioner and clinical professor of primary care at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, discussed table scraps on a recent episode of Wisconsin Public Radio’s The Larry Meiller Show.
“A lot of time, we cook our holiday meals with a lot of oil and butter that make it delicious for us but can cause gastrointestinal upset — or less frequently, even more serious issues like inflammation of the pancreas — for cats and dogs that aren’t used to eating this kind of fatty and delicious food,” she says.
It’s important to keep pets away from these types of indulgent foods, as well as some fruits and vegetables. Onions, grapes (and raisins) and garlic, specifically, are known to be toxic to pets.
If you want your pet to feel included around the holiday table, Nichelason suggests you give them small treats meant for their species or pieces of their kibble instead of table scraps.
Furthermore, baked goods may also pose a risk. For example, it’s now believed that tartaric acid in grapes may be at least one of the causes of toxicity in pets, and tartaric acid is also present in cream of tartar.
“We have seen some toxicities through the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Poison Control with cream of tartar exposure that is very similar to grape toxicity,” Nichelason says. “Cream of tartar is in some baking powder, so we want to make sure we are preventing exposure to pastries and pies where this is an ingredient.”
If you still want your pet to feel included around the holiday table, Nichelason suggests you give them small treats meant for their species or pieces of their kibble instead of table scraps.
“They don’t know the difference and they are very happy,” she says. “It’s one way to make your pet feel a part of the festivities and avoid diarrhea.”
If you are worried about other human foods that may be harmful to your pet, the ASPCA has a helpful list of things to avoid.
We all know the holiday trope where a child opens a present and a kitten or puppy pops their head out. It’s a cute idea but gifting a pet for the holidays is a huge decision.
“It’s a big lifestyle change to add a pet to your household,” Maria Verbrugge, a clinical instructor of primary care at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine, said on a recent episode of Wisconsin Public Radio’s The Larry Meiller Show. “It’s the kind of gift you should decide together rather than a surprise.”
If you are thinking of gifting a pet this holiday season, make sure the recipient is ready to add a new member to their family and make that commitment.
Verbrugge says there are many factors to consider. These include the time and financial commitments needed for a new pet, whether the new pet will get along with any other pets in the household and fit the recipient’s lifestyle, and what type of care they will need.
Jennie and Steve Leffel love cats like no other. So, when their friend had a cat expecting kittens, the pair jumped to take care of one. They named the kitten Jubal and welcomed him to their family.
“He’s been with us from when he was a baby,” they recount. “He was just a little guy.”
Twelve years later, Jubal isn’t as little anymore, but he’s just as sweet. However, when Jubal started acting unlike himself, behaving erratically and vomiting, they knew something was wrong.
Jubal, left, rests with the Leffels’ second cat, Gary. The Petco Love and Blue Buffalo Pet Cancer Treatment Fund supported Jubal’s surgery at UW Veterinary Care.
“He’d go hot and cold. He’d be ornery and then be all nice,” Jennie reflects. “He’d have this sassiness to him and then he’d be very sweet.”
Jennie brought Jubal to their local veterinarian in De Pere, Wisconsin in May 2022. The veterinarian found a large mass in Jubal’s chest cavity at that appointment, suspecting it was thymoma, a type of cancer found in the thymus gland.
“The mass was taking up a quarter of his chest cavity,” Steve says.
Jubal was given a steroid, which shrunk the tumor a bit and helped him keep down food.
The Leffels weren’t sure of the next steps. Jubal was already 12 years old, but they wanted to see how much time they had left with him or if more could be done to help.
“I had to find out. If they gave me six months, then we’d do palliative (care) and make him comfortable,” Jennie says. “I just had to know.”
So, the Leffels brought Jubal to UW Veterinary Care, the teaching hospital of the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, to better understand Jubal’s tumor.
The UW Veterinary Care team performed a CT scan and needle aspirate to investigate what cells were growing in the mass, and the results were consistent with thymoma. Left untreated, veterinarians determined the thymoma in Jubal’s chest would have continued to enlarge and impact heart and lung function, and it would ultimately have been fatal for him.
Fortunately, the tumor was operable. This was joyous news to the Leffels, finding out their cat could be helped. However, the surgery was costly.
“They told us it would be expensive surgery,” Jennie said. “So, the oncologist got us in line with the Petco/Blue Buffalo Cancer Treatment Fund.”
Gary and Jubal, right, enjoy a cat nap together.
The Petco Love and Blue Buffalo Pet Cancer Treatment Fund subsidizes the cost of cancer care for dogs and cats of families who otherwise could not afford the treatment.
The UW School of Veterinary Medicine is one of 12 veterinary oncology universities each awarded $75,000 to help provide life-saving cancer care to pets and their families. The funds are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis of up to $4,000 per client.
2022 is the second year UW has received the grant. Last year, UW Veterinary Care distributed the funds to 19 clients to support their pets’ cancer treatment.
“Since the surgery, he’s been the sweetest thing. He’s back to normal. We are so thankful. The hospital did such a good job.”
After the surgery, Jubal was back to his healthy, active self. He was excited to reunite with his family and the Leffels’ other cat, Gary, and eager to return to his favorite activities even while he was healing.
“He tested the limits with his sutures. We had him in a kennel and he got out of there. He wiggled his way out,” Jennie recounts. “I got out of bed one morning and he was at my feet.”
The Leffels are so grateful that Jubal is back to his antics and his old, happy personality.
“Since the surgery, he’s been the sweetest thing. He’s back to normal,” Jennie reflects. “We are so thankful. The hospital did such a good job.”
The golden retriever Scout at an event at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in January 2020 celebrating the release of a Super Bowl ad featuring the school and Scout. Scout’s legacy continues through the support of UW School of Veterinary Medicine efforts to better diagnose, treat and prevent cancer and identify new cancer-fighting drugs and treatments.
Long after the last play was called in the 2020 Super Bowl and fans and players left the stadium, an amiable golden retriever named Scout, who appeared in a 30-second commercial during the game’s second quarter, has continued to inspire animal lovers worldwide.
The 2020 commercial, titled “Lucky Dog,” shared Scout’s cancer treatment journey at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine and encouraged viewers to donate to the school’s cancer research efforts. Scout was part of the family of David MacNeil, founder and CEO of WeatherTech. The company, a manufacturer of automotive accessories and home and pet care products, paid for the ad.
Scout passed away in March 2020 but will make an in-memoriam appearance in WeatherTech’s 2023 Super Bowl commercial this Sunday. Viewers can continue to support the Pets Make a Difference Fund to advance cancer treatments and technology at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine.
Since Scout’s heartwarming story was first shared globally, more than a million dollars have been raised to support the School of Veterinary Medicine’s efforts to better diagnose, treat and prevent cancer and identify new cancer-fighting drugs and treatments. New and recurring donors from all 50 states and around the world have made gifts toward the school’s cancer research as recently as last week.
Gifts helped make possible the purchase of a cutting-edge radiation therapy delivery system called Radixact, installed in fall 2020 at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine’s teaching hospital, UW Veterinary Care. UW Veterinary Care is currently the only veterinary medical hospital globally to offer treatment with the Radixact system, bringing several advantages for pets and their care providers.
“With this technology, we can now treat tumors and spare healthy tissue with more confidence and accuracy, in addition to targeting tumors in areas of the body that we couldn’t previously,” says Professor Lisa Forrest, head of UW Veterinary Care’s Radiation Oncology Service.
Certified veterinary technician Abigail Jones holds Davis, a domestic short-haired cat who received radiation therapy treatment for nasal carcinoma with the Radixact machine at UW Veterinary Care. Gift support inspired by Scout’s story helped make possible the purchase of this cutting-edge system.
Most significantly, the upgraded system provides real-time, adaptive motion tracking of tumors. The treatment delivery beam is continuously synchronized as a tumor moves due to breathing, digestion or patient movement.
This real-time tracking ensures the tumor gets all the radiation it needs while surrounding tissues get as little radiation as possible. It also opens new treatment opportunities for cancers in the abdomen and thorax — including lung, heart, liver and kidney tumors — where the proximity of vital organs and other sensitive tissues made radiation therapy previously difficult or impossible.
A recent additional upgrade to the Radixact system allows for faster optimization of radiation plans, making them more efficient and paving the way for quick but accurate treatment plans for urgent, critical cases.
Gift support inspired by Scout’s story also allowed the hospital’s Oncology Service to hire an additional clinical trials intern (a post-graduate veterinarian pursuing advanced training) to pursue more clinical trials of new cancer therapies and meet client demand for trial participation.
UW School of Veterinary Medicine oncologists see thousands of patient visits annually (cancer is the number one cause of illness and death in the aging dog population) and are world-renowned for advancing clinical treatments for animals with cancer. Their work benefits UW Veterinary Care patients and people battling cancer worldwide, as clinical findings often translate to treatment and technology innovations for both veterinary and human medicine.
In addition, funding in Scout’s name has made possible research focused on hemangiosarcoma, the type of cancer Scout faced. This aggressive cancer of blood vessel walls is common in dogs.
“We have such a long way to go both in physician-based and veterinarian-based oncology. It’s a huge need that we are working to move forward.”
This spring, the school will launch a two-year clinical trial of a new anti-hemangiosarcoma vaccine led by David Vail, a professor of comparative oncology. The vaccine targets approximately 40 antigens, or molecular recognition markers, found on hemangiosarcoma cancer cells. Clinicians will deliver the vaccine in combination with standard surgery and chemotherapy to bolster treatment.
“The vaccine is designed to train the dogs’ immune system to recognize these markers and to seek out and destroy spreading hemangiosarcoma cancer cells left behind after surgery and chemotherapy,” Vail explains.
Beyond financial support, Scout’s story and legacy have provided an unprecedented opportunity to highlight on a global stage the importance of veterinary medicine for animals and people, and the UW School of Veterinary Medicine’s impact in advancing innovative therapies for cancer and other devastating diseases.
The school’s comparative oncology work emphasizes a bidirectional flow of findings between veterinary and human medicine. According to Vail, a fundamental goal is to raise the current standard of cancer care. For animal and human patients, recurrence and metastasis (the spread of cancer) for aggressive tumors is “a very real problem.”
“We have such a long way to go both in physician-based and veterinarian-based oncology,” he says. “It’s a huge need that we are working to move forward.”
Neutering (the surgical removal of both testicles to sterilize a male animal) is one of the most common procedures veterinarians perform. However, there are many myths surrounding whether neutering is necessary and potential complications.
For one, many pet owners believe it will cause changes in their animal’s behavior or energy level; however, this is not true.
“There isn’t much evidence that neutering will change behavior or drive and energy level, other than changing sexually driven behaviors, like going after female dogs,” Maria Verbrugge, a clinical instructor of primary care at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine, said on a recent episode of Wisconsin Public Radio’s The Larry Meiller Show.
Overall, few scientific studies show negative effects of neutering. Some correlation studies have looked at specific factors in populations of neutered dogs after the fact. However, “these aren’t always demonstrating causation, even if they demonstrate correlation,” Verbrugge says. “We often don’t have a good level of evidence to say because this dog was neutered, this happened.”
What is known are the benefits of neutering for long-term health. “Neutering dramatically decreases the chances of benign growth of the prostate, cysts, and infections,” Verbrugge says.
Ultimately, if you are worried about any adverse effects of neutering, talk to your veterinarian.
When most people think of the operating room (OR), they picture doctors performing surgery. However, getting to that point takes lots of preparation. OR technicians and on-call student hourlies help ensure operating spaces are prepped and ready for any surgery.
“They are like the superheroes behind the scenes,” says Meenu Verma, associate director and hospital administrator for UW Veterinary Care. “They work throughout the whole cycle of the surgery, from prep to clean up.”
UW Veterinary Care relies on OR staff to help surgeries run smoothly. OR technicians work full-time during the week, while student hourlies, made of both undergraduate and DVM students, fill in during on-call hours across weekends and weeknights. There are two teams, one for large animal and one for small animal surgeries.
“We have a very unique experience because UW Veterinary Care is a tertiary referral hospital. I’ve gotten to see a lot of special, detailed surgeries that they wouldn’t normally do out in general practices.”
Both student hourlies and OR technicians work to collect and sterilize equipment, set up the operating room with specific tools needed for the surgery, help clean up after the procedure, and prepare for surgeries the next day. Whether it be a Great Dane, rabbit, or bird, OR staff are well-versed in the equipment and preparations needed for every
“We shave the animal and help get them situated in the OR and set up on the operating table. After that, we open instruments, tie surgeons into surgical gowns and maintain sterility,” says Veronica Magsamen, a third year DVM student at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine and lead student hourly for small animal surgery.
Magsamen says the position has helped her more deeply understand what she learns in classes and prepared her for exams on surgical instruments. It has also given her self-assurance for her first experience conducting surgery, which starts in DVM students’ third year with spaying and neutering.
“It’s cool to learn about a surgery in class and then be able to see it in person,” she says. “We have a very unique experience because UW Veterinary Care is a tertiary referral hospital. I’ve gotten to see a lot of special, detailed surgeries that they wouldn’t normally do out in general practices.”
Promoted to lead student hourly in the spring of 2022, Magsamen manages the other on-call student hourlies, serving as a resource to help them find instruments and organizing schedules. Looking ahead to her fourth year of the DVM curriculum, where veterinary medical students spend much of their time in clinical rotations in the veterinary hospital, Magsamen says the experience has increased her confidence in the OR and helped her establish relationships with hospital surgeons.
“Fourth-year is a very nerve-wracking experience,” she says. “When I walk into the OR, I’ll feel confident. I understand the flow of surgery and how each part of it plays a different role.”
“We don’t know how she did it,” Widick reflects. “She was completely paralyzed — couldn’t stand or walk.”
If you are thinking of gifting a pet this holiday season, make sure the recipient is ready to add a new member to their family and make that commitment.
Magsamen says the position has helped her more deeply understand what she learns in classes and prepared her for exams on surgical instruments. It has also given her self-assurance for her first experience conducting surgery, which starts in DVM students’ third year with spaying and neutering.
