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Small Animal

  • Article Item
    Portrait of Li-Jen Chang.
    From big cats to Blacksburg: Li-Jen Chang joins veterinary college , article

    Li-Jen Chang recently joined the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine as a clinical assistant professor of veterinary anesthesia and pain management. In this position, Chang will spend most of his time working at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, one of the college’s three hospitals.

    Date: Mar 27, 2023
  • Article Item
    Photo collage of a gray cat with green eyes, relaxing in bed.
    Mona Lisa keeps making smiles thanks to cancer treatment, Petco Love funds , article

    When adopting a cat, some people pick out their new feline friend from pictures online. For Gary and Rebecca Davis, Mona Lisa—Mony for short—was different.

    Date: Mar 22, 2023
  • Article Item
    Portrait of Mary Songster-Alpin.
    New clinician Songster-Alpin embraces teaching, spectrum of care , article

    Mary Songster-Alpin recently joined the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine as a clinical assistant professor at the Small Animal Community Practice. The Small Animal Community Practice (CPRAC) is part of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, one of the college’s three animal hospitals. The Community Practice provides preventative care to small animals within a 35-mile radius of Blacksburg.

    Date: Mar 09, 2023
  • Article Item
    Grey cat with bright green eyes looking directly into the camera.
    5 Poison Prevention Tips to Keep Your Pet Safe , article

    Poisoning is a leading cause of injury and death in companion animals in the USA. It's essential to stay informed about the most common causes of poisoning and to take steps to prevent it. By being vigilant and taking steps to protect your pet from toxic substances, you can help keep them safe and healthy.

    Date: Mar 01, 2023
  • Article Item
    Photo of Bobbie Conner is a hate and glasses, standing with a man in glasses.
    Faculty Spotlight: Bobbi Conner , article

    Bobbi Conner, DVM, DACVECC Clinical Associate Professor, Emergency and Critical Care Medicine

    Date: Feb 17, 2023
  • Article Item
    Portrait of Rebecca Persons.
    Veterinary alumna Rebecca Persons joins college as clinical instructor , article

    Rebecca Persons has joined the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine as a clinical instructor at the Small Animal Community Practice. The Small Animal Community Practice is part of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, one of the college’s three animal hospitals. The Community Practice provides preventative care to small animals within a 35-mile radius of Blacksburg.

    Date: Feb 10, 2023
  • Article Item
    Dog looking in a bathroom mirror with a tooth brush in their mouth.
    How Dental Care Keeps Your Pet Healthy and Happy , article

    Pets are beloved members of many families, so it's important to ensure that they receive the proper care in order to keep them healthy and happy. One aspect of pet care that is often overlooked is oral health. It’s been estimated that a whopping 85% of cats over the age of three suffer from dental disease!

    Date: Feb 08, 2023
  • Article Item
    Photo of a dog walking on the underground treadmill at VMCVM.
    Veterinary college employs spectrum of care to improve 11-year-old dog's life after leg injury , article

    When Sophie the Newfoundland/golden retriever mix suddenly could not stand on her hind end, owner Angela McCoy Williams of Giles, Va. took Sophie to the emergency services at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH). It was found that Sophie tore her cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) in her rear right leg.

    Date: Feb 02, 2023
  • Article Item
    MaLora Bush at the ACCRC.
    Trained in human medicine, four times bereaved by cancer, MaLora Bush finds purpose in treating pets , article

    For four close family members who died of cancer, for her three furry “babies” at home, MaLora Bush has found more than just a job she loves, but a life’s mission.

    Date: Jan 30, 2023
  • Article Item
    Brittany Ciepluch examining a dog.
    Faculty Spotlight: Brittany Ciepluch , article

    Brittany Ciepluch, DVM, MS, DACVS–Small Animal Clinical Assistant Professor, Surgical Oncology

    Date: Jan 25, 2023
  • Article Item
    Student teaching a canine companion to "shake".
    "5 Tips for Successful Dog Training" , article

    Training your dog is an essential part of being a responsible pet owner. It helps to establish boundaries, build trust, and create a positive relationship between you and your furry friend.

    Date: Jan 19, 2023
  • Article Item
    Thor Sparks and his care team pose for a photo at the VTH.
    Former police dog Thor swallows hard for holidays, receives compassionate, life-saving care at Veterinary Teaching Hospital , article

    It’s much easier to get a cloth elf and a plush teddy bear chew toy into a dog than to get them out. But out they came, thanks to the combined efforts of more than 20 personnel at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, within the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, just before the holiday break. Thor’s care was financed by compassionate care donations through Paws of Honor and the Veterinary Teaching Hospital Working & Service Dog support fund.

    Date: Jan 10, 2023
  • Article Item
    Dog laying down for a treat.
    New animal behavior course helps students discern what dogs tell us without words , article

    Buechner-Maxwell, a professor and specialist in large animal internal medicine at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine and also certified in shelter medicine, and Erica Feuerbacher, associate professor of animal science and welfare in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), together coordinate the new Companion Animal Behavior and Socialization course.

    Date: Oct 26, 2022
  • Article Item
    Fourth-year students on their shelter medicine rotation at the Mountain View Humane Spay/Neuter Clinic.
    Veterinary college students help provide safe, affordable spay/neuter services to help end pet overpopulation in Southwest Virginia , article

    There is an intense focus, but also cheerfulness, amid the whir and hum in the operating room at the back of Mountain View Humane Spay/Neuter Clinic in Christiansburg, Virginia. Dogs and cats have been brought by clients, by shelters, and by the regional Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) for low-cost spay and neuter surgeries, performed by Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine students under the supervision of faculty.

    Date: Oct 12, 2022
  • Article Item
    Collage of ACE dogs 2022.
    The “Canine Instructors” Class of ‘22 , article

    Just as the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine welcomed its Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) class of 2026 this Fall, it also welcomed its new participants in the Animal Care for Education (ACE) program. From August to mid-October, the veterinary college fosters dogs that come from local shelters.

    Date: Oct 06, 2022
  • Article Item
    Erin Phoenix poses in the grass with a dog.
    Veterinary alumna returns as faculty to work with students, shelter dogs , article

    Erin Phoenix (B.S ‘11, DVM ’17) recently joined the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine as a veterinary instructor with the Animal Care for Education team in the small animal clinical sciences department.

    Date: Aug 29, 2022
  • Article Item
    Saint, a retired service dog, participates in physical rehabilitation at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine's Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
    Physical rehabilitation enhances pets' quality of life , article

    When Saint, a retired service dog from Saint Francis Service Dogs of Roanoke, Virginia, began experiencing mobility issues and hind limb weakness, his new owner, Krista Sinnott, was referred to VA-MD Vet Med for physical rehabilitation to improve the 11-year-old’s quality of life.

    Date: Feb 15, 2020
  • Article Item
    Justin Ganjei (DVM ’11) and (right) David Grant (chemistry ’94, M.S. ’03), associate professor of internal medicine in Small Animal Clinical Sciences
    Saving Yoda , article

    Justin Ganjei (DVM ’11), a staff surgeon at Veterinary Surgical Centers in northern Virginia, returned to Blacksburg to work with Veterinary Teaching Hospital internist David Grant and surgeon Sabrina “Bini” Barry to collaborate on a fluoroscopy-guided surgical treatment to save an internal medicine resident's cat, Yoda.

    Date: Oct 01, 2019
  • Article Item
    Fat Cat Clinical Research Study
    Feline weight-loss study , article

    Because implementing weight-loss plans for pets can be challenging, Megan Shepherd, assistant professor of clinical nutrition; Lauren Dodd, clinical nutrition resident; and sponsor Purina set out to discover how owners’ perceptions of their cat’s quality of life were influenced by adding food toys to the cats’ weight-loss regimen.

    Date: Apr 06, 2019