In The News

Adel Talaat, a professor of microbiology at University of Wisconsin-Madison, is developing a bird flu vaccine he hopes can be used to slow the spread of future outbreaks.

Thanks to the UW School of Veterinary Medicine and a grant, Brady, a 10-year-old Shar Pei mix, was able to receive treatment for his cancer.

One in four dogs will be diagnosed with cancer, according to MedVet. We talk with two veterinarians about the warning signs for cancer, plus cover holiday adoptions and whether you can share Thanksgiving leftovers with your dog.

The number and types of standing surgical procedures that can be safely completed on the horse continue to grow, writes Kayla Le in the latest edition of Equine Disease Quarterly. “Standing surgery allows for expanded treatment options that may not have been previously possible due to risks associated with general anesthesia,” says Le, with the Department of Surgical Sciences at the University of Wisconsin Madison.

“The report draws attention to a form of international trade and movement that most people don’t know about,” says Tony Goldberg, an epidemiologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who was not involved in the research. “It’s becoming increasingly apparent that globalization is not only a problem for human diseases but also animal diseases.”

"We don't have any evidence that this virus will cause disease in humans, but flu viruses do change," said Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Lab. "This strain of the virus is a little bit different than the virus we saw in 2015."

With the cold weather of winter, people experiencing homelessness in the area struggle to find warm shelter, and some have cats or dogs with them. One non-profit in Madison has offered care and shelter to those animals, but the group is having trouble keeping up. Wisconsin Companion Animal Resources, Education, and Social Services, or WisCares, is a partnership program with the University of Wisconsin.

Pets residing in one of America’s “veterinary deserts” are set to have improved access to care, thanks to an industry donation. The Wisconsin Companion Animal Resources, Education, and Social Services (WisCARES) has received two grants totaling $135,000 from PetSmart Charities. The funding will support the program’s continued mission of providing low-cost veterinary care to pet owners experiencing homelessness and financial difficulty in South Madison, Wisc.

One really great resource available to dairy farmers comes from the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine’s Dairyland Initiative. At this website, you will find recommendations for everything from stall and alleyway dimensions to manure capacity needs and more. By following guidelines such as these and identifying your herd size goals, you can hopefully design a barn that will work for your cows now and into the future.

Certain breeds, such as the Labrador Retriever, Rottweiler, and Newfoundland are at higher risk of cruciate ligament rupture, indicating a genetic influence on disease development. But which genes are involved and how much impact do they have on an individual dog’s risk of cruciate ligament rupture? Investigators at the University of Wisconsin set out to answer these questions with funding from the AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF).