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The University of Missouri Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory recently began working with MU Health Care to provide COVID-19 testing. With the MU Health Care testing site exceeding its capacity due to an increasing number of coronavirus cases, Shuping Zhang, BVS, PhD, DACVM, director of the VMDL, said it was time for the veterinary lab to start providing this service. “MU Health reached out to us for collaboration,” said Zhang. “With our participation, projected testing capacity is up to about 1,500 more tests per day, or around 8,500 per week.” There were many steps taken to make this possible for the…

The University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine has installed a new linear accelerator in the Veterinary Health Center. A linear accelerator creates high energy x-rays, which are used to treat patients with certain types of cancer. The new linear accelerator was purchased after the previous linear accelerator, which had been used at the CVM for approximately seven years, began to break down. According to Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology Charles Maitz, DVM, PhD, DACVR-Radiation Oncology, the previous machine was around 8 years old when it was purchased, and the average life span is usually around 15 years of functionality…

After a tiger at the Bronx Zoo recently tested positive for COVID-19, some pet owners are wondering if the respiratory disease can be transmitted from cats and dogs. While there have been nearly 2 million people worldwide infected with COVID-19, only two dogs, two cats and one tiger have tested positive for the novel coronavirus as of early April. “There’s an awful lot that we are still learning about the virus,” said Leah Cohn, professor of small animal internal medicine at the MU College of Veterinary Medicine. “We have not seen a rise in respiratory diseases or infections in dogs…

MU’s Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Lab screens harvested deer for chronic wasting disease The Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Missouri is helping to improve the testing of deer in Missouri after continued reports of chronic wasting disease. This illness is found in deer populations and affects the neurologic system, commonly causing chronic weight loss. Chronic wasting disease is fatal in all deer it infects, and left unchecked, has the potential to wipe out Missouri’s white tail deer population. Throughout Missouri, testing for the disease is vital and MU’s lab, housed in the College of Veterinary Medicine, is aiding…

For retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. John Hopson, Memorial Day 2019 was particularly memorable ─ it was the first one spent with Max, his new service dog. Hopson received Max, a chocolate Labrador, on Friday, May 24, through the University of Missouri Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction (ReCHAI) Uniting Veterans with Service Dogs program. During a hand-off ceremony at Crowder Hall on the MU campus, Rebecca Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN, FNAP, the director of ReCHAI, said Max is the seventh dog who has been successfully partnered with a veteran since ReCHAI initiated the program a decade ago. The program is…

Nonprofit formed by CVM residents partners with other animal welfare organizations to offer free spay and neuter clinics to help Puerto Rico’s recovery after Hurricane Maria. The Storm On Sept. 20, 2017, Puerto Rico experienced the worst natural disaster in its history. Hurricane Maria wreaked catastrophic destruction and created a humanitarian crisis when it struck the island, resulting in flooding, extensive infrastructure damage, and the worst electrical blackout in U.S. history, as every one of the island’s 3.4 million residents lost power. Maria, a 50-mile-wide hurricane with 150 mph winds, would prove to be the fifth-strongest storm ever to hit…

Rhodococcus equi, which affects developing foals, may be more prevalent because of early summer Rhodococcus equi is a bacterial organism found in dry and dusty soil in horse environments that can cause pneumonia in young foals. A zoonotic disease, Rhodococcus equi can also infect people who are immunocompromised, such as HIV-AIDS patients. Philip Johnson, a professor of equine internal medicine in the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, has seen several cases this season and cautions that horse owners, especially those with foals between 1 and 4 months old, should remain vigilant and attentive to the signs of Rhodococcus…

The University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center (VHC) has purchased the Animal Emergency Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The sale was finalized on Wednesday, April 25. The clinic reopened April 26. MU College of Veterinary Medicine Alumnus Karl Mischke, DVM, ’89, established the Animal Emergency Center, located at 8141 North Oak Trafficway, in 1993 to offer emergency care to Kansas City-area clients during overnight hours, and on weekends and holidays. Mischke passed away unexpectedly on April 20, 2017. Due to Missouri regulations governing the operation of veterinary facilities, which require veterinary businesses be owned by a licensed doctor of veterinary…

According to recent reports, more than 107 million cans of dog food have been recalled because they contained trace amounts of pentobarbital, the tranquilizer used to put down sick or injured animals. Tim Evans, an associate professor of veterinary pathobiology and head of toxicology in the Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (VMDL) at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, stresses that while no measurable concentrations of pentobarbital should be in these products, pet owners should monitor resources for updates and notices for pet food recalls. “The FDA plays a key role in preventing these situations and in protecting our…