Each year, the Veterinary Health Center’s three specialized hospitals care for about 17,000 hospitalized animals and thousands more on farms. Many of these animals come from the Columbia area for primary and emergency care, while others are referred by veterinarians throughout the Midwest for our specialized services. Working alongside faculty and staff, veterinary students, interns and residents in postgraduate training participate in each phase of clinical care.
Small Animal Hospital
Equine Hospital
Food Animal Hospital
VHC Wentzville
Veterinary Health Center at Kansas City
NEWS
Longtime Shelter Dog Adopted, Successfully Treated at VHC
On Jan. 30, 2021, Leena and Rich Ruedin of Lake St. Louis, Missouri, were far from considering pet adoption. They had lost the last of their bonded pair of dogs in mid-2019, and were still mourning. However, that afternoon, Rich Ruedin came across a story on his news feed about a 14-year-old, female, black Labrador mix named Wiggles, who had been surrendered to a no-kill animal shelter in Godfrey, Illinois, in 2010. Wiggles’ owners were unable to afford her allergy medication, and it was clear that Wiggles was having other difficulties, as a tumor had been growing on her rear…
3D Printing Helps Amish-owned Horse Recover Post-tracheotomy
MU equine veterinarian works with engineering students to custom-print device, assist horse with breathing issue. When Ronnie, a 2,000-pound draft horse owned by an Amish family in Clark, Missouri, started having trouble breathing, he was taken to the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. There, equine veterinarian Joanne Kramer surgically created a hole in the horse’s windpipe to help him breathe easier and bypass a permanent airway obstruction. However, there was still an issue holding Ronnie back. He was a working horse and needed to be in top physical shape to meet the demands of his daily farm tasks….
Sounding the Alarm to Save Pets
University of Missouri veterinary toxicology expert and MU alumni work to notify public about dog food brand linked to animal deaths. The Lebanon Veterinary Clinic had only been open for a few weeks when David Sikes received a desperate call from a dog breeder. His animals were falling sick, and some were dying. He needed help immediately. It was just days before Christmas 2020. Sikes was still settling into his new practice, but calls like this were among the many reasons he attended the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine: to help animals – and by extension, the people…
VHC’s Medical Oncology Team Gives Service Dog a Second Chance
In 2008, the Fiorelli family of Columbia, Illinois, made a trip to China to adopt a 1-year-old girl into their family. Their daughter, whom they named Natalie, was abandoned on the doorstep of a hospital as a baby and left as an orphan. When they decided to adopt, they knew they wanted to adopt a child with special needs, and they sought options to do so. Before they made the trip to China, parents Julie and Bernie Fiorelli received information that Natalie had a heart condition and pneumonia. Upon their arrival at the orphanage, it was clear that she was…
Little Dog, Big Heart
VHC cardiologists treat puppy for rare defect Jessica Bascus, a native of Marceline, Missouri, adopted a Jack Russell terrier puppy in December of 2019. The puppy, whom she named Ruby, was surrendered to a local veterinarian with a known heart murmur. Bascus heard about Ruby from a friend and decided she was going to foster the puppy, but during their first meeting she knew it wasn’t going to be a temporary relationship. “I absolutely fell in love with her the moment I saw her,” said Bascus. “I just knew she was going to be a part of our family.” Bascus…
Mizzou Offering New Therapy with Prismaflex Machine
The University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center is now able to perform therapeutic plasma exchanges (TPE) and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) using the Baxter Prismaflex machine. The Baxter website defines the Prismaflex machine as an innovative system that is designed to support the recovery of critically ill patients with acute kidney injury. This machine has already been used to assist a VHC patient named Beau. Beau is a 6-month-old hound dog, Labrador mix who was severely anemic on arrival. He was considered to be in critical condition and needed a blood transfusion right away. “Beau had a condition called…
‘Live PD’ German Shepherd Dog Receives Successful Surgery at MU
Veterinary Health Center performs emergency surgery on small intestine Dogs are not only a man’s best friend. They can also be a man’ best co-worker as well. James Craigmyle served as a Deputy Sheriff for the Greene County Sheriff’s Office from 2004 until 2019. During his last eight years of service, Craigmyle was joined by Lor, a four-legged German shepherd dog from the Czech Republic who had been identified as a suitable police dog due to his keen sense of smell and fearless demeanor. “Lor was a fantastic police dog due to his courage, heart and relentless drive,” Craigmyle said….
MU VHC Enrolling Dogs with Cancer in Unique Clinical Drug Trial
The University of Missouri Veterinary Health Center is recruiting dogs with cancer for a new clinical trial that is being conducted in partnership with the National Cancer Institute. At present, MU is the only location in the country where the trial is under way. “While we can screen dogs with almost any kind of cancer to determine if they qualify for the trial, we are particularly interested in dogs with lymphoma or multiple myeloma,” said VHC Assistant Professor of Veterinary Oncology Brian Flesner, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology). Dogs with mast cell tumors or hemangiosarcoma cannot be enrolled in the trial….
The Beat Goes On:
MU veterinary cardiologist recycles donated pacemakers — from both pets and people — to maintain the rhythm of life for canine patients Every species requires a beating heart to live, and that heartbeat must maintain a certain rhythm to perform its vital task. Since the 1960s, pacemakers have controlled abnormal heart rhythms in humans. In the 1980s, veterinary cardiologists began using pacemakers in canine patients. “There is actually no difference between human and canine pacemakers,” says Stacey Leach, DVM, an assistant teaching professor and researcher at MU’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “We use the same equipment, the same technology. Oftentimes,…
New Precision Medicine Procedure Fights Cancer, Advances Treatment for Pets and Humans
MU veterinary oncologists develop a vaccine treatment for osteosarcoma, a common type of bone cancer in dogs, avoiding chemotherapy and opening the door for human clinical trials In a first-of-its-kind study, scientists at the University of Missouri have helped advance a patient-specific, precision medicine treatment for bone cancer in dogs. By creating a vaccine from a dog’s own tumor, scientists worked with ELIAS Animal Health to target specific cancer cells and avoid the toxic side effects of chemotherapy, while also opening the door for future human clinical trials. Osteosarcoma, or bone cancer, is not common in humans, representing only about…
The MU College of Veterinary Medicine is Missouri’s only institution that confers the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Thank you for exploring how you can partner with us to make a positive difference in the lives of animals and people.