• Topic: Laminitis
• Speaker: Dr. Julia Montgomery, associate professor, WCVM Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences
• Time/date: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021
• Fee: $25

Seminar

In this seminar, Dr. Montgomery will cover the pathophysiology of equine laminitis, laminitis prevention and treatment options for acute laminitis. She will also review some of the recent laminitis literature.

Speaker

Dr. Julia Montgomery
Med Vet, PhD, DACVIM (Large Animal)

Dr. Julia Montgomery is an associate professor in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences and a board-certified specialist in large animal internal medicine at the WCVM’s Veterinary Medical Centre. 

After graduating from Germany's School of Veterinary Medicine Hannover in 2003, Dr. Montgomery undertook a one-year clinical internship at Virginia Tech Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Va. Her next move was to the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown, P.E.I., where she completed a three-year residency in large animal internal medicine and a PhD degree at the Atlantic Veterinary College.

Dr. Montgomery worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the WCVM’s Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences for two years before joining the college’s faculty and clinical team in 2013. Her teaching areas include large animal internal medicine as well as veterinary anatomy with a focus on large animal comparative anatomy. She has a special clinical interest in respiratory, gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases of horses and equine nutrition. Her current research includes two research streams in the areas of equine internal medicine (equine asthma; equine metabolic syndrome; use of capsule endoscopy in horses) and equine rehabilitation.

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• Topic: Emergency management
• Speaker: Dr. Chris Clark, associate professor, WCVM Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences
• Time/date: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021
• Fee: $25

Speaker

Dr. Chris Clark
VetMB, PhD, DACVIM

Dr. Chris Clark graduated from the Cambridge University in the United Kingdom (UK) and then eventually came to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) for a one-year internship. After one year as a rural veterinarian in the UK, he returned to the WCVM to complete his residency, master’s and PhD degrees in clinical pharmacology. 

As an associate professor, Dr. Clark has received numerous teaching awards, including the University of Saskatchewan’s Master Teacher Award in 2016. He has served as the WCVM’s associate dean academic for the past five years. His greatest interest is veterinary education — and cows’ feet.

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• Topic: Drug compounding and therapeutic decision making
• Speaker: Dr. Trisha Dowling, professor, WCVM Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences
• Time/date: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021
• Fee: $25

Seminar

Dr. Dowling will present on the decision process for using drugs in practice on label versus extralabel. And for extralabel drug use, she will present the rights and responsibilities that come with prescribing approved drugs (brand name or generics) in an extralabel manner compared to prescribing compounded drug products.

Speaker

Dr. Trisha Dowling
BS, DVM, MS, ACVIM (Large Animal), DACVCP

Dr. Trisha Dowling is a veterinarian and professor of veterinary clinical pharmacology at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) on the University of Saskatchewan (USask) campus. She graduated from Texas A&M University in 1983 (BS Animal Science) and 1987 (DVM). After a residency and master’s program at Auburn University, she became board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology. She has been teaching veterinary pharmacology at the WCVM since 1993 and has received numerous teaching awards including the Norden Distinguished Professor award, the USask Provost's Teaching Excellence Award, and the USask Master Teacher Award. 

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• Topic: Equine parvovirus
• Speaker: Dr. Valentina Ragno, clinical associate, WCVM Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences
• Time/date: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022
• Fee: $25

Speaker

Dr. Valentina Ragno
DVM, MSc, DACVIM (Large Animal)

Originally from northern Italy, Dr. Valentina Ragno attended the University of Turin (Torino, Italy) where she completed her veterinary medicine degree at the university's Department of Veterinary Sciences.

After graduation, Dr. Ragno completed equine internships in Italy, Ireland and the United States. She went on to complete a large animal internal medicine residency and a Master of Science degree at the University of Saskatchewan's Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). She also became a board-certified specialist in large animal internal medicine. 

Dr. Ragno was an assistant professor of large animal medicine at the WCVM for one year before joining the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre's Equine Field Service — first as a locum and then as a clinical associate. She has also served remotely as sessional lecturer in large animal medicine for the University of Calgary. Her research efforts currently focus on equine endocrinology and infectious diseases.

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• Topic: Equine joint disease and treatments
• Speaker: Dr. Chris Bell, adjunct professor, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, and owner/practitioner, Elders Equine Hospital, Winnipeg, Man. 
• Time/date: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022
• Fee: $25

Seminar

In this seminar, Dr. Bell will cover equine joint diseases including arthritis, osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), cartilage and soft tissue injuries. He will also discuss traditional therapies as well as advanced treatment modalities now available to care for diseased joints.

Speaker

Dr. Chris Bell
DVM, MVetSc, DACVS (Large Animal)

Dr. Chris Bell is a board-certified equine surgeon with a focus in sports medicine. He owns and practises from Elders Equine Hospital in Winnipeg, Man. Dr. Bell is an adjunct professor of equine surgery at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) and hosts students, clinical interns and residents for training at his hospital.

Dr. Bell is president-elect of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and chair of the organization's emerging leader program. He has a keen interest in clinical research and has published several papers in the areas of equine joint disease while in clinical private practice.

• Topic: Prairie Diagnostic Services and diagnostic testing
• Speakers: Dr. Melissa Meachem, assistant professor, WCVM Department of Veterinary Pathology
• Time/date: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022
• Fee: $25

Speaker

Dr. Melissa Meachem
DVM, MVetSc, DACVP (Clinical Pathology) 

Dr. Melissa Meachem is an assistant professor in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) Department of Veterinary Pathology and a board-certified veterinary clinical pathologist.  

Dr. Meachem attended the WCVM and received her DVM degree in 2008. Following graduation and a short stint in small animal practice, she returned to the WCVM to complete a residency and MVetSc program in clinical pathology.

Dr. Meachem became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathology (Clinical Pathology) in 2012 and worked for a year as a senior diagnostic pathologist in Scotland. Dr. Meachem joined the WCVM's Department of Veterinary Pathology in 2014 — first as a clinical associate and later as an assistant professor.  

Dr. Meachem has a special interest in equine and small animal endocrinology, gastrointestinal and metabolic disease. Her current research focuses on biomarker identification for pancreatic cancer, feline obesity and diabetes mellitus, and the development of a novel cell block technique for cytological specimens.  

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• Topic: Strangles, equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) and disease outbreak management
• Speakers: Dr. Julia Montgomery, associate professor, and Dr. Valentina Ragno, clinical associate, WCVM Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences
• Time/date: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 2, 2022
• Fee: $25

Seminar

In this seminar, Drs. Montgomery and Ragno will review recommendations for two common equine infectious disease outbreaks, including recommendations for diagnostic testing, outbreak management and biosecurity measures. They will also discuss decision making for lifting of quarantine restrictions and review the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre's admission policy for suspected cases of strangles and EHV-1.

Speakers

Dr. Julia Montgomery
Med Vet, PhD, DACVIM (Large Animal)

Dr. Julia Montgomery is an associate professor in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WCVM) Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences and a board-certified specialist in large animal internal medicine at the WCVM’s Veterinary Medical Centre. 

After graduating from Germany's School of Veterinary Medicine Hannover in 2003, Dr. Montgomery undertook a one-year clinical internship at Virginia Tech Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Va. Her next move was to the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown, P.E.I., where she completed a three-year residency in large animal internal medicine and a PhD degree at the Atlantic Veterinary College.

Dr. Montgomery worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the WCVM’s Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences for two years before joining the college’s faculty and clinical team in 2013. Her teaching areas include large animal internal medicine as well as veterinary anatomy with a focus on large animal comparative anatomy. She has a special clinical interest in respiratory, gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases of horses and equine nutrition. Her current research includes two research streams in the areas of equine internal medicine (equine asthma; equine metabolic syndrome; use of capsule endoscopy in horses) and equine rehabilitation.

Dr. Valentina Ragno
DVM, MSc, DACVIM (Large Animal)

Originally from northern Italy, Dr. Valentina Ragno attended the University of Turin (Torino, Italy) where she completed her veterinary medicine degree at the university's Department of Veterinary Sciences.

After graduation, Dr. Ragno completed equine internships in Italy, Ireland and the United States. She went on to complete a large animal internal medicine residency and a Master of Science degree at the University of Saskatchewan's Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM). She also became a board-certified specialist in large animal internal medicine. 

Dr. Ragno was an assistant professor of large animal medicine at the WCVM for one year before joining the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre's Equine Field Service — first as a locum and then as a clinical associate. She has also served remotely as sessional lecturer in large animal medicine for the University of Calgary. Her research efforts currently focus on equine endocrinology and infectious diseases.

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• Topic: Equine dermatology
• Speaker: Dr. Allison Foster, assistant professor, WCVM Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences
• Time/date: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 16, 2022 | POSTPONED TO FALL 2022
• Fee: $25

Speaker

Dr. Allison Foster
DVM, DACVD

Dr. Allison Foster is a board-certified veterinary dermatologist who operates the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre's veterinary dermatology clinical services. 

Dr. Foster was born and raised in New Orleans, La., and received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of New Orleans. She then attended the Louisiana State University's School of Veterinary Medicine and received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) in 2004.

Following graduation, Dr. Foster moved to Albuquerque, N.M., where she worked as a general practitioner for several years before deciding to pursue specialty training. 

Dr. Foster completed a small animal medicine and surgery rotating internship at VCA Veterinary Care Animal Hospital and Referral Center and then completed a three-year dermatology residency at Iowa State University and the University of Tennessee. She became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatologists in 2014.