‘teaching, Technology and Tender Touch’ Theme of Colorado State’s 20th Annual Veterinary Teaching Hospital Open House April 9-11

The 20th annual open house for Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital will offer presentations on celebrating the human-animal bond, companion animal nutrition and limb sparing among veterinary and human cancer patients. A variety of exhibits, tours and a petting zoo will be available April 9-11 at the open house, whose theme is "Teaching, Technology and the Tender Touch."

The open house will run 9 a.m.-4 p.m. April 9 and 10 and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. April 11. All events are free and open to the public.

Youngsters will be able to perform mock surgery on stuffed animals during the three-day event, and student groups will present displays and exhibits on dogs, cats, sheep, horses, cattle and 10 other animal families. A petting zoo will be available for youngsters.

Tours of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, 300 W. Drake Road, will run continuously each day, in addition to an abbreviated hospital tour for children on April 9. Tours of the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program will be offered from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 10 and from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. April 11. The raptor program, located behind the hospital, is dedicated to providing medical care, rehabilitation and release for injured birds of prey.

Lectures by veterinary medicine faculty and other animal experts will highlight advances in veterinary medicine, complementary and alternative medicine and animal care.

The open house also will feature a "stump-the-vet" booth where faculty from the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences will take on visitors’ questions.

A schedule of lectures, held in Room B-213 on the hospital’s second floor, follows.

Friday, April 9

  • 10:30 a.m. – "CSU Medicine–Past, Present and Future" by Dr. James Voss, dean of the college.
  • Noon – "Fido, Friend or Foe–Animal Safety" by Dr. Lynn Kesel.
  • 1:30 p.m. – "Caring for Your Horse Throughout Its Lifetime," by Dr. Josie Traub-Dargatz.
  • 3 p.m. – "So You Want to Be a Veterinarian: Preparing for a Veterinary Career" by Dr. Sherry McConnell.

Saturday, April 10

  • 10:30 a.m. – "The Changing Ethic of Animals in Society" by Bernard Rollin, professor of philosophy.
  • Noon – "Alternatives to Amputation in Veterinary and Human Cancer Patients–Limb Sparing" by Dr. Stephen Withrow.
  • 1:30 p.m. – "Celebrating the Human-Animal Bond" by Laurel Lagoni, director, Argus Center for the Human-Animal Bond; and Ashley Harvey, grief counselor and educator, Changes Program.
  • 3 p.m. – "How to Feed Fluff and Muffy; Companion Animal Nutrition" by Dr. David Hammond.

Sunday, April 11

  • Noon – "Small Animal First-Aid and Preventative Medicine" by Dr. Timothy Hackett.
  • 1:30 p.m. – "Cancer Therapies that Benefit Pets and People" by Dr. Greg Ogilvie and Dr. Sue Lana.
  • 3 p.m. – "What’s Hot in Complementary and Alternative Medicine at CSU" by Judy Walton, veterinary specialist.

In addition, faculty from the department of clinical sciences will staff a "stump-the-vet" booth all three days, handling queries on the following veterinary topics.

Friday, April 9: 9-10 a.m., respiratory system and lungs; 10-11 a.m., radiology; 11 a.m.-noon, small animal surgery; noon-1 p.m., hematology (blood); 1-2 p.m., blood and urine testing for evaluating animal health; 2-3 p.m., avian medicine – birds; 3-4 p.m., zoonotic (transmissible to humans) diseases; and 4-5 p.m., "swamp doctor" (or small animal medicine).

Saturday, April 10: 9-10 a.m., equine reproduction and dentistry; 10-11 a.m., pets and poisonous plants; 11 a.m.-noon, pathology of tuberculosis; noon-1 p.m., lameness and surgery (horses); 1-2 p.m., food animal medicine; 2-3 p.m., dermatology; 3-4 p.m., infectious diseases and antibiotics.

Sunday, April 11: 11 a.m.-noon, small animal medicine; noon- 1 p.m., anesthesia; 1-2 p.m., emergency medicine; 2-3 p.m., ophthalmology; 3-4 p.m., parasitology; 4-5 p.m., animal kidney disease.

For further information, call the Dean’s Office at (970) 491-7053.