Â??animals Hold the World Together’ Theme for 23rd Annual Veterinary Teaching Hospital Open House April 5-7

Animal care, behavior and medical treatment will be explored through tours, workshops and exhibits during the 23rd annual James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital Open House in Fort Collins. Open House hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. April 5 and 6, and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. April 7.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information about the event and to make arrangements for large groups, contact Linda Tarnoff in the Office of the Dean at (970) 491-7053.

Visitors this year will have an additional, special exhibit to view: More than 250 drawings by fourth, fifth and sixth grade students in the Poudre School District will be on display throughout the hospital.

These original drawings were entries in an art contest designed by the veterinary student Open House organizer which posed the question "Why Are Animals Special?" Ten finalists were selected out of the 250 entries through voting by faculty, students and staff of the college of Veterinary medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The ten selected finalists were awarded art kits and a Certificate of Appreciation, presented to them before their class, and their drawings were used in the design of the Open House brochure.

The winning entry, by sixth-grade Moore elementary student Stephen Gullerud, appears as the brochure cover image. His title, "Animals Hold the World Together," is the theme for this year’s Open House event.

"We wanted to reach out to the community and ask them to participate," said Tracey Dutson and Nicole McCready, publicity co-chairs for the committee. "And who better than the kids. We were interested in their impressions of what animals mean to them and we wanted to get them excited about creating something meaningful of their own."

In addition to these works of art, attendees can take advantage of a number of activities during the weekend.

Kids will be able to experience mock surgery by "gowning up" and preparing to do surgery on stuffed animals, while professionals and students get to show how much they know in the "Stump-A-Vet" booth. The Fort Collins Police Department’s K-9 Unit will give a demonstration and lecture on canine training, as will the Platte Valley Hunting Retriever Club.

One of the Budweiser Clydesdales will be on hand for a presentation about care, nutrition and training of these beautiful horses. An Air Force falconer will bring one of these exceptional birds and explain care and training as well as discuss how they are used in today’s military. Numerous booths will provide information about volunteer opportunities, community programs, veterinary education and other animal-related topics.

Tours of the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital, 300 W. Drake Road, will run continuously each day, in addition to an abbreviated hospital tour for children on April 5. Tours of the Rocky Mountain Raptor Center will run from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. The Raptor Center, located behind the hospital, is dedicated to providing medical care, rehabilitation and release to injured birds of prey such as hawks, owls, eagles and falcons.

A schedule of lectures by veterinary medicine faculty and other experts follows.

• Friday, April 5
  • 11 a.m. – "Small Animal Emergency Medicine" by Dr. Tim Hackett.
    A peek into the pulse-pounding world of emergency veterinary medicine and what you can do before you get to the ER.
  • 1 p.m. – "Working on Your Horse’s Foundation" by Dr. Dean Hendrickson.
    An equine surgeon discusses a variety of hoof problems and demonstrates how to properly care for and protect your horse’s hooves.
  • 3 p.m. – "So, You Want to be a Veterinarian?" by Dr. Sherry McConnell.
    Highlights on what you can do to prepare for a career in veterinary medicine.
• Saturday, April 6
  • 11 a.m. – "Dem Bones, Dem Bones" by Dr. Anna Dee Fails.
    An anatomical tour of your pet’s innards that explains how everything is put together.
  • 1 p.m. – "Mad Cow Disease and Other Related Animal Diseases" by Dr. Mo Salman.
    An internationally recognized expert in the area of infectious animal diseases discusses the current thinking monitoring, protection and food safety.
  • 3 p.m. – "Cancer and Your Pet" by Dr. Sue Lana.
    A member of the world-renowned Animal Cancer Center team offers insight into what symptoms to look for, what questions to ask after a cancer diagnosis is made and cutting-edge research being done at Colorado State’s Animal Cancer Center.
• Sunday, April 7
  • 1 p.m. – "Raptor Tools" by Raptor Center staff.
    Experts at the Rocky Mountain Raptor Center Program reveal the wonders of birds of prey and their habitats.