Annual Open House at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital Features 100-Year Anniversary of College
Colorado State University’s James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital invites the public to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences during the annual hospital open house. The event, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, March 30-31, opens the world of veterinary medicine to the public and provides a rare opportunity to quiz veterinarians, tour the private areas of the teaching hospital and to see animals strut their stuff.
The hospital, part of the internationally known College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, is at 300 W. Drake Road.
The open house includes events for animal and medical fans of all ages.
What’s it like to treat a polar bear? Dr. Matthew Johnson will answer that question and other questions about veterinary medicine and lions, tigers and bears during a session on exotic animal medicine during the Wild Things presentation at 11 a.m. Friday.
The university’s expert in animal behavior and training, Dr. Jennie Willis Jamtgaard, will provide training advice for helping cats understand that tearing the couch is bad and for dogs to find entertainment other than digging holes in the yard. Jamptgaard will share tips at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 31.
In commemoration of the college’s 100th anniversary, members of the graduating class of 1957 will discuss how veterinary medicine has changed over the past 50 years, including how technology has advanced medicine and how diseases also have evolved. For example, veterinarians at Colorado State are now able to use MRIs, CT scans and advanced treatments to save and treat animals – and modern veterinary medicine has advanced as quickly as medicine for humans.
Colorado State, for example, has the world’s first successful canine open heart surgery program and the world’s largest center devoted to researching and curing cancer in animals and using that research to advance human cancer treatments. In addition, the challenges facing veterinarians have also changed, such as the phenomena of evolving bacteria and viruses that cause mutations in diseases such as avian flu, and the evolution of cancer as being a leading cause of companion animal deaths.
Exam rooms set up with 1957 equipment and historical displays also will be part of the open house. Historical displays also will include demonstrations of how equipment used in the years after the veterinary college was founded at Colorado State.
Additional events include a demonstration of the use of acupuncture in veterinary medicine by Dr. Narda Robinson, the Shipley Complementary and Alternative Medicine professor at Colorado State. Robinson, one of the first veterinarians and medical doctors to start investigating the science behind acupuncture and alternative medicine, will speak at 11 a.m. March 31.
High school, middle school and collegiate undergraduate students interested in going into veterinary medicine can learn more about entering veterinary school and working within the profession from a panel discussion with current students, veterinary residents and faculty veterinarians at 3 p.m. Friday, March 30.
A full schedule follows.
Friday, March 30
8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.: Veterinary medicine booths, petting zoo and children’s mock surgery, where children of all ages dress as a surgeon and "operate" on the plastic organs of stuffed animals.
8:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m.: Guided tours of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
9 a.m.: Advances in Equine Medicine, lecture by Dr. Bruce Connally, Colorado State veterinarian and professor.
10 a.m.: Dog Agility demonstration by Get Over It.
11 a.m.: Wild Things: Exotic Animal Medicine, lecture by Dr. Matthew Johnston, Colorado State veterinarian and professor.
1 p.m.: Saddle Fitting demonstration for English and Western styles by Dr. Kevin Haussler, Colorado State veterinarian and professor.
2 p.m.: So You Want to be a Veterinarian? lecture by Dr. Sherry Stewart, Colorado State veterinarian and assistant dean.
3 p.m.: Panel discussion about veterinary school with Colorado State veterinary medicine students and faculty.
Saturday, March 31
8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.: Veterinary medicine booths, petting zoo and children’s mock surgery, where children of all ages dress as a surgeon and "operate" on the plastic organs of stuffed animals.
8:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m.: Guided tours of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
9 a.m.: Banishing Animal Pain: Past, Present and Future, lecture by Dr. Robin Downing, veterinarian, Windsor Veterinary Clinic.
10 a.m.: Animal Trick Training demonstration by John Vincent, professional animal trainer with Top Hogs, Dogs and Parrots.
11 a.m.: Acupuncture for Animals, lecture by Dr. Narda Robinson, Colorado State veterinarian and professor.
1 p.m.: A Look at Animal Training – A New Approach, lecture by Dr. Jennie Willis Jamtgaard, Colorado State animal behaviorist and professor.
2 p.m.: Bird Behavior demonstration by Andrew Hall, president of Northern Colorado Bird Center.
3 p.m.: What is Pet Hospice? Members of Colorado State Veterinary Medical Center Pet Hospice program.
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