CCWHC Staff Conducts Annual Wildlife Lab for Veterinary Students

As part of our continuing commitment to education, the Ontario/Nunavut Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre (CCWHC) region annually assists with a wildlife necropsy lab for the third year veterinary students at the Ontario Veterinary College, located within the University of Guelph.

The Comparative Veterinary Medicine course is instructed by our regional Director Dr. Dale Smith, and the wildlife lab is conducted by our staff pathologist Dr. Douglas Campbell.  Our supporting staff Lenny Shirose, David Cristo and Erin Scharf, are responsible for collecting specimens from various sources and preparing them for necropsy.

The lab consists of performing necropsies on various Ontario species, ranging from common urban species like pigeons and raccoons, to less frequently seen species such as beavers and bears.  This is one of the few times that veterinary students will work hands-on with wildlife throughout their four year veterinary program.   They gain valuable insight into diseases and conditions in the wild that may potentially infect different species, such as domestic animals, companion animals or even humans.

Special thanks go to the Toronto Wildlife Centre for being an important contributor of specimens for the teaching labs, as well as providing the CCWHC with numerous wildlife health cases each year.