Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre Provides $250,000 for Six Projects
Six projects that will benefit dogs, cats, horses, and marine wildlife recently received a total of $250,000 in funding through the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre (SJDAWC) at the Atlantic Veterinary College, UPEI. More than 110 projects representing $2.6 million in funding have been supported by the centre since it was established in 1994.
"We are very grateful to the Friends of the Christofor Foundation for their ongoing support of the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre," says Dr. Alice Crook, the centre's coordinator. "This year the centre has funded four new research projects. We also renewed funding for two successful service projects, one of which provides humane dog training at the Prince Edward Island Humane Society and the other provides care for injured or orphaned marine wildlife." This year's projects, which were determined to be eligible for funding through the SJDAWC's 2007 funding competition, will be carried out by faculty and students at the Atlantic Veterinary College.
The Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre funds projects that benefit companion animals, horses, and wildlife. Since 1994, approximately 85 faculty, 12 graduate students, and hundreds of veterinary students from the Atlantic Veterinary College have been involved in animal welfare projects funded by the centre which is the only animal welfare centre of its kind in Canada. For information on the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre, please visit the web site at www.upei.ca/awc.
Information on each of the six projects funded through this year's competition is provided below:
Investigation of a blood-borne parasite in wild red foxes and in dogs with anemia on PEI (Dr. Barb Horney, Department of Pathology and Microbiology, AVC)
This project is designed to study a parasite (Theileria annae) that infects red blood cells and was recently discovered in foxes on PEI. The project will also look at a possible association between infection with this parasite and anemia (decreased red blood cells) in Island dogs. T. antae is similar to another red cell parasite (Babesia gibsoni) which has been identified as a cause of anemia in dogs in many parts of the United States and in the rest of the world. Infection with babesial parasites is somewhat like malaria in people and causes anemia in animals in areas where it is common. T. annae, specifically, is associated with anemia in dogs in Spain.
Although foxes are considered a significant reservoir for T. annae in the wild, it is not known if T. annae causes disease in foxes. This parasite has not been reported as a cause of anemia in dogs in North America. Dr. Horney will investigate how common this parasite is in wild foxes, whether infected foxes show any related red blood cell disease and whether the parasite might be found in Island dogs with anemia. This project will increase knowledge about wild fox health and, if there is found to be a significant association between anemia and infection with this parasite, it will help with better understanding and treatment of anemia in dogs in the future.
Are Clostridium difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus present in horses admitted to the AVC Teaching Hospital? (Dr. J McClure, Department of Health Management, AVC)
Clostridium difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are two bacteria that are major causes of hospital-acquired infections in people in North America and around the world. C. difficile is the major cause of antimicrobial-associated diarrhea in hospitalized patients, while MRSA is the most common cause of hospital-associated infections. In the last decade, both of these organisms have been seen with increasing frequency in horses and other companion animals, and may represent a significant threat to their health and that of the people who handle them. The status of these two important disease-causing bacteria in the Atlantic provinces is unknown. It is essential to know about the occurrence of these bacteria in horses admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in order to develop sound diagnostic and treatment plans for horses suspected of suffering from infections caused by these two organisms. Furthermore, this information is important in establishing biosecurity protocols to reduce the spread of these pathogens to other horses as well as people in contact with them.
Through this project, horses that are admitted to the AVC Teaching Hospital will be screened for C. difficile and S. aureus (including MRSA) when they are admitted and discharged, through a simple swabbing procedure. Any horses that develop diarrhea or a wound infection during hospitalization will be tested for these organisms so that appropriate treatment can be started. Horses that are found to be carrying MRSA will be treated in an attempt to decolonize them. Additionally, Dr. McClure will look for any common factors in the records of any horse found to be carrying either organism, to see if there are factors that increase the risk that a horse will be a carrier.
Skeletal muscle as a source of bone and cartilage cells to improve healing in the horse (Dr. Laurie McDuffee, Department of Health Management, AVC)
Musculoskeletal injuries (particularly injuries to bone and cartilage) frequently cause the end of a horse's athletic career and possibly even the end of the horse's life. This may happen either because the horse is destroyed when it can not continue as an athlete, or because a fracture is repaired and the repair breaks down or the horse develops laminitis or another serious complication. Both bone and cartilage heal very slowly, which means lengthy recovery time after injury and/or surgery and more time for complications to occur.
A great deal of research has focused on improving bone and cartilage healing in humans. Surgeons are using bone and cartilage cells from a donor site that are grown (expanded) in cell culture and then transplanted to the site of injury. This "cell-based tissue engineering" is showing much promise in the treatment of musculoskeletal problems in people. Dr. McDuffee is looking at bone and cartilage tissue engineering for treatment of musculoskeletal injuries in horses. One critical element of cell-based tissue engineering is to identify an ideal donor source for the cells.
The purpose of this research project is to determine if equine skeletal muscle can be a donor source for skeletal stem cells, which have the ability to become many different types of skeletal tissue (tendon, ligament, bone, cartilage) depending on the environment into which they are transplanted. Dr. McDuffee has much experience with isolation and differentiation of bone stem cells from a variety of equine donor tissues, but each has particular limitations. Dr. McDuffee proposes that equine skeletal muscle will have advantages over other donor tissues, in that it is abundant in horses of all ages and easily obtainable, similar to a muscle biopsy requiring only local anesthetic. Dr. McDuffee has already shown in a pilot study that there is a high yield of stem cells from small amounts of skeletal muscle tissue, and that these can differentiate into early bone and cartilage cells. If this study confirms the ability to use equine skeletal muscle as a donor source of skeletal stem cells, this will be a breakthrough in the ability to promote healing of bone and cartilage injuries.
The effect of dietary selenium supplementation in mares and their foals
(Dr. Jeff Wichtel, Department of Health Management, AVC)
Selenium (Se) is a trace element that is essential in the diet of horses. Se deficiency is a serious problem in many parts of North America, mainly due to soil deficiency, resulting in low Se concentrations in feedstuffs grown in these soils. Foals are especially susceptible to Se deficiency, which can be seen clinically as white muscle disease and also is associated with decreased immune function in many species. In foals, septicemia (blood infection) as a result of inadequate immunity is common and often fatal.
In previous work funded by the SJDAWC, Drs. J Wichtel and T Muirhead have shown that many mares have deficient levels of Se, resulting in Se deficiency in their foals. This project will look at the effect of supplementing with Se the diets of mares, to determine if this will increase Se levels in the mares' blood, colostrum, and milk, and, consequently, in the blood of their foals. The investigators will also evaluate measures of the foals' immune response, and compare the effectiveness of supplementation with organic and inorganic Se. The goal is to correct Se deficiency in mares and foals by the most effective and practical means, and thereby improve preventive health care.
Marine wildlife rehabilitation (Dr. Pierre-Yves Daoust, Department of
Pathology and Microbiology, AVC)
Marine mammals and birds such as harp and harbour seals, blue herons, northern gannets and common loons are often brought to AVC for veterinary care because of injury, disease, or (with newborns) abandonment. The treatment and rehabilitation of these animals presents a challenge because of their special diet and environmental needs. AVC faculty and staff also respond to emergency calls regarding live strandings of seals, white-sided dolphins and pilot whales, some of whom receive medical treatment in an attempt to lesson the stress and shock associated with stranding. Sometimes humane euthanasia is the best option for these animals.
This project has been funded since 1999 to provide proper veterinary care to injured, diseased, or starving marine animals. The objectives of this year's project are to maintain, and improve upon, the level of care provided to marine mammals and birds presented to the AVC Teaching Hospital and to animals stranded on the shores of PEI. This includes provision of adequate holding facilities and diet, medical treatment (including relevant laboratory tests) and euthanasia if necessary. The increased knowledge and experience that faculty, students and staff gain through the ongoing work in rehabilitation and humane care enables improved care of other marine animals.
AVC humane dog training program (Dr. Norma Guy, Department of
Biomedical Sciences, AVC)
Following upon the continued success of the AVC humane dog training program (funded since 2001), this proposal is aimed at building on the established methods developed in previous years. Veterinary students with an interest in shelter issues and dog training, and with additional training in operant conditioning, will be employed to work at the shelter on a full-time basis through the summer months, and on a part-time basis in the fall and winter. Their responsibilities will be primarily for the social enrichment and training, through positive methods, of dogs on the adoption floor. Secondary but highly significant responsibilities will include interacting with and educating potential adopters and other visitors, providing a post-adoption resource for new owners, and assisting the shelter manager in the evaluation and management of specifically identified dogs on the receiving floor. They will also respond to inquiries regarding behaviour problems in pets previously adopted from the shelter. Without the AVC humane dog training program, the PEI Humane Society would be unable to provide these important services due to a lack of adequate funding and personnel. The activities of veterinary student trainers within the shelter will directly benefit the dogs with which they interact, will help prepare potential owners for the adoption process, and will increase the basic hands-on knowledge of shelter issues and animal welfare among the AVC student population.
For further information, please contact:
Dr. Alice Crook, Coordinator, Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre (902)628-4360
Charlotte McCardle, External Relations, AVC (902) 566-0533
