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Summer 2024

Veterinary Medicine

Chancho, a puppy treated by World Vets in Nicaragua
Fall 2012

World vets

Quivering all over, a dirty yellow and white puppy with a large potbelly whimpers as a veterinarian injects it with saline fluids. The puppy is severely dehydrated and disoriented, unable to stand up on its own.

Chancho, as the veterinarians name him because of his pig-like round belly, initially had a grave prognosis. Found wandering along the street, and visibly weak with parasites and tremors, he did not have long to live.

The puppy spends the night on intravenous fluids and medication. When the veterinarians return the next morning, his condition has improved. By the following day, they are confident he will survive.

Chancho was … » More …

John Gorham
Spring 2012

John R. Gorham 1922-2011—Veterinary pathologist

In the early 1940s, John Gorham ’46 DVM, MS ’47 left his family home in Sumner to attend Washington State College as an undergraduate. He found a life here, marrying fellow student Mary Ellen Martin and staying on to earn his doctorate in veterinary medicine, at the same time serving in the U.S. Army. In 1948, he was the first student to earn a graduate degree from the veterinary college.

He then took a position as a U.S. Department of Agriculture researcher in 1949 and the next year made his first big contribution to the field of animal disease research with his major professor Donald … » More …

Summer 2011

The Things We Do for Our Dogs—and what they do for us

In 1974 between 15 and 18 million dogs and cats were killed in animal control centers. To address what he perceived as “wide-spread irresponsible animal ownership,” Leo Bustad ’49 DVM created the People-Pet Partnership and promoted research into the human-animal bond. Although it is impossible to assess the total impact of his work, the number of animals killed today is down to four million. And the pet-people bond manifests itself in ways beyond his comprehension.

» More ...
Spring 2010

Of honor and friendship

One of the most successful partnerships in WSU history began in failure.

It was the spring of 1975, Kansas State University. Guy Palmer was given a piece of ore in an analytical chemistry class and told to figure out how much nickel was in it. He got it wrong, earning an F.

This happened to be in the highly competitive environment of undergraduates vying for veterinary school. About one in ten applicants would gain admission, so it was not exactly in students’ interest to help each other out. But Terry McElwain saw Palmer struggling to redo the assignment while working on a second one. … » More …

Fall 2003

World War II decision influenced Brimble's career

A single gunshot wound influenced Bob Brimble to change his career direction more than 50 years ago.

While serving with the U.S. Army in China during World War II, he was shot in the leg. The nearest doctor was 10 days away by pack mule. But after five days on the trail, he chose to be tended by a veterinarian who came to his aid.

The decision not to be treated by a physician, Brimble believes, cost him a Purple Heart, because an attending physician did not provide official certification of the battle-related wound. However, as a result of the veterinarian’s concern and care, Brimble … » More …

Winter 2001

Gorham earns award for animal disease research

John Gorham, longtime professor of veterinary microbiology and pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Washington State University, received the Gold Head Cane Award in July. The award from the Hartz Mountain Corp. recognizes his landmark contributions to the epidemiology of certain animal diseases, some of which also affect humans.

Gorham is an international authority on slow-virus disease research in animals. He is perhaps best known for his 1953 co-discovery of the microorganism responsible for salmon poisoning in dogs and foxes.

In recent years, Gorham’s research group has worked on three fronts—developing a diagnostic test for scrapie in sheep; investigating the molecular biology, immunology, … » More …

Winter 2001

Shanthi the elephant is due in December

AS YOU MIGHT WELL IMAGINE, artificially inseminating an elephant is a touchy business. But, says Janine Brown, artificial insemination (AI) is an important tool, because natural reproduction can be difficult for captive elephants. Bulls are dangerous to keep, there aren’t many of them around, and transporting the females to where the bulls are is both stressful and expensive.

Brown, who completed two degrees in animal science (’80 M.S., ’84 Ph.D.) at Washington State University, is the senior endocrinologist at the Smithsonian Institution National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C. There, in late February 2000, she coordinated the successful artificial insemination (AI) of Shanthi, a 24-year-old … » More …