Spring 2023

Twice a week, Kiera, a senior German Shepherd has a regular appointment with the Canine Rehabilitation Center in the Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital. This has been ongoing for a more than a year but from day one, Kiera’s owner has felt comfortable leaving her treasured friend with the Canine Reb staff. And Kiera is just as enthusiastic. “Kiera absolutely loves everybody there,” said Debi Lemon. “I don’t worry about leaving her. All I have to do is say ‘we’re going swimming’ and she can’t wait to get into the car.” During her twice-weekly treatments, Kiera not only utilizes the underwater treadmill, but she receives a massage on her aging joints to relax her muscles. It’s a treatment many patients who have orthopedic or neurologic injuries receive at Iowa State. Rehabilitation can be used as an exercise program or the obese, arthritic, or geriatric patients. “The care Kiera has received has all been pretty amazing,” Lemon said. “What the staff here does is pretty remarkable.”

When foaling season was underway last fall, the Large Animal Hospital remembered some of their more memorable foals of 2022. You can learn about “Riggs,” who was born one month premature; “Phoenix,” who went home after a week in the ICU; “Maverick,” who developed seizures and respiratory compromise due to a combination of maladjustment syndrome, acute respiratory distress syndrome and surfactant deficiency; and “Gold N Halo,” who was born without a heartbeat.

How about a whole book of “Healthful” Hints? In addition to being the world’s most followed veterinarian on social media with more than 2.2 million animal lovers following her on Facebook, College of Veterinary Medicine alumnus Dr. Karen Shaw Becker is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Forever Dog. The book gives practical, science-based tools to protect companion animals. Many of the tips in The Forever Dog are similar to what physicians tell their human patients – eat right, get plenty of exercise and do the things you love. “Dogs are really victims of their owners’ health and wellness choices,” Becker says, “and we spend a lot of money buying things for our dogs. Shouldn’t we be doing things that will prolong their lives?”