Alberta's Livestock Sector To Benefit From UCVM Pilot Expansion

Sep 10, 2020

The University of Calgary's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine will see a pilot expansion of its diagnostic service unit for enhanced animal disease diagnosis and welfare.

The project is funded through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and Alberta Agriculture and Forestry with the support of the Alberta Beef Producers and Alberta Cattle Feeders.

Dr Baljit Singh is Dean of the University of Calgary's Facultry of Veterinary Medicine.

He says the investment will directly help producers ensure the health of their animals and integrity of food supply chains.

" While UCVM's DSI has been operating for more than a decade, it has a limited capacity to serve Alberta's livestock production industry. This project will increase capacity in disease diagnostics right here in Alberta for livestock producers."

The funding will mean the addition of one clinical microbiologist, one anatomic pathologist along with two technicians and one support staff member.

He notes they will also be able to purchase some new equipment to provide clinical microbiology expertise as well as some onfarm disease investigation.

The University's pilot expansion is expected to start in October 2020.

Click here to see more...

Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.