School of Veterinary Medicine

herring swimming

The Endangered Species Act at 50

Ahead of the anniversary, experts from four schools across the University share their thoughts on the landmark legislation.

Kristen de Groot ・

Coco Chanel the filly and a Penn veterinarian.

Wry Not’s triumph over a twisted fate

A multidisciplinary team of Penn Vet clinical specialists successfully performed lifesaving surgery on the Standardbred filly’s deviated muzzle.

From Penn Vet ・

John Donges sitting on a bench in an outside courtyard

Who, What, Why: John Donges

At Penn Vet for more than two decades, John Donges has worked on nearly half the issues of Bellwether, the School’s alumni and donor magazine. So, it made sense that he was the editor of a special 100th issue, publishing this month.

Louisa Shepard ・

Five people standing in a lab.

Uncovering the role of skin microbiome and immune response in cutaneous leishmaniasis

Two new studies led by Phillip Scott of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Elizabeth Grice of the Perelman School of Medicine demonstrate how bacteria found in leishmaniasis skin lesions and an associated immune response drive disease burden and treatment failure—and suggest new possibilities for treatment of the parasitic disease.

Abbey Porter ・



In the News


The Washington Post

Dogs may be able to communicate by pressing buttons, research suggests

Postdoc Amritha Mallikarjun of the School of Veterinary Medicine says that dogs use buttons as a trained behavior to try and get the things they want.

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Popular Science

Dogs really are communicating via button boards, new research suggests

Postdoc Amritha Mallikarjun of the School of Veterinary Medicine says that dogs are using button boards to communicate non-randomly and with intent, although they don’t necessarily have formal language ability.

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WHYY (Philadelphia)

Saving Philly’s bats, one DIY condo at a time

The Wildlife Futures Program at the School of Veterinary Medicine has facilitated the design and construction of wooden bat boxes to be installed in campus parks, with remarks from Julie Ellis. The project is the brainchild of Penn undergraduate Nick Tanner.

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Voice of America

Can honeybees and dogs detect cancer earlier than technology?

Cynthia Otto of the School of Veterinary Medicine and colleagues at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center are training dogs to recognize certain cancer odors.

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The Scientist

Dogs engage in scent-sational science to sniff out staphylococcus bacteria

Meghan Ramos and Cynthia Otto of the School of Veterinary Medicine and colleagues are training dogs to detect infections that accumulate on orthopedic implants after surgery.

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