The AKC Canine Health Foundation is pleased to release the next podcast in the Genome Barks series. This week, we welcome Dr. Corey Saba, a veterinary oncologist and member of the faculty at the University of Geogia in Athens.  Dr. Saba discusses different treatment options for cancer (including surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy), individualized treatments, comparative oncology (bridging canine and human research) and more.

Dr. Corey Saba graduated from the Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine in 2002.  She completed a one-year Small Animal Rotating Internship at Texas A&M University and then went on to complete a three-year Oncology Residency at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Dr. Saba has been a faculty member at UGA for four years.  Her research interests bridge the laboratory with the clinic and include cell signaling and comparative oncology.

This week, we welcome Dr. Christopher Pachel, a veterinary behaviorist in Portland, Oregon.  Dr. Pachel discusses common behavior issues, prevention and the need for understanding canine body language, the relationship between behavior and illness, and puppy socialization.

Dr. Chris Pachel graduated from veterinary school at the University of Minnesota in 2002.  After working as a general practice veterinarian for two years, he completed one year of residency training in veterinary behavior at the University of Minnesota and then an additional 3.5 years of supervised mentorship with Dr. Jacqui Neilson at the Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, OR.  Dr. Pachel has practiced in the field of veterinary behavior since 2004 and has run a successful housecall behavior practice in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area since 2005 and recently relocated to Portland, OR to join the staff of Animal Behavior Clinic.

His approach to behavioral therapy combines learning theory, medical training and experience with compassion and effective communication to create a balanced treatment plan that is tailored to the individual patient's needs. Dr. Pachel's approach emphasizes the importance of the human animal bond and the role that companion animals play in the lives of their families.

This week on Genome Barks, we welcome Dr. Bruce Christensen, a board certified theriogenologist at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.  Dr. Christensen discusses pregnancy and whelping, including diagnosis of pregnancy and normal whelping behavior.

Dr. Bruce Christensen did his undergraduate training at Brigham Young University in Wildlife Conservation Biology.  He earned his veterinary degree at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York in 2002.  His first year of veterinary employment was as an intern at Garden State Veterinary Hospital in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, working with dogs and cats.  Dr. Christensen then completed 3 years of specialty training and a year of faculty employment at the University of Florida in Gainesville where he focused specifically on the field of theriogenology (animal fertility and reproduction) and worked primarily with dogs and horses.  He became a board-certified specialist in theriogenology in 2006.  After a season of employment as a veterinarian in Australia working with horse reproduction, Dr. Christensen and his family returned to the States and he became employed at Iowa State University in 2008 where he works with dog and horse reproduction.  His research focuses on conservation of endangered species through preservation of sperm and artificial breeding.  His wife, MeLissa, is a veterinarian who works with animal shelters and public health and they have a 4-year-old cowboy named Parker.