Gastric upset a pet project
Texas A&M out to open 1st institute devoted to curing those unpleasant dog and cat ailments
By Howard Witt | Tribune senior correspondent
8:51 AM CST, January 13, 2008
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - At long last, veterinary researchers are setting out to tackle one of the least pleasant aspects of pet ownership: digestive disorders.
Alarmed that millions of dogs and cats around the world may be suffering from gastrointestinal ailments that aren’t properly diagnosed and treated, the veterinary school at Texas A&M University here is ramping up a fundraising campaign to establish the world’s first Institute of Companion Animal Gastroenterology.
Officials hope to collect at least $10 million to endow several research chairs and expand the operations of the university’s 10-year-old Gastrointestinal Laboratory, which is already the largest lab of its kind devoted exclusively to the notoriously fickle stomachs of dogs and cats.
