Clemson plans to expand vet education

By Cindy Landrum  

APRIL 22, 2010 11:56 a.m. (0)

Clemson University is taking the first step toward establishing a veterinary institute that would increase veterinary education opportunities in South Carolina, improve veterinary care for the state’s livestock and improve the safety of the nation’s meat supply.

But the school has no plans to start the state’s first veterinary school.

The proposal to establish a veterinary institute has yet to be considered by Clemson’s board of trustees.

However, the school received $1 million in 2010 federal earmarks for the institute and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham has submitted a direct appropriations request for another $1.5 million in 2011.

The first million dollars will be used for Clemson faculty to expand research in animal nutrition and metabolism, said Susan Duckett, a professor and endowed chair in Clemson’s veterinary sciences department.

Researchers are studying the affect feeding tall fescue grasses instead of corn to animals has on growth and reproduction, how to enhance nutrition in meat and food products and how reducing fat in meat-producing animals affects human obesity, Duckett said.

“A lot of animal nutrition applies to human health,” said Karl Hill, university spokesman.

Undergraduate and graduate students will be involved with the research, Duckett said.

The researchers will also collaborate with faculty from other schools, such as the Medical University of South Carolina, the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine.

As the program expands, other centers will focus on other areas such as genetics.

University officials said establishing a research and training veterinary institute could benefit South Carolina by accelerating biomedical industry growth in the state as well as increase educational opportunities in the Southeast to address a critical shortage of veterinarians.

The shortage of large-animal veterinarians is particularly acute in South Carolina, where livestock and poultry farming is a $1.5 billion industry, Duckett said.

“We’re looking for ways to make it more efficient and keep farmers in business,” she said.

Duckett said some of the shortage of large-animal veterinarians can be attributed to students’ experience with and exposure to farm animals, but mostly is because veterinarians come out of school carrying huge debts.

“People are willing to spend huge amounts of money on their dogs and cats,” she said. “But farmers can’t afford to spend huge amounts of money on livestock.”

University officials said a possible future development could be graduate education for veterinary students and practicing veterinarians.