The porcine celebrity, and Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter, who rescued her as a tiny piglet and run the Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary near Campbellville, Ont., are the benefactors behind the Pegaso CT scanner – the first of its kind in Canada – coming to OVC.

The story made headlines with features airing on CTV News, CityNews and CBC News.

In fall 2017, Esther began experiencing mysterious, potentially life-threatening health complications that resulted in seizures and hyperventilation. A CT scan was recommended to better diagnose the problem, but no machine large enough was available in Canada.

With this new flexible CT, OVC will be able to scan not just pigs but also standing horses and other large animals.

With more than 1.5 million followers on social media, Esther inspired a campaign that successfully raised $650,000 to equip OVC with the scanner (www.theestherscanner.com/).

The post ‘Wonder pig’ inspires $650,000 campaign for giant veterinary scanner appeared first on .

Residues of the insecticides were found in the livers of wild turkeys, providing evidence that this common agrochemical is being ingested by free-ranging animals.

The researchers from the Ontario Veterinary College are among the first to study the broader effects of neonics on wildlife.

Published in Environmental Science and Pollution Research, the study found that wild turkey carcasses had detectable levels of neonicotinoids in their livers. Two types of the insecticide were found in some birds. The researchers also found corn and soybean seeds coated with the insecticide in the digestive system of some birds.

Studying exposure levels in larger wildlife species is critical to understanding wider impacts on migratory behaviour, reproduction and mortality, says Claire Jardine, study author and a U of G pathobiology professor.

The post Free-ranging animals ingesting neonics appeared first on .