CVMA to hold 31st Annual Canine Corps Clinic at UC Blue Ash

Clinic on Dec. 15 provides free health check-ups for service dogs

service dog in veterinary lab

Service dogs from agencies across the region, including Cincinnati Police, receive a comprehensive physical exam.

The amazing service dogs that help protect us every day will receive the care and attention they deserve during a free health clinic hosted by the Cincinnati Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) and the University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College.

The 31st Annual Canine Corps Health Clinic will be held on Sunday, December 15 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Veterinary Technology building on the UC Blue Ash College campus (9555 Plainfield Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236). Police, search and rescue and service canines from across Greater Cincinnati are invited to participate in this event.

The preventative care includes a series of specialty exams focused on the needs of these special working dogs. Local veterinarians specializing in audiology, cardiology, dentistry, internal medicine, oncology, ophthalmology and surgery will be available to perform exams in their respective disciplines. The canines will also receive a cardiac evaluation and an abdominal ultrasound as part of the screening tests. IDEXX Laboratories is donating all of the lab services for the event. The total value for all these services and examinations approaches $1,500 per dog.

student lab technicians working on a dog

The Canine Corps event provides free care each year to dozens of service dogs from Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.

“These dogs have such a unique skill and are vital to law enforcement, search and rescue, drug searching, bomb searching and apprehension,” said Susanna Hinkle Schwartz, DVM, Diplomate American College of Veterinary Surgeons and CVMA board member. “The CVMA recognizes the valuable public service provided by these canines and wants to provide a small thank you. It is an honor to examine them and help ensure that they are healthy.”

Students from the University of Cincinnati FETCHLAB and the Veterinary Technology program at UC Blue Ash will also volunteer to help with the program. The UC Blue Ash Veterinary program leaders and students will also donate their time and facilities for the event.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our veterinary technician students to interact with the dogs and their handlers, learn about the amazing work they do, assist with blood draws and see how important preventative care is to their success,” said Stacey Benton, PhD, DVM, associate professor of veterinary technology at UC Blue Ash.

The Canine Corps event was created by CVMA in 1993 to provide health screens and preventative care for the canines that protect and serve communities across the Greater Cincinnati region.

Featured photo: UC Blue Ash faculty, staff and students perform a check-up on a service dog at a past Canine Corps event. Photos/UC Blue Ash.

About Cincinnati Veterinary Medical Association

The Cincinnati Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) represents over 200 veterinarians in the Cincinnati area. The CVMA’s mission is to serve as a forum and provide education to its members, as well as the public it serves, and to promote animal health. For more information, visit Cincy VMA online..

About UC Blue Ash College

UC Blue Ash College is a regional college within the University of Cincinnati. It offers one of the best values in higher education with access to a nationally recognized UC education in more than 50 degree and certificate programs, as well as tuition that is about half of most colleges and universities. The college is located on a scenic 135-acre wooded campus in the heart of Blue Ash, Ohio. To learn more, call 513-558-9495, visit us online, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

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