Have you ever wondered what happens to the samples that arrive at the Laboratory? Behind the tests offered in our catalog, there is team of veterinary diagnostic professionals working to process the samples clients send to us. These professionals are committed to ensuring clients receive accurate and timely results for the tests requested. Read on to learn more about the expert team in our Anatomic Pathology Section’s Necropsy Service.
Meet Dodd Sledge, DVM, PhD, DACVP Anatomic Pathology Section Chief
Q: What drew you to this career? How did you come to be at the MSU VDL?
A: I grew up on a farm in South Georgia that had beef and dairy cattle. From my experiences dealing with the local veterinary diagnostic laboratory, I knew how much of a difference high quality diagnosticians, including pathologists investigating disease outbreaks, could make in affecting health and management of individual animals, herds, and populations.
Q: What does your section do?
A: One of the main roles our section plays is to perform necropsies, or animal autopsies. These are done by specialized veterinarians known as pathologists that study the effects disease has on organs and tissues. Based on changes seen with our eyes and with the use of microscopes along with testing done in other sections of the lab, we can determine what types of underlying disease an animal likely had when it died. We also get to use the cases we see to teach veterinary students and as a source of information to grow the knowledge base of the profession.
Q: Are there any types of cases or tests that you find the most rewarding or interesting?
A: One of the highlights of a day on necropsy duty is that you never know what will come in. We could see something as tiny as a mouse or as large as an elephant and in these animals we see all types of disease from cancer to infectious causes to nutritional imbalances. This variety keeps our job interesting. Any case for which I can help give an owner closure, give direction to a veterinarian treating another animal, or help a farmer improve the health of their other animals is a great case.
Q: What kind of cases keep you up at night?
A: Unfortunately, we aren’t always able to come to a specific answer for every case. This is frustrating not only for us, but for our clients. The cases that are the most frustrating as a pathologist are the cases that have obvious lesions, or abnormalities, that we can see with our eyes or with the microscope, but we are not able to identify a specific cause. We know there is something there causing disease, but we can’t pinpoint what that specific thing is. This frustration keeps us investigating and researching diseases so that we have fewer and fewer of these cases in the future.
Q: How does your animal health work impact human health?
A: Many of the diseases that affect animals also can affect humans. By clearly identifying such diseases in animals, we can better understand the risks that humans may have living in the same area or from a food safety perspective.
Q: Do you have animals at home? Tell us about them.
A: I have a four-year-old mixed breed dog named Howl and a pair of 17-year-old cats named Riley and Jane.
Faculty Directory Profile: SledgeScott Fitzgerald, DVM, PhD, DACVP, DACPV Professor
Q: What drew you to this career?
A: I spent seven years in mixed animal practice, and had animals that I knew would get better, but died; and others that I knew would die, but somehow got better. So, I wanted to learn more about pathology and understand what was really going on inside these sick animals.
Q: Are there any types of cases or tests that you find the most rewarding or interesting?
A: I work closely with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and I like to help them diagnosis their wildlife cases, since it is more about the overall population of each wildlife species, rather than just diagnosing disease in an individual animal. This approach allows us to help improve the overall wildlife population health.
Q: What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most? What part of your job is the most rewarding?
A: I enjoy working with and helping to train veterinary students and pathology residents to prepare them for their careers helping animals and their owners.
I obtain my greatest reward from helping clients who have an ongoing disease problem with their livestock or pets, and when I find the diagnosis which the client and their veterinarian can use to help treat and solve the problem. The animals, clients, and vets all feel better, and everyone wins.
Q: What motivates you to come to work every day?
A: There is frequently some new disease, condition, or animal problem which provides a fresh challenge to diagnose.
Q: Do you have animals at home? Tell us about them.
A: I have had Corgis for 30 years. My current corgi is Papi, who is always glad to see me, and his cheerful personality and playfulness never fail to brighten my day and lift my spirits.
Janet Hengesbach, LVT Necropsy Service Supervisor
Q: What sort of experience did you have before you started working at the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory?
A: I not only grew up on a dairy farm, but I worked on a dairy farm through high school and college. I also worked at my local mixed veterinary practice all throughout high school. After college I was hired at the MSU Large Animal Emergency Hospital and worked at an adult foster care for the elderly.
Q: How did you end up working at the VDL?
A: I took the necropsy rotation elective at the VDL while I was in the veterinary technician program and really enjoyed the environment and purpose of the service. I thought that this would be something I would enjoy doing as a career. When a position opened, I jumped at the opportunity.
Q: What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
A: I enjoy teaching and training the veterinary and veterinary tech/nursing students how to properly perform a necropsy safely. I enjoy when the lightbulb comes on and the students say, “That is what we’ve been reading in the textbook. This makes so much sense now!”
Also, I enjoy being a part of finding answers for our clients. Especially, the clients of large animals that may have a herd problem going on that is causing multiple animal losses. These animals are the farmer’s lifeline. If the animals do well, the farmer does well. There are several diseases that can spread through a herd if the correct treatment is not given.
I also like being the problem solver in trying to find closure for our small animal clients to help them understand why their beloved animal has passed away. I feel there is great purpose to the service we provide here at MSU VDL and I take great pride in knowing I am a part of it.
Shannon Griffin Laboratory Sanitation Worker
Q: What sort of experience did you have before you started working at the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory?
I grew up working on a crop farm that had beef cattle. Then I worked for an oil corporation which owned a racetrack for horses. At the horse racetrack, I took care of the horses and had to make sure the track was conditioned. Then I came to MSU and worked on a crew called set-up that gets events ready. I was a night custodial supervisor for 15 years and then came to VDL.
Q: How did you end up working at the VDL?
I thought it would be very interesting to work in the pathology department helping to find out why clients’ animals got sick and passed away. I have been at VDL for 15 years now and have really enjoyed working at MSU.
Q: What motivates you to come to work every day?
A: I really enjoy working with students and the necropsy staff/faculty. I believe we have a very fun environment which really makes a difference. The most rewarding part of my job is getting to know all the different cultures of international students. I enjoy finding out about their country and helping them learn about mine.
Q: Do you have animals at home? Tell us about them.
I have a dog named Bo that likes to chase varmints especially rabbits. I enjoy raising my own beef cattle. My favorite cows’ names are Pink Nose, Leonard, and Wyland.