A foster kitten in search of a home found just that at the MSU Veterinary Medical Center when undergoing surgical repair for a heart defect.

With firsthand knowledge from the frontlines of biomedical research, this year’s commencement speaker brought a unique perspective shaped by his distinguished career in veterinary pathology.

Duck was a four-month-old foster kitten when he presented to the MSU Veterinary Medical Center’s Cardiology Service for evaluation of a heart murmur. An echocardiogram confirmed a grade V left basilar continuous murmur, a loud murmur often associated with a patent ductus arteriosus.

Inspiration for a career in veterinary medicine often comes in furry packages! As the 2025 College of Veterinary Medicine Commencement Ceremony nears, the graduating Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students are reflecting on the animals that got them across the finish line.