MONTREAL, QUEBEC and PUSLINCH, ONTARIO — Royal Canin Canada has donated $1 million to the Université de Montréal (UdeM) to establish a Centre of Excellence for Minimally Invasive Procedures (CEMIP) at the school’s veterinary college in Saint-Hyacinthe.

"The facility illustrates yet another facet of the deep professional relationship between our school and Royal Canin, and will provide a vital resource for students, interns and residents currently in training, as well as veterinarians already established in their respective fields," said Christine Theoret, faculty dean at the UdeM.

The new CEMIP will specialize in treatment and veterinary education for invasive procedures involving interventional radiology and cardiology. This method is becoming increasingly popular due to its increased comfort and shorter recovery times, according to Royal Canin.

"Minimally invasive procedures allow us to enter the body through natural routes and reach areas unattainable by standard surgery, such as the inside of the kidneys," said Dr. Marilyn Dunn, veterinary professor at the UdeM and the director of the CEMIP project. "The CEMIP will allow for a greater number of patients to be treated and provide a unique training experience for veterinary students servicing a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic options involving the respiratory, cardiovascular and urinary systems.”

Royal Canin’s donation will go toward the Centre’s development and technology. The company plans to partner with UdeM’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine to host a symposium on minimally invasive veterinary medicine for Canadian veterinarians and pet health professionals.

"Our commitment to the veterinary profession is embedded in our culture," added Dan Alvo, general manager of Royal Canin Canada. "With UdeM's veterinary faculty, we have a number of initiatives underway, including providing the school and its teaching hospital with pet food, supporting the Refuge CHUV and the Animaux des jeunes de la rue program. We also included the faculty in our latest 'vision-sharing' meeting, a forum for representatives of Canadian veterinary schools to discuss the role of clinical nutrition in their curricula and the teaching hospitals.”

Construction on the Centre has not yet been announced.

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