CRAIG SHIRK
Staff Writer

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Dr. Don Sanders

Dr. Don Sanders, a long-time Urbana veterinarian who started the award-winning Urbana Veterinary Clinic more than 35 years ago with his wife Dr. Judy Sanders, has been selected to the newly-created Agriculture Secretary's Advisory Committee on Animal Health.
"I feel like I'm in a pretty fast group. The credentials of these nominees are impeccable ...They are some of the best veterinarians in the United States," said Sanders.
For the next two years, Sanders and nine other committee members will be advising U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on matters of prevention, surveillance and elimination of animal diseases that are of national importance, according to the Department of Agriculture website.
"I am going to be challenged by the idea of ... controlled measures and a new policy on bioterrorism," added Sanders.
Sanders grew up on a family-owned and operated dairy farm in Waynesfield, where his father strongly advocated a higher education.
"I always was an animal lover," said Sanders. "Things fell into place for me to get accepted into medical school."
Sanders entered the College of Veterinary Medicine at OSU in 1965 and met his future wife and fellow medical student Judy during his first year there.
By their fourth year of veterinary school, the two were married. They earned their doctorates of veterinary medicine in 1968 and immediately began opening their own practice on Norwood Avenue, where today the Sanderses specialize in both small and large animal services.
"We moved to Urbana having not started an internship. We built a clinic that ultimately became a nationally-recognized, award-winning clinic for its features," said Sanders.
The Urbana Veterinary Clinic eventually became the base for Sanders' international consulting career. Sanders said he has written eight books on dairy cattle management since starting his writing career with American Veterinary Medical Association publications in 1980.

Sanders wrote his first book, Doctor Sanders' Guide to Boosting Dairy Products, in 1990.

"I swore for 10 years that I would never do that again," said Sanders. But in 2000, he came out with a new edition, Milk Them for all Their Worth.
His books caught the interest of the international dairy farm industry, as Sanders made consulting trips and book signing tours to Canada, Mexico, Japan and China. Recently, his books have been translated into Japanese and Chinese. Sanders has made four trips to China, where his latest book has entered its second printing, said Sanders.
Sanders has been an Ohio State University associate professor of clinical veterinary preventive medicine for five years at the OSU-Marysville campus.
Sanders currently works for clients with the help of his fourth-year veterinary students, who perform procedures under Sanders' supervision. Sanders said the university affords him a couple of days per week away from scholastic endeavors to do consulting and writing.

In addition, Sanders has narrated shows on the Discovery Channel and has contributed to several other television productions, including shows on PBS. He currently co-hosts a weekly television show, Down the Road, which gives insight into rural animal health and care. The show airs on Time-Warner, Dish TV and assorted cable networks.

Sanders was nominated to the Agriculture Secretary's Advisory Committee on Animal Health by the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at OSU.

Sanders added he is proud that the majority of nominees to the advisory committee have some link to the Veterinary College at The Ohio State University, whether it be through classwork, research or teaching.

Craig Shirk can be reached at cshirk@urbanacitizen.com.

Content © 2010 Urbana Citizen
Software © 1998-2010 1up! Software, All Rights Reserved