The University of Wisconsin is not unique in this regard; the small animal surgery departments at most American veterinary schools have similar policies. The only surgeries on small animals (such as cats, dogs, rabbits, and ferrets) that students at most veterinary schools in the United States do (except for skin opening, closing, and passing instruments to the resident or faculty surgeon) are spays (ovariohysterectomy), neuters (castration), and declaws. The animals we used for spays and neuters were from the local humane societies.
Interestingly, although the small animal surgical faculty would not teach us surgery using live animals, they refused (after a request from the students) also to teach us surgical techniques using cadavers (the ophthalmologists did teach us ophthalmic surgeries using cadavers). We received no surgical training in orthopedic techniques except for an elective course that used plastic and foam rubber models. I learned more surgery in one course (experimental ...
