Small Animal

As a bird dog, Josie is one of the best. The 9-year-old chocolate lab goes everywhere with her owner and is a popular guest at the Cordelia Duck Club, tucked away in the Suisun Marsh. She is very social, extremely good at her sport and would really be missed if she weren’t around.

When it comes to dog years, cancer can have a big impact. Dogs 10 years and older have a 50% chance of dying from cancer, and human oncologists are studying the disease in canines in the hopes of benefiting both animals and humans.

Porsche, a 4-year-old female boxer, had a lipoma surgically removed from her hip and lower back in 2019. But when it came back even worse in 2020, her primary veterinarian referred her to the Oncology Service at the UC Davis veterinary hospital. So, her owners Chuck and Jennifer drove the 90 minutes to campus for a consult with the oncologists.

When Lucy, a female tabby kitten, was not progressing as much as her littermate, her foster group, the Orphan Kitten Club in San Diego, was at a loss as to the problem. So, OKC’s founder, Hannah “Kitten Lady” Shaw reached out to Dr. Karen Vernau at the UC Davis veterinary hospital. Dr. Vernau’s experience with hundreds of kittens as a faculty mentor of a similar group, UC Davis’ Orphan Kitten Project, led her to believe that Lucy may have hypothyroidism.

The 2020 LNU Lightning Complex Fire in Northern California devastated many lives. None more so than the owners of Quinn, a 12-year-old female Labrador retriever. Just before the fire erupted, Quinn was not feeling herself and was twice taken to her primary veterinarian. After many tests, she came home on the night of August 18. That would be the last time she would be in that home.

Life for Miro, a 5-year-old German shepherd, has been what his owner describes as an “emotional roller coaster” over the past two years. Several peaks and valleys have dotted his metaphorical landscape as he has gone from premiere fitness to dealing with injuries and disease. But a clinical trial at the UC Davis veterinary hospital may have put him back on a positive track.

The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine recently received an additional $75,000 grant from the Petco Foundation to continue its support of pet cancer treatments at the school’s veterinary hospital.

Daisy, an 8-year-old female collie/terrier mix, grew up in Malibu, so she loves the beach. She’s always been a well-seasoned beachgoer, prepared for anything that might come her way. But a recent trip to Pacifica Beach proved too much to handle after she ingested something that severely upset her system, nearly killing her.

The UC Davis veterinary hospital has treated hundreds of animals over the years that were burned in wildfires. Every year, there is at least one that everyone at the hospital remembers. This year, one of the most memorable was Ned, a semi-feral cat who was rescued from the property he calls home a few days after the LNU Lightning Complex Fire swept through and destroyed everything. This week, Ned was finally discharged after being hospitalized for three months.