Small Animal

A new UC Davis veterinary clinic located in the PetSmart just north of campus is serving many needs for undergraduates and their pets. All UC Davis students can receive low cost primary care for their cats and dogs, including routine wellness examinations, sick visits, and vaccinations. In addition, the clinic serves as a homebase for “laboratory” sessions for pre-veterinary courses, giving pre-veterinary students hands-on experience working in a veterinary clinic.

UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine Professor Dr. Denis Marcellin-Little was recently named President of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS). Dr. Marcellin-Little was elected President-elect in 2025 and assumed the role of President at the 2026 ACVS Surgery Summit.

The Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service recently attended the Veterinary Dental Forum (VDF), the annual meeting of the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC).

For the first time in more than 45 years, the UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) will host a one-year Small Animal Rotating Internship for the 2027-28 academic year. Five positions will be offered to veterinarians looking to improve their clinical skills across a wide range of small animal specialties.

“To look at her now, you wouldn’t think anything happened to her,” exclaimed Andrea Barbee owner of Tessa, a 5-year-old border collie who was kicked in the head by a horse.

A pioneering study at the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, funded by the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation, is utilizing advanced, blood-based technologies to understand the underlying causes of copper hepatopathy in Labrador retrievers and develop non-invasive diagnostic tools for this silent disease. To support this vital research and encourage participation, the cost of the liver biopsy is covered for enrolled dogs.

This article first appeared in the CCAH Update newsletter, Spring 2026.

It isn’t often that researchers involved in the fundamental aspects of translational medicine get to meet a patient who has benefitted from a decade or more of basic science. So, when Dr. Stephen McSorley and his postdoctoral researcher Dr. Marietta Ravesloot-Chavez met Snoopy on the last day of his clinical trial, there were lots of ear scratches to deliver. 

Summer has found a new forever home after being hit by a car that required several surgeries at the UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH). The approximately 1-year-old German shepherd’s long journey back to health required a large team of veterinary professionals and volunteers. Their dedication to providing care to underserved communities, and saving animals in the process, has given a young dog a new lease on life in the perfect landing spot.  

Dr. Karolynn Ellis has joined the Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Service at the UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) as an assistant professor.

Sometimes, people are just in the right place at the right time. Thankfully for Aika, neurologist Dr. Christine Toedebusch happened to be in the Emergency Room at the UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) when the 5-year-old corgi arrived. While she was checking on another patient, Dr. Toedebusch noticed Aika from across the room.