Small Animal | School of Veterinary Medicine

UC Davis Investigates Link Between Dog Diets and Deadly Heart Disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued an alert about reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods containing peas, lentils, other legume seeds, or potatoes as main ingredients. UC Davis is leading the investigation between these dog diets and heart disease.

FDA Warns of Possible Link Between Food, Canine Heart Disease

Small Animal

Pet foods containing peas, lentils, other legume seeds or potatoes as main ingredients may be linked to cases of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs, according to an alert to pet owners this week from the Food and Drug Administration.

Million Cat Challenge Receives $2.5M Grant From Maddie’s Fund

Small Animal

Maddie’s Fund, a national nonprofit that supports the status and well-being of companion animals, is granting more than $2.5 million to support the Million Cat Challenge as it expands to into its next phase of animal lifesaving in shelters across North America.

Veterinarians and Physicians Team Up to Treat Brain Malformation in Dog

Small Animal

Crash, a 6-year-old male German shepherd, was starting to tire more easily on his walks and seemed “spacey” and listless. An MRI revealed an intracranial arteriovenous malformation (AVM)-more commonly seen in humans-located within the brain and behind his eyes. Veterinary neurosurgeons collaborated with human specialists to treat his condition.

Stem Cell Therapy: Helping Cats with Unresponsive FCGS

Small Animal

A rescued domestic shorthaired cat named “Lily” has helped prove the efficacy of a game-changing treatment for feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS), or stomatitis for short. The lucky feline, adopted by Cyndi Luke of Davis, California, had been treated unsuccessfully for three years when she was recruited to take part in a stem-cell therapy trial testing a cutting-edge procedure for the painful oral condition.

UC Davis Neurosurgeons Successfully Remove Brain Tumor, Extending Dog’s Life

Small Animal

Dazzy, a 4-year-old male French bulldog, began having seizures and acting aggressive toward strangers – a behavior he had never previously displayed. His owners took him to see their primary veterinarian who ultimately referred them to a neurologist near their home in Southern California. An MRI performed by the neurologist revealed a left intra-axial cerebral mass, most consistent with a glioma (brain tumor).

First Pets Around the World

Small Animal

The types of creatures children grow up with can depend on where they live.

Million Cat Challenge Reaches Goal Early

Small Animal

The Million Cat Challenge has reached its goal of saving a million shelter cats in five years--a year ahead of schedule. After more than 1,000 animal shelters in North America joined forces to save the animals, the campaign announced last week that it has exceeded that number just four years after the campaign’s launch.

Successful Cancer Clinical Trial at UC Davis Extends Dog’s Life

Small Animal

Boone, a 9-year-old male greater Swiss mountain dog, was previously diagnosed with stage 3 malignant oral melanoma based on the size of the tumor and spread of the tumor to his lymph nodes. He participated in a clinical trial that has given him a new lease on life.

Researchers Review Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy Potential

Small Animal

In a review published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, Jessica M. Quimby, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at The Ohio State University, and Dori L. Borjesson, DVM, MPVM, Ph.D., Veterinary Institute for Regenerative Cures at the University of California, Davis, consider both the current and potential clinical applications of mesenchymal stem cell therapy in cats.