Jack the Shih Tzu was 7 years old when he traveled from Ontario, Canada to the UC Davis veterinary hospital in 2015. Given a cancer diagnosis with only a few months to live and with limited immediate treatment options, Jack’s family started a frantic search for help elsewhere. The search was a quick one, though, as one of the first items that appeared in their online hunt was a first-of-its-kind clinical trial at UC Davis to treat his exact condition.
Behavior resident Dr. Sun Kim was recently selected as the recipient of the 2020 American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB) R.K. Anderson Resident Award. The recognition is given annually for outstanding research by veterinarians in ACVB residencies, such as UC Davis’ three-year advanced training program.
Max, a 4-year-old male Large Munsterlander, enjoys walks with his owners, Dr. Stevan Cavalier—a retired physician—and his wife Stephany near their home in the Bay Area. While they take precautions for their dogs due to the presence of foxtails in the area, it’s not always a guarantee that the dogs will stay completely away from the dangerous plants. Recently, Max had a decreased appetite, was lethargic, and had a fever and an increased respiratory rate. He was immediately taken to a local veterinary clinic.
Mugsy, 12-year-old male pit bull terrier, was diagnosed with mast cell tumors in mid-2019. Owner Sarah Robinson—who adopted Mugsy 11 years prior while in nursing school—knew the prognosis wasn’t good, but wanted to seek the expertise of the cancer specialists at the UC Davis veterinary hospital, since oncology services were not available in her hometown of Reno.
Goldie, 14-year-old female spayed rat terrier, was living the good life on a horse farm with plenty of open land to run free. Her owner, Renee Johnson, describes her as full of vigor, rambunctious, and enthusiastic, with too much energy for city life in a small yard. Her duties as a barn dog kept her busy minding the 14 horses in her guard, not being afraid to bark orders when the horses were out of line or misbehaving. Unfortunately, that comfortableness around the horses got her in trouble, getting severely injured when one of them accidentally stepped on or kicked her.
Surgery resident Dr. Maureen Griffin was recently awarded the 2020 American Association of Veterinary Clinicians (AAVC) Resident Achievement Award. The recognition is given annually to a resident in their final year of training who has achieved a high degree of excellence in their chosen specialty.
As a result of COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home and physical distancing orders, veterinary blood banks worldwide—including the UC Davis veterinary blood bank—are encountering shortages in blood supplies. In order to keep the hospital a safe environment, the blood bank is currently unable to enroll any new donors from the community. This has created a shortage of canine blood products (plasma, red blood cells, platelets) at the hospital.
Osteoarthritis problems in three-legged dogs are one of the biggest challenges owners will face. However, there are many things that can minimize the impact. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Denis Marcelin-Little was recently interviewed by Tripawds, a leading help center for three-legged dogs and cats.
Kaiya, a 4-year-old female bloodhound, was visiting the UC Davis veterinary hospital in early 2019 for a routine dermatology appointment. Upon physical examination, Kaiya’s veterinarians discovered several enlarged lymph nodes – beneath her jaw, at the front of her shoulders, in her right groin region, and at the back of her rear legs. Laboratory testing of the nodes came back positive for lymphoma.
