Floyd was a ball fanatic with the heart of a retriever. The muscular black and white Boston terrier would play fetch for hours with Ananda and Chuck Nettnins before collapsing in his water trough to cool off.
A few months after his death in April 2016 from hemangiosarcoma, a cancer of the vascular endothelium or the blood vessel walls, the Nettnins discovered a secret stash of more than 20 balls hidden under their couch.
Louie, an 8-year-old male Boston terrier, was diagnosed with Cushing’s disease by his primary veterinarian. Cushing’s disease causes a dog’s adrenal glands to produce too much cortisol, a chemical that controls many aspects of a dog’s body, including its weight, its ability to fight infections, maintain blood sugar levels, and many other vital functions. In Louie, the Cushing’s disease was caused by a tumor in his right adrenal gland. His primary veterinarians referred Louie to the Soft Tissue Surgery Service at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for surgical removal of his right adrenal gland.
Starlit Sky, 7-year-old female golden retriever, has not had it easy over the past three years since an initial injury to her front left carpus (wrist). Suspected of slipping on a tile floor, she hyperextended the carpal joint which caused her paw to collapse under her leg. The injury was so severe that one veterinarian suggested amputation. Several failed surgeries and a similar injury to her right leg for overcompensation left Starlit Sky in a constant state of pain – wearing braces and enduring rigorous rehabilitation activities, none of which seemed to ultimately solve the problems. Determined to not have this be her fate in life, Starlit Sky’s owner Patricia Chiara took their physical therapist’s advice and brought her to the UC Davis veterinary hospital for an evaluation.
Thanks to a university-wide collaboration between veterinarians, physicians, researchers, and biomedical engineers, a groundbreaking clinical trial has been approved in human medicine to treat spina bifida with stem cells.
The UC Davis veterinary hospital has continued to achieve the highest level of veterinary excellence following evaluation by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).
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.
Hemodialysis is available for Southern California patients at the UC Veterinary Medical Center – San Diego (UCVMC-SD), a satellite facility of the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Since 2002, the Advanced Extracorporeal (Hemodialysis) and Urinary Disease Service at UCVMC-SD has been treating life-threatening acute kidney failure and managing long-term renal conditions. Nephrology and urology expertise for less critical conditions is also available. The service also supports a unique fellowship program at UCVMC-SD to expand advanced training in this growing discipline.
