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.
Average stay in the hospital for the more than 50,000 animals that UC Davis treats every year is less than a week. It is a rare occurrence for an animal to be hospitalized for four months, but two alpacas that the UC Davis veterinary hospital’s Large Animal Clinic treated this fall did just that. Apple Jack and Jasper became household names at the hospital, being seen by nearly every fourth-year veterinary student who had a large animal rotation. The students and technicians even decorated their barn stall for the holidays.
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.
A mountain lion found with burn injuries sustained during California’s Bobcat Fire was released back into the wilderness on the weekend of October 24 after receiving a month-long treatment from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine staff.
Georgia, an 18-year-old warmblood mare, was brought to the UC Davis veterinary hospital after a recent change of ownership. The previous owners disclosed she had been treated medically for chronic endometritis (inflammation of the uterine lining) over the past several years without resolution of the condition.
Scruffles, a 9-year-old female Shetland sheepdog, was referred to the UC Davis veterinary hospital after her white blood cell count continued to increase. The Oncology Service performed complete blood count tests to gain a better understanding of Scruffles’ condition, as well as a test called flow cytometry, which helped determine if Scruffles was dealing with a cancer of her bone marrow (leukemia).
An orphaned mountain lion cub is at the Oakland Zoo recovering from burn injuries after being rescued from California's Zogg Fire. The zoo staff is working with the UC Davis Veterinary Hospital to treat the cub's wounds.
So, what do a local university patron, four veterinary hospital services, a veterinary resident, a newly graduated Animal Science major, and dozens of faculty, staff, and student caregivers have in common? All of these UC Davis entities came together to save the life of a tiny kitten barely big enough to fit in your hand.
