News

On June 16, the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine and the UC Davis Police Department held a Faithful Partners K9 Memorial to honor canine officers killed in the line of duty across the state from 2012-2025. Officers from law enforcement units throughout California gathered at the grassy area near the bronze memorial statue on the veterinary campus to commemorate 27 of their partners who gave it their all in the line of duty. 

The following is Dr. Morgan's obituary written by his family.

Dr. Joe P. Morgan died on May 31, 2026, in Fort Dodge, Iowa.  After graduating from Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1960, Dr. Morgan served as an AVMA Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1961.  He received an M.S. from Colorado State University in 1962 and was an NIH Fellow at the Royal Veterinary College in Stockholm, Sweden from 1964 until 1967, where he successfully defended his Vet. Med. Dr. dissertation.

UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine Dean Mark Stetter recently joined host Stacy Pursell on The People of Animal Health Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, wildlife conservation, veterinary innovation, and the future of global health.

Disorders of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) have long been known as contributors to orofacial pain and dysfunction in a dog’s ability to maintain a good quality of life, including eating, drinking, vocalizing, and using their mouth for useful activities. Treatment of TMJ conditions—such as cancerous tumors, severe inflammatory diseases, and septic arthritis—have progressed significantly over the past decade with research and clinical breakthroughs by veterinarians dedicated to oral health.

The 60th Dental Squadron of Travis Air Force Base partnered with the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine during a two-day symposium May 20-21, 2026, to provide Air Force dental residents hands-on training in canine dentistry and military working dog (MWD) care.

The training expanded military dental residents’ ability to identify and treat oral health conditions in MWDs, whose dental readiness directly impacts their ability to support force protection and detection operations across the Department of the Air Force.

This article first appeared on the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources blog

Farmers, ranchers and anyone else who raises cows, horses and other large animals in the Central Valley and across the U.S. face a major problem – not enough veterinarians to care for their animals.

This article first appeared in the Spring 2026 issue of Synergy magazine

Dr. Maria Vasquez already has a favorite aspect to her position in the small animal hospital—helping manage stress for clinicians and families with hospitalized pets. By getting more hands-on time with her patients, she provides an additional resource to medical teams and reassurance to clients that the best care is being provided for their beloved pets.

This article first appeared in the Spring 2026 issue of Synergy magazine

Luna is back to work as a certified therapy dog—bringing her calm nature to healthcare centers, schools, airports, and other places—after neurosurgery to remove a difficult-to-access brain tumor. The 9-year-old Maltese was the first patient enrolled in a clinical trial investigating fluorescence-guided surgery to remove canine brain tumors.

This article first appeared in the Spring 2026 issue of Synergy magazine

This article first appeared in the Spring 2026 issue of Synergy magazine

This article first appeared in the June 2026 issue of Southern California VMA's Pulse magazine

Since 2024, certain telemedicine appointments have been available at UC Davis and other veterinary clinics throughout California. This has allowed both specialists and general practitioners to reach underserved areas of the state or areas where specialty care may be scarce.

Researchers at the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, led by Dr. Carrie Finno and graduate student Briana Brown, have reported the genetic cause of a fatal neurologic disease, equine juvenile spinocerebellar ataxia (EJSCA), in American Quarter Horse foals. A genetic test is available through the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (VGL).

“I instantly knew that we had to help however we could,” said Hodson.

Reed, a heavy equipment operator at the Potrero Hills Landfill in Solano County, and his co-workers couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw a dog—since named Fig—crawl out of a trash load that had just been dumped in the landfill.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026 who received their degrees from the UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine in its 76th Commencement Ceremony held at the Mondavi Center on May 22nd. Among those graduating were 148 DVM students, 36 residents from the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital and 18 candidates in the Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine program.

A 2021 outbreak of leptospirosis that sickened more than 200 dogs in Los Angeles County reveals critical gaps in vaccination practices and raises broader concerns about the spread of the disease between animals and people, according to new research led by the University of California, Davis.