UC Davis Veterinarian Discovers Rare Blood Disorder in Cat

Miao Miao, a 4-year-old male domestic shorthair cat, was brought to the UC Davis veterinary hospital with persistent nosebleeds. Based on previous medical issues, his owners were aware that he had some variation of a blood platelet disorder (causing an inability to properly clot blood), but the exact make-up of that was never discovered.

Medical Management of Deep Ulcerative Keratitis

Researchers at the University of California, Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital recently performed a study to determine if intensive medical management offered a viable treatment alternative to surgery for feline patients with severe deep ulcerative keratitis.

16 Things You Can Catch From Your Pet

Pet owners have lower blood pressure and less stress, and they exercise more, among other benefits. But pets can sometimes also pass on diseases. People magazine highlights how taking good care of your pet will help prevent the spread.

Building Research Teams of the Future

The latest newsletter from the UC Davis Clinical and Translational Science Center highlights collaborations among researchers from human and veterinary medicine. Articles include how clinical trials with animal patients speeds translation to improved care for people, partnerships in human-animal eye research, and new hope from novel canine cancer therapy treatments and feline stem cell therapy for an oral inflammatory disease. Read more

Stem Cell Therapy: Helping Cats with Unresponsive FCGS

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 Veterinarians Remove Heartworm from Cat's Femoral Artery

Stormie, a 4-year-old female Siamese cat, has had a history of heartworm disease since she was adopted at 1 year of age. She and her owner live in Los Angeles, but were visiting family in the Bay Area when she developed pelvic limb lameness. Fearing she had fallen off something or down a staircase, Stormie’s owner brought her to a local veterinary emergency room in Berkeley, where she informed them of the history of heartworm disease. After ultrasound showed a suspected heartworm in the arterial system, and a heartworm antigen test resulted in a strong positive, Stormie’s owner was advised to bring her to specialists at the UC Davis veterinary hospital.

Paralyzed Cat Defies Odds and Walks Again Thanks to UC Davis Neurosurgeons

Gray, a 9-month-old male cat, was found as a stray in Hawaii and taken in by his new owner. Shortly after settling in with his new family, Gray’s posture became abnormal and his hind limbs splayed outward, severely affecting his ability to walk. He was painful to the touch, and over the next few days, became increasingly immobile. Radiographs taken by a local veterinarian indicated a vertebral disc space narrowing in Gray’s lower back. Within a few days, he was no longer able to walk at all, so his owner researched where to get the best help for Gray. They were soon on their way to California to see neurologists at the UC Davis veterinary hospital.

UC Davis Performs Extremely Rare Heart Surgery to Save Cat

Vanilla Bean, a 1-year-old female Burmese cat from Mill Valley, California, was brought to a veterinary cardiologist for respiratory distress. The vet diagnosed her with a rare congenital heart defect that does not allow blood to flow properly through the chambers. This improper flow can cause too much blood to collect in one chamber, create pressure, enlarge it, and ultimately lead to congestive heart failure.