Dogs

Sadie Mae, a Catahoula/Rottweiler mix, narrates a tale of her journey through cancer treatments. Along the way, she tells you of her relationship with her owner and the care she got at the UC Davis veterinary hospital.

When George William, a now 6-month-old wirehaired pointing Griffon, was brought to his first veterinary appointment as a new puppy, a heart murmur was discovered. His general practitioner told owners Teresa and Paul Struffert that it was very serious, and they needed to take George William to the Cardiology Service at the UC Davis veterinary hospital.

Bubbles, a 10-year-old male boxer, was brought to the UC Davis veterinary hospital’s Emergency Room following an inability to maintain his coordination accompanied with weakness in his hind limbs. Critical care specialists in the ER referred him to the Neurology/Neurosurgery Service for further evaluation. Following examination and an MRI, a tumor on Bubbles’ spinal cord was discovered.

When Teddy, a 12-year-old border terrier, was diagnosed with diabetes, his care team at the UC Davis veterinary hospital predicted he would eventually go blind. Within five months of the diagnosis, that prediction came true. Cataracts caused by the diabetes had formed in both of Teddy’s eyes completely clouding his vision. But UC Davis veterinary ophthalmologists offered hope, having performed many vision-restoring cataract surgeries over the years.

Sky, a 2-year-old female Siberian husky mix, was rescued nearly a year ago. Her owners Renee Gee and Brian Estill of San Francisco noticed some stiffness in her back right leg when walking. While doing a good job of masking any pain, Sky did yelp when her primary veterinarian palpated and extended the leg. X-rays confirmed a luxated right hip, and her veterinarians suggested a hip replacement might be necessary. A second opinion resulted in the same diagnosis and surgery suggestion. Being a thorough and detail-oriented dog owner, Gee decided a third opinion at the UC Davis veterinary hospital was the right thing to do.

Clutch, an 8-year-old pit bull terrier, was rescued five years ago from a shelter just before being euthanized. His new owner, Al Thielemann, noticed his ability to stay active so he started training Clutch in a variety of jobs – dock diving, nose work detection, and other types of working activities. But Clutch preferred to be off leash and be more active.

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.