Dr. Emily McCobb, DVM, MS, DACVAA has been named the inaugural PetSmart Charities Endowed Chair in Accessible Veterinary Care at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. The role has been permanently funded by a $6 million grant, the single most sizeable grant in PetSmart Charities 30-year history.
Dr. Allison O'Donnell is familiar with the UC Davis veterinary hospital, having received her veterinary degree from the school in 2023. Unfortunately, she and fiancé Matt Cardinale had to experience the hospital as clients recently when their dog Squid, a 5-year-old female husky/terrier mix, was trapped in a house fire and suffered carbon monoxide poisoning.
Across much of the United States, spring is in full force. With warmer weather, people are taking their furry family members out on longer walks and spending more time outside. Alongside blooming flowers and trees, your pet might run into a small, unassuming grass seed pod known as a foxtail. Despite the cute name, foxtails can pose a major threat to your pet’s health.
Hunter, a 9-year-old cocker spaniel, lives a great life with his owners Brian Boitano and Franc D’Ambrosio. But when D’Ambrosio noticed an abnormality while performing a routine anal sac expression, they took Hunter to their veterinarian who diagnosed apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma (AGASACA). While AGASACA represents 17% of all perianal tumors in dogs, it only makes up 2% of all canine skin tumors.
Dr. Boaz Arzi, chief of the Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service, has been accepted for membership into the American Academy of Craniomaxillofacial Surgeons (AACMFS). The Academy, consisting almost entirely of human medicine surgeons, approved his membership at its recent annual meeting. Dr. Arzi has met the criteria to become inducted into the AACMFS as an Associate Active Fellow.
Scout, a 7-month-old female miniature Dachshund, had a rough start to her life in Anchorage, Alaska, where she lives with her littermate brother Finn, and another miniature Dachshund, 2-year-old Leroy, along with her owners, Karen and Gene Richardson. By the age of 3 months, it was discovered that Scout was born with incorrect blood vessel connections leading to her liver.
Veterinarians at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine have gained patent pending status on a jaw joint replacement implant for cats and dogs with end-stage temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. The group’s TMJ replacement (TMJR) prosthesis could revolutionize treatment for pets with non-functioning TMJs, either due to injury or disease. Initial research on the TMJR was recently published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research.
The UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital has expanded its Orthopedic Surgery Service to open the Advanced Veterinary Surgery Center. Modeled after human health inpatient/outpatient facilities, the center provides advanced surgical capabilities for animals suffering from injuries or disorders of the bones and joints, while increasing case volume and training capacity.
Atlas, a 2-year-old male cheetoh cat (Bengal/ocicat cross), is a fearless daredevil who likes to get into mischief, always wanting to climb to the highest heights he can reach in the house. Unfortunately, those activities caught up with him last May when he became acutely lame after jumping down from an elevated structure at home. X-rays showed a displaced fracture of the right femoral head that would require surgery.
The UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) will add to its nation-leading house officer program by becoming the first facility to host a training opportunity under the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine’s (ACVIM) new Fellowship Program. The program will offer a multi-year, hands-on clinical training opportunity in cases specifically within a discipline. The first ACVIM Fellowship at UC Davis will be offered in Infectious Diseases, and fellowships in other areas of interest will be developed by the ACVIM in the coming months.
Noodle, a 3-year-old male poodle mix, is the second patient ever to have percutaneous stone removal surgery, and the first without initial lithotripsy.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has long been identified as a concern in human medicine and has now gained attention as a serious issue in our companion animals.
While the UC Davis veterinary hospital has yet to see any patients for a mysterious canine respiratory illness spreading nationwide, veterinarians throughout the country are working collaboratively to determine exactly what may be causing the numerous illnesses.
