School of Veterinary Medicine

Multiple Specialists Collaborate to Remove Cancerous Tumor from Cat’s Chest

When Martin and Elisa Edwards of Berkeley, California visited an animal shelter ten years ago looking for a cat to adopt, one eager kitten took it upon himself to speed up the process and jumped on Elisa’s lap to introduce himself. The Edwards had found their new cat, along with his sister, and adopted them both. Tilden and Tess, now 10 years old, have enjoyed good lives with the Edwards. That is until about a year ago when Tilden started to get picky about his food.

Small Animal

Surgery Reverses Puppy’s Heart Failure

When Ernesto and Chelsea Torres received Riley as a young puppy, they had no idea she had a congenital heart defect. The 4-month-old German shepherd was getting her first immunizations when her veterinarian discovered she had a loud heart murmur. He immediately referred Riley to the Cardiology Service at the UC Davis veterinary hospital.

Small Animal

Dog Continues To Thrive More Than Year After Cancer Diagnosis

Earlier this year, pet owners Glen and Renee shared with us the story of their dog Trooper, who was diagnosed with cancer. In their words, here is his inspiring tale…

Small Animal

English Bulldog Beats the Odds Thanks to Cancer Treatment at UC Davis

In 2016, 4-year-old English bulldog Henry Hudson was diagnosed with a mast cell tumor (MCT) on his leg. The MCT was surgically removed with complete margins, but his veterinarian suggested that he be taken to the UC Davis veterinary hospital for chemotherapy.

Small Animal

UC Davis Seeks Healthy Dogs for Cancer Vaccine Study

The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine is one of three national participants in the Vaccination Against Canine Cancer Study. Cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs (accounting for approximately 30 percent of all deaths), and this will be the largest clinical trial conducted to date for canine cancer.

Small Animal

Multiple Specialists Save Dog with Oral Cancer

Riley, a 14-year-old Irish terrier, was referred to the UC Davis veterinary hospital for a dental examination in December 2015. Upon examination by the Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service, a pea-sized black mass was discovered on the roof of his mouth. Veterinarians suspected the mass to be an oral melanoma tumor—a cancer that could be fatal within 3-6 months if not treated aggressively—and submitted a tissue sample for biopsy.

Small Animal

Military Officer’s Dog Saved with Cancer Treatments

Barclay, a 5-year-old lab Labrador retriever, has loads of personality and is happiest when he is retrieving something for you, whether it’s a ball, a toy, or a random stick that he finds. He is particularly known for his dog hugs in which he puts his paws on your shoulders and lays his head gently down on your chest – unexpected gentleness from such a big dog. And, like most Labs, he can sometimes be naughty and get into food if you turn your back for a second. On occasion he has eaten strange things like a cantaloupe, skin and all, and even a bag of dried lentil beans.

Small Animal

Why Therapy Cats are Just as Effective as Therapy Dogs

Though less common than their canine counterparts, therapy cats are making a tremendous difference in the lives of challenged children and lonely seniors.

Small Animal

Vision Over Visibility: Pushing the Boundaries of Veterinary Medicine to Improve Lives

On the website for their four Grove restaurants in San Francisco, owners Anna and Ken Zankel have lists of things that are important to them. Anna’s “Things I love” list includes “Baron’s waggy tail and Bubba’s meow.” Ken’s “Things that rock” list includes “people that make other people’s and animals’ lives better.” It’s pretty clear the Zankels love animals.

Small Animal

Dedicated Care Team Leads Way to Success

Kevin, a 3-year-old male domestic longhair cat, required a CT scan to determine the extent of his maxillofacial injuries. Like with all cases in the Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service (DOSS) that need this imaging, Kevin was wheeled to the cone-beam CT machine by registered veterinary technicians (RVTs) Monica Calder and Megan Loscar. While this sounds like an easy enough task, it’s actually quite labor intensive due to the vastness of the UC Davis veterinary hospital.

Small Animal

Poodle Conquers Three-Year Battle with Disease

Penny, a 7-year-old female poodle mix, first came to the UC Davis veterinary hospital in 2016. Through more than 100 visits to the hospital over the past three years, her pet parents have helped Penny battle immune mediated thrombocytopenia – a condition that caused Penny’s immune system to attack and destroy her own blood platelets. Without platelets, Penny’s blood would be unable to clot properly, putting her at risk of bleeding to death with even minor injuries.

Small Animal

German Shepherd Treated for Rare Benign Polyp on Kidney

Dakota, a 9-year-old male German shepherd, was diagnosed with a mass on his kidney and was taken to see the oncology specialists at the UC Davis veterinary hospital.

Small Animal

Advanced Imaging Puts UC Davis at Forefront of Cancer Treatment for Animals

Cancer can be a devastating diagnosis for any pet owner. But now, thanks to new advanced imaging equipment known as the Mini Explorer II, UC Davis veterinarians can diagnose and treat disease earlier, with greater precision.

Small Animal

Attacked Dog Saved by Multiple Specialists

Charlie, a 2-year-old male Maltese mix, and his owner, Tyler Wilcox, were on a routine walk in their neighborhood when Charlie was severely attacked by a much larger dog. The other dog had Charlie is his mouth—shaking him violently—and was not letting go. Wilcox was forced to intervene, having to get physical with the other dog in order to save Charlie. Charlie was rushed to the nearest veterinary clinic where he was sedated and stabilized, but it was clear that his injuries were life threatening – he would need surgery within a few hours.

Small Animal

Cat and Owner Both Survive Cancer

Dinx, a 10-year-old female cat, was brought to the UC Davis veterinary hospital for evaluation of a low grade soft tissue sarcoma mass on her ear that grew back after surgical removal a year prior. Most likely, another surgery would be required to remove the mass.

Small Animal