Small Animal

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

UC Davis veterinary cardiologist Dr. Joshua Stern led a team of researchers that has found a link between some popular grain-free, legume-rich dog diets and a type of nutritional deficiency and canine heart disease known as taurine-deficient dilated cardiomyopathy. The FDA took notice and issued warnings about the potential connection.

What’s in your dogs’ diets could be a factor in whether they develop heart disease, according to a new FDA report.

Rhyme, a 2-year-old male ragdoll mix cat, was being medically managed for a liver shunt for the past six months. That followed nearly two years of trying to discover the root of his illness, which seemed to have plagued him for as long as could be remembered. When a specialist in Rhyme’s hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia finally diagnosed the shunt, he recommended Dr. Bill Culp at the UC Davis veterinary hospital, who has been performing a minimally invasive procedure to correct shunts in dogs for many years. Luckily for Rhyme, Dr. Culp has also utilized this technique in cats when presented with a similar scenario.

Oso, a 2-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever, started dragging his back legs while on a walk. His veterinarian in Bend, Oregon—surgeon Dr. Mauricio Dujowich, a UC Davis alum—performed an MRI that revealed a massive tumor inside his spinal cord, pinching the nerves to his back legs.