Whale researchers dropped a mic into the seas off southeast Alaska and recorded a humpback making a “whup”-like noise, translated roughly as a humpback hello. The next day, they lowered a speaker into the water and played the recorded “whup” back as a pod of whales passed by. One whale, a middle-aged female named Twain, responded in kind. For 20 minutes, Twain and the scientists “whupped” back and forth, 36 times in a row. Researchers even varied the timing of their calls and Twain matched their tempo.
When Sarah Lindley found a lump near her dog Bucky’s tooth, she didn’t think it was a problem. The lively husky mix, which she and her partner, Tom Yuzvinsky, consider part of the family, didn’t appear to be in pain. Still, she scheduled an appointment with her local veterinarian on the Central Coast.
“At first we thought something was stuck in his gums and he might lose a tooth,” Lindley said. “Then the biopsy came back as cancerous.”
Researchers at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine marked a milestone in equine assisted reproductive technologies with the first successful use of frozen-thawed sperm for in vitro fertilization (IVF) production of equine embryos. These promising results, just published in Theriogenology, have the potential for broader clinical applications, as well as valuable opportunities to study fertilization and embryo development.
A recent clinical trial conducted by the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine has shown that famciclovir, an antiviral used to treat feline herpes, hastens recovery in kittens with infectious upper respiratory disease (IURD). The results of the research, published today in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, also indicated that the drug may also reduce corneal disease in some of these kittens.
As part of an ongoing commitment to antimicrobial stewardship, the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine examined antimicrobial use practices in canine and feline patients with co-morbidities undergoing dental procedures.
A Nestlé Purina PetCare grant of nearly $1 million over 5 years will support the School of Veterinary Medicine's G.V. Ling Urinary Stone Analysis Laboratory. It will allow companion animal veterinarians to provide free urinary stone analysis results to their patients.
The two most common causes of death in kittens are diarrhea and severe upper respiratory tract infections. Thanks to a Center for Companion Animal Health grant, UC Davis veterinary scientists have made a small discovery that may give veterinarians a better understanding of one of those issues.
With the largest and most diverse resident training program in the country, UC Davis is able to offer exceptional research opportunities. This unique ability to conduct research during a residency can have profound impact on veterinarians and can shape their career decisions.
