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.
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.
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.
