Kitten’s Brain Surgery at UC Davis Could Transform Care for Human Patients
A Novel Procedure to Save a Kitten Highlights UC Davis’ Unique Partnership Between Human and Animal Health Experts
UC Davis’ unique integration of human and animal health expertise has given a fluffy, friendly kitten a chance at survival — and opened the door to ideas that could someday help human patients.
When Erin Cooper noticed her Maine Coon kitten Viggo had an oversized head, she never imagined it meant something serious. But an MRI revealed feline hydrocephalus: a buildup of fluid inside the brain that is often fatal.
“These kittens, they don’t feel well,” said Karen Vernau, veterinary neurologist at UC Davis. “They may circle, they can’t stand, and when it really gets terrible, their brain can herniate, and they pass away.”
Treatment options are rare and often fail. Most kittens with hydrocephalus are euthanized within months.
Enter Cameron Sadegh, pediatric neurosurgeon at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. He treats the same condition in babies.
“We’ve been using a technique for human hydrocephalus that, although effective, hasn’t changed in about 70 years,” Sadegh said. “I think we can do better.”