Reflections on a Career Helping Others

***This article first appeared in the Fall 2026 issue of Synergy magazine***

Growing up in the Santa Cruz mountains, John Kirby was always around animals, be it his dogs, the wildlife surrounding him, or at the nearby horse ranch where he worked. One of his father’s close friends was the late Dr. Gerald Heagerty, DVM ’64, who showed Kirby behind-the-scenes activities at his clinic. This was where his first thoughts about a career in veterinary medicine began.

“I knew I wanted to work in medicine,” said Kirby. “And I particularly enjoyed the challenge of figuring out what might be wrong with a patient that can’t tell you the problem. That spoke to me.”

While studying animal science at UC Davis as an undergraduate, Kirby realized that being a veterinary technician was going to be his best way of accomplishing his career goals. After a few years working in smaller clinics, Kirby wanted to explore more diverse and challenging aspects of his career. He was able to get an entry-level animal health technician position at UC Davis.

“I started cleaning cages and progressed to a ward technician on graveyard shift,” Kirby said.

Kirby’s hard work and dedication led to a transfer to the ICU, where Dr. Larry Cowgill recognized his proficiency and asked Kirby to transfer to the Hemodialysis and Blood Purification Unit. He spent the next 20 years helping Cowgill treat animals with acute kidney injuries. In those early days of hemodialysis, there were less than 10 veterinary hospitals nationwide to offer the treatment (UC Davis was the only one in California), and all were based on Cowgill’s pioneering of the specialty. Kirby also supported Cowgill’s research on improving the art of providing hemodialysis and other emerging extracorporeal therapies, such as plasma exchange and stem cell therapy, to companion animals.

In 2020, Kirby was promoted to supervisor of the Small Animal Internal Medicine and Nutrition Services. After 30 years of working at UC Davis, he still enjoys the challenges of determining animals’ conditions without them being able to tell you.

“John brings a positive, can-do attitude to the hospital,” said Dr. Jonathan Dear, co-chief of the Small Animal Internal Medicine Service. “He’s a problem solver and is never afraid to step in and get his hands dirty. Throughout his tenure here, he is ever calm and collected.”

Kirby says the most rewarding aspect of his job is helping to teach the DVM students, as well as the scholars that come from across the globe, about hemodialysis.

“I have always felt thankful to be a part of the teaching process,” said Kirby. “It’s fulfilling seeing that ‘gotcha moment’ when the students realize the connection between what they’ve learned in a laboratory or textbook and applying it hands-on for the first time.”

Kirby noted how humbling it is when former students tell him that they have taught their staff what he taught them.

“It makes me reflect on the years and years of coaching throughout my career and how many patients have benefitted from that.”

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