Hundreds of new genes linked to blindness and other vision disorders have been identified in a screen of mouse strains. Many of these genes are likely important in human eye vision and the results could help identify new causes of hereditary blindness in patients. The work is published Dec. 21 in Nature Communications Biology. The research team was led by Dr. Bret Moore, resident at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.
Several burned dogs and cats at the VCA Valley Oak Veterinary Center in Chico are getting an unusual treatment to help them heal from injuries they suffered in the Camp Fire: fish skins. This is the first time sterilized tilapia skins have been used to treat burns on dogs and cats.
The 33rd Annual Charles Heumphreus Memorial Lecture will take place February 16, 2019 at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM). This year’s event features farrier Tim Shannon and equine veterinarian Dr. G. Marvin Beeman. Farriers and equine veterinarians are invited to attend the event, which takes place from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Morning lectures will be in Gladys Valley Hall on the SVM campus, with an afternoon hands-on session to follow.
Scientists have discovered Marburg virus in fruit bats in Sierra Leone. This is the first time the deadly virus has been found in West Africa. Five Egyptian rousette fruit bats tested positive for active Marburg virus infection. Scientists caught the bats separately in three health districts: Moyamba, Koinadugu and Kono.
In the aftermath of California's deadliest wildfire in November, the UC Davis veterinary hospital as well as the Veterinary Emergency Response Team (VERT) launched into action. Nearly 70 animals were brought to UC Davis for treatment while hundreds of others were evaluated and treated in the field by VERT. This was a comprehensive team effort, comprised of faculty, veterinary technicians, students and staff.
There’s gold in those old databases. Analyses of genomic data often miss a large amount of information, but genome scientists at UC Davis have now created an automated analysis pipeline to dig out this hidden information. In a new study published in the journal GigaScience the researchers mine a huge marine microbial dataset from the Microbial Transcriptome Sequencing Project (MMETSP) to find new results.
Wildlife veterinarians at the Hummingbird Health and Conservation Program in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine recently published a study describing a new system to track hummingbirds visiting feeders in urban gardens. Feeder behavior offers clues about hummingbird health, and disease transmission.
The American Association of Equine Practitioners recognized a California regulatory veterinarian for his leadership and advocacy in protecting the horse from infectious diseases when presenting its 2018 Distinguished Service Award to UC Davis SVM alum Kent Fowler, DVM.
Equine veterinarians learned about the “Madigan Foal Squeeze Technique”—a life-saving procedure to immediately treat Maladjustment Syndrome in newborn foals—in the presentation UC Davis Distinguished Professor John Madigan gave at the 64th Annual American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention & Trade Show, held this past week in San Francisco. Dr. Madigan was one of 13 UC Davis faculty members, residents, and researchers who presented at the convention.
Holly, a 23-year-old American Quarter Horse gelding, was found in his paddock lame on the right front forelimb with a wound over his elbow. The UC Davis veterinary hospital’s Equine Field Service was quickly dispatched to the ranch, and radiographs taken there revealed a fracture of the right olecranon – the curved top of the ulna in the elbow joint.
Two UC Davis oral surgeons are now Founding Fellows of the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC) in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS). Drs. Frank Verstraete and Boaz Arzi, of the UC Davis veterinary hospital’s Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service (DOSS), were recognized at the 2018 Veterinary Dental Forum.
University of California faculty, staff, and retirees can now add their four-legged family members to their insurance. Pet insurance is being offered through Nationwide with preferred pricing for two plan options — coverage for accidents and illness, or more comprehensive coverage that also includes preventive care and wellness services. Plans are available for most house pets – dogs, cats, birds, small mammals, even exotic pets such as reptiles. Animals categorized as livestock (including horses) are ineligible.
A UC Davis veterinary patient is being described as a miracle by her owner. When Ethel, a 2-year-old Yorkshire terrier, was rescued by MaryAnn Lawson, the rambunctious pup was in a cast for a broken leg. Unfortunately, two previous surgeries failed to properly heal her broken right ulna and radius (equivalent to both bones in a human’s forearm). Lawson forged on and consulted with other veterinary orthopedic surgeons, all of whom recommended amputating the leg.
A San Joaquin County K-9 who nearly died in 2014 after being stabbed by a suspect, was being saved yet again, this time by the veterinary team at UC Davis.
This past March, seven-year-old K-9 Haakon was taken to the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Hospital for a ruptured bladder.
