Spring 2024

Updates for Practicing Veterinary Professionals

Updated with new referral coordinators since last issue.

Johnny Cash the Pug in Black

In this episode, Dean Mark Stetter visits the Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service. Johnny Cash, a 1-year-old pug, received a treatment that was pioneered at UC Davis more than 10 years ago by professors and oral surgeons Drs. Frank Verstraete and Boaz Arzi: using bone morphogenetic protein to regrow missing jawbone.

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UC Davis Veterinary Medicine

75th Anniversary Gala

Please join us at the UC Davis Veterinary Medicine 75th Anniversary Gala on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at the iconic Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento. The 75th Anniversary Gala will include an exciting live auction showcasing one-of-a-kind items and experiences, a cocktail hour, dinner, and an engaging program.

UC Davis Expands Veterinary Services in Southern California

UC Davis has purchased a building in San Diego to expand its veterinary services in Southern California, with the new center slated to open in fall 2025. After the move, the existing center, UC Veterinary Medical Center - San Diego, will become the Janice K. Hobbs UC Davis Veterinary Medical Center Southern California. The center’s namesake, Jan Hobbs, is a Southern California philanthropist, animal lover, and UC Davis donor who helped make the building purchase possible. The new center, located at 5040 Shoreham Place in San Diego, will greatly expand the school’s veterinary care in Southern California. Once renovated, the Janice K. Hobbs UC Davis Veterinary Medical Center Southern California will provide 24/7 veterinary emergency and critical care and will expand its veterinary specialty services to include cardiology, clinical pharmacy, hemodialysis, nephrology and advanced urology, internal medicine, oncology, surgery, and radiology/diagnostic imaging.

UC Davis Opens Center for Advanced Veterinary Surgery

The VMTH has expanded its Orthopedic Surgery Service to open the Center for Advanced Veterinary Surgery. Modeled after human health inpatient/outpatient facilities, the center provides advanced surgical capabilities for animals suffering from injuries or disorders of the bones and joints, while increasing case volume and training capacity. The standalone center is located just steps from the veterinary hospital and encompasses 25 rooms and 7,300 square feet of space, including three state-of-the-art operating rooms.

Exotics Medicine Resident Wins National Award

Dr. Nicole Mikoni, a resident in the Companion Exotic Animal Medicine and Surgery Service, was awarded the 2024 American Association of Veterinary Clinicians Resident Award. The recognition is given annually to a resident in their final year of training who has achieved a high degree of excellence in their chosen specialty. In nominating candidates, faculty mentors take into consideration activities, awards, and productivity of the resident during their training process.

Dr. Boaz Arzi Becomes Member of American Academy of Craniomaxillofacial Surgeons

Dr. Boaz Arzi, chief of the Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service, has been accepted for membership into the American Academy of Craniomaxillofacial Surgeons (AACMFS). The Academy, consisting almost entirely of human medicine surgeons, approved his membership at its recent annual meeting. Dr. Arzi has met the criteria to become inducted into the AACMFS as an Associate Active Fellow. AACMFS was founded in 2012 as a cohort of board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeons who practice primarily in hospital settings. The membership is open to surgeons who identify themselves as having expertise in maxillofacial oncology, reconstructive surgery, cleft/craniofacial/orthognathic surgery, or trauma.

Two UC Davis Livestock Residencies Gain Certification Status

The American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine (ACVPM) recently performed an on-site visit at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and granted full certification to two livestock residency programs. Veterinarians completing three-year residencies in Livestock Herd Health and Reproduction and Dairy Production Medicine are now recognized by ACVPM for attaining eligibility to take their certifying examinations at the conclusion of their programs to become board certified in preventive veterinary medicine. Previously without certification status, residents were required to fulfill an additional year of qualifying experience following their residency before being allowed to take their certifying examinations. 

Dr. Peter Delisser

Soft Tissue Surgery Service

Welcome Dr. Peter Delisser as an associate professor in the Soft Tissue Surgery Service. Dr. Delisser received his BVSc (2002) with 1st Class Honours and Dean’s Commendations at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. He then worked in private practice in Australia and the United Kingdom for five years. He completed a one-year internship (2008) at Davies Veterinary Specialists, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom and a surgical residency (2012) at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom, then earned Diplomate status (2013) in the European College of Veterinary Surgeons. He received his PhD (2019) in Bone Mechanobiology from the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. Dr. Delisser joins UC Davis from a private surgical practice in Australia.

Dr. Andrea Lam

Dermatology Service

Welcome Dr. Andrea Lam as an associate professor in the Dermatology Service. Dr. Lam earned her DVM (2006) from the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Canada. She completed a dermatology residency (2009) at UC Davis and became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology in 2011. Dr. Lam’s research interests are in the areas of clinical management of canine allergic skin disease and veterinary medical education teaching methodologies.

Dr. Ji-Hey Lim

Neurology/Neurosurgery Service

Welcome Dr. Ji-Hey Lim as an assistant professor in the Neurology/Neurosurgery Service. Dr. Lim earned her DVM from Seoul National University (SNU), South Korea. She then completed three years of training in orthopedic surgery and earned a PhD in veterinary science at SNU. Her research focused on a spinal cord injury (SCI) model and stem cell therapy. To expand bench-top research to the clinical side, Dr. Lim joined a SCI program at North Carolina State University where she conducted research on the development of novel therapeutics, evaluation tools, and biomarkers for SCI in dogs. Subsequently, she started specialized clinical training in small animal medicine and surgery. Dr. Lim then completed a neurology/neurosurgery residency at the University of Florida. For the past three years, Dr. Lim has been a clinical instructor and assistant professor of neurology/neurosurgery at the University of Missouri.

Dr. Rana Bozorgmanesh

Equine Internal Medicine Service

Welcome Dr. Rana Bozorgmanesh as an associate professor in the Equine Internal Medicine Service. Dr. Bozorgmanesh earned her veterinary degree (2008) from the Royal Veterinary College in London. Following several years in private practice, she completed a 1-year internal medicine fellowship (2013) at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Kentucky and a 3-year residency in large animal internal medicine (2016) at UC Davis. After a brief stay at the VMTH as a staff veterinarian (2016), Dr. Bozorgmanesh was an associate veterinarian at Hagyard for six years. In 2022, she joined Steinbeck Peninsula Equine Clinics in the Bay Area for a year before returning to UC Davis as a staff veterinarian in 2023. Dr. Bozorgmanesh is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, as well as a Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Hospital Hosts 2024 Veterinary Intern and Resident Research Symposium

The UC Davis veterinary hospital recently hosted the 45th annual Gerald V. Ling Veterinary Intern and Resident Research Symposium (VIRRS). The day-long event featured short presentations of research findings from house officers (residents, fellows, interns) to fellow house officers, faculty, staff, students, and guests. Having the ability to do research is a major advantage of doing a residency at the UC Davis veterinary hospital. With the largest and most diverse house office program in the country, the hospital is able to offer research opportunities not available elsewhere. UC Davis currently trains 139 house officers in 41 specialty disciplines, and 41 total research studies were presented at this year’s VIRRS, covering a large breadth of topics throughout veterinary medicine.

Patent Pending on UC Davis-Designed Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Prosthesis for Cats and Dogs

Veterinarians at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine have gained patent pending status on a jaw joint replacement implant for cats and dogs with end-stage temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. The group’s TMJ replacement (TMJR) prosthesis could revolutionize treatment for pets with non-functioning TMJs, either due to injury or disease. Initial research on the TMJR was recently published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research.

When Should You Neuter or Spay Your Dog?

Researchers at UC Davis have updated their guidelines on when to neuter 40 popular dog varieties by breed and sex. Their recent paper in Frontiers in Veterinary Science adds five breeds to a line of research that began in 2013 with a study that suggested that early neutering of golden retrievers puts them at increased risk of joint diseases and certain cancers. That initial study set off a flurry of debate about the best age to neuter other popular breeds. The study’s lead authors set out to add more breed studies by examining more than a decade of data from thousands of dogs treated at the UC Davis veterinary hospital. Their goal was to provide owners with more information to make the best decision for their animals.

Abnormal Mare Behaviour Studied

A recent study at UC Davis was included in a special issue of Equine Veterinary Journal focusing on equine reproduction. The study aimed to determine the incidence of abnormal mare behaviours and their association with concentrations of one or more ovarian hormones associated with a granulosa cell tumour. Overall, the abnormal behaviours among mares, except the stallion-like behaviour, were not associated with increased ovarian hormones. These results highlight the common misassumption about the involvement of the ovaries in ‘abnormal behaviours’ or ‘undesirable behaviours’ of mares.

Surgical Technique to Place Urethral Stents in Dogs with Prostate, Bladder, and Urethra Tumors

Cancer resulting in obstruction of the lower urinary tract of dogs is most commonly found in the prostate, urinary bladder and urethra. Unfortunately, cancer of the lower urinary tract often results in complete blockage of the urethra, causing a patient to be unable to pass urine. The inability to urinate is a life-threatening emergency. While fluoroscopy is useful for stent placement, there may be other techniques that could be considered. Traditionally, ultrasonographic assessment of tumor size and location has been performed by transabdominal ultrasound, but this method can be inaccurate. The use of transrectal ultrasound circumvents these previously discussed problems, and therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate this technique for efficacy.

Evaluating New Surgical Therapeutics for Canine Liver Tumors

We are looking for dogs with diagnosed liver tumors that have been determined to be removable to join our clinical trial study. The study will explore ways to improve options and outcomes associated with treatment in dogs with liver tumors by focusing on intravenous delivery of a substance (microbubbles/nanoparticles containing RNA) to a liver tumor using non-invasive ultrasound guidance. The study may cover the cost of some procedures and diagnostics at VMTH, depending on the patient's assigned study group.

Evaluation of the Immunologic Signature of Chronic Pain in Dogs with Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the B cell lymphocyte plays a role in the development of chronic pain in dogs with chronic hip dysplasia and dogs with an injury to their cranial cruciate ligament. Dogs are eligible to take part in this study if they have ruptured their cranial cruciate ligament and are having TPLO surgery or if they have chronic hip dysplasia and are having total hip replacement surgery at UC Davis VMTH. Participating dogs must weigh between 15-40kg (33-88 lbs).

Young Cat Back to Full Activity after Total Hip Replacement

Atlas, a 2-year-old male cheetoh cat (Bengal/ocicat cross), is a fearless daredevil who likes to get into mischief, always wanting to climb to the highest heights he can reach in the house. Unfortunately, those activities caught up with him last May when he became acutely lame after jumping down from an elevated structure at home. X-rays showed a displaced fracture of the right femoral head that would require surgery. The Orthopedic Surgery Service discussed several options with his owners, who chose to give Atlas a total hip replacement.

Puppy Travels from Alaska for Specialty Care at UC Davis

Scout, a 7-month-old female miniature Dachshund, had a rough start to her life in Anchorage, Alaska, where she lives with her littermate brother Finn, and another miniature Dachshund, 2-year-old Leroy, along with her owners. By the age of 3 months, it was discovered that Scout was born with incorrect blood vessel connections leading to her liver. Called an arteriovenous malformation, this condition results in attachments between many veins and arteries preventing appropriate blood flow to an organ or organs. This condition can be fatal as it often progresses to organ failure and the development of subsequent systemic issues.

UC Davis Successfully Treats Cancer in Dog of Olympic Champion and Actor/Singer Star Couple

Hunter, a 9-year-old cocker spaniel, lives a great life with his owners Brian Boitano and Franc D’Ambrosio. But when D’Ambrosio noticed an abnormality while performing a routine anal sac expression, they took Hunter to their veterinarian who diagnosed apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma (AGASACA). While AGASACA represents 17% of all perianal tumors in dogs, it only makes up 2% of all canine skin tumors. Cocker spaniels are among a handful of breeds most commonly affected by this disease.

Dog Survives Carbon Monoxide Poisoning from House Fire

Dr. Allison O'Donnell is familiar with the UC Davis veterinary hospital, having received her veterinary degree from the school in 2023. Unfortunately, she and her fiancé had to experience the hospital as clients recently when their dog Squid, a 5-year-old female husky/terrier mix, was trapped in a house fire and suffered carbon monoxide poisoning.

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