News

Debbie Bernice Wilson, beloved daughter, sister, and friend, passed away Jan. 9, 2025, after years of bravely struggling with health and physical issues. She served the School of Veterinary Medicine as executive director of development for most of the past decade. 

Associate Professor Crystal Rogers is one of eight faculty members who comprise the newest class of UC Davis Chancellor’s Fellows, given to early career academics doing exemplary work in their fields. 

Drs. Boaz Arzi and Maria Soltero-Rivera of the Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service recently attended the American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual conference where they presented on stem cell and other regenerative medicine therapies.

Dr. Soltero-Rivera presented the poster “Distinctive Characteristics of Extracellular Vesicles from Naïve and Cytokine-Stimulated Feline Adipose- and Placenta-Derived Stromal Cells” on her groundbreaking work with stem cells and regenerative medicine.

Recently, Dr. Karl Jandrey, associate dean and professor specializing in clinical small animal emergency and critical care at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, was interviewed on the “Speaking of Pets” podcast. Hosted by board-certified veterinary dermatologist Dr. Alice Jeromin and her sister Janet, an animal advocate, the podcast empowers pet owners with reliable, science-based information.

The School of Veterinary Medicine and College of Engineering Bird Flight Research Center is cited by UC Davis as one of the many ways that federal research funding is creating breakthroughs and impact.

Dr. Boaz Arzi, professor and chief of the Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service, has been treating patients and conducting research for 18 years. He works extensively with stem cell therapy, to help pets have longer and healthier lives.

When it comes to cancer, Dr. Arzi is optimistic that stem cell therapy is going to be a big part of pet cancer treatment, either in the delivery of drugs or by regenerating organs or other structures in the body that have been damaged by chemotherapy or radiation.

“Case of the Month” – February 2025

Cub, a 2-year-old orange domestic longhair cat, was far too young to be acting so lethargic last May. He was sleeping more and was less active than the other cats in the household. His owner, Grace Jesensky, also noticed his breathing was abnormal, and his primary veterinarian suspected he had asthma.

With approximately 2,000 registered attendees, members of the veterinary and human health communities, scientists, media, policymakers, general public and others showed their concerns about avian flu by tuning into the February 19 UC Health Grand Rounds. The one-hour, online session featured three experts from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and one from UC Davis Health.

Pasteurization is the only widely recognized method of killing H5N1, the virus that causes bird flu, in milk. However, pasteurization can be expensive and fewer than 50% of large dairy farms pasteurize waste milk.

Waste milk includes colostrum, the first milk after calving; milk from cows treated with antibiotics or other drugs; or any other factor that can make milk unsuitable and unsellable for human consumption. On farms, raw waste milk poses a potential risk of spreading avian flu, which so far has been confirmed in dairy cattle in 16 states.  

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) H5N9 Strain 
Detected for the First Time in California, A Different Strain than H5N1

A commercial duck flock in Merced County, confirmed to have H5N1 bird flu on December 14, 2024, received secondary testing and the final report on January 13, 2025 confirmed the presence of a different, additional strain of bird flu---H5N9. This was reported to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) per protocol and published on January 24, 2025.

The UC Davis veterinary hospital has launched a Neurosurgery Specialty Service aimed at adapting state-of-the-art surgical solutions to complex neurological conditions.

This new service offers state-of-the-art neurosurgical interventions and clinical trials, including:

“Case of the Month” – January 2025

When their dog Tashi started looking around aimlessly recently, owners Jerry and Arlet Nordeen thought something might be wrong with their beloved 7-year-old Shih-Tzu. When this progressed into bumping into furniture and being hesitant to jump, they took her to see a veterinary ophthalmologist who diagnosed her with detached retinas in both eyes which was taking her vision.

The UC Davis veterinary hospital has opened the Meadowview Foundation Dentistry and Oral Surgery Center (video tour) as the new home of its Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service (DOSS). The new suite is nearly 150% larger than the service’s previous space, allows faculty, residents, and staff to maximize their expertise and interest, and makes patient care more personal and accessible.

Last week, Dean Mark Stetter presented town halls to highlight some key 2024 accomplishments and a general overview of the state of the school as we go into 2025. (Listen here.) Key topics included updates on our strategic initiatives, information on our upcoming accreditation process, and recent master planning for our Veterinary Medical Complex.

Lance Yohe, CJF, is the new farrier for the UC Davis veterinary hospital’s Large Animal Clinic. Yohe has been a farrier for more than 30 years. He completed his farrier education at the Eastern School of Farriery in 1993 and became a Certified Farrier (2014) and a Certified Journeyman Farrier (2015) through the American Farrier’s Association (AFA).

An active member of AFA since 2008, Yohe served as the regional director from 2017-23 and on the executive board from 2017-22. He also served as director and vice president of the Western States Farrier Association from 2008-16.