Case of the Month

Jasper Grimm, a male Newfoundland, routinely showed lameness in his pelvic limbs after exercise throughout his young life. At 6 months of age, he went to his veterinarian for bilateral stifle (knee) joint effusion and the start of femoral deformities making it difficult for Jasper Grimm to get up and walk normally. Shortly thereafter, in August 2016, his owner decided to have him evaluated by orthopedic surgeons at the UC Davis veterinary hospital.

Bella, a 5-year-old female pit bull terrier, was acting lethargic a few months ago and then produced dark urine and was icteric (jaundice-like). Her owner Carol, a veterinarian and UC Davis alum, knew something was wrong and ran blood tests on Bella. The tests indicated extremely low red blood cell (RBC) counts, and Carol suspected a case of immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA). IMHA can be a fatal disease, as it causes a dog’s immune system to destroy its own RBCs (which carry oxygen to the cells and pick up carbon dioxide).

Gray, a 9-month-old male cat, was found as a stray in Hawaii and taken in by his new owner. Shortly after settling in with his new family, Gray’s posture became abnormal and his hind limbs splayed outward, severely affecting his ability to walk. He was painful to the touch, and over the next few days, became increasingly immobile. Radiographs taken by a local veterinarian indicated a vertebral disc space narrowing in Gray’s lower back. Within a few days, he was no longer able to walk at all, so his owner researched where to get the best help for Gray. They were soon on their way to California to see neurologists at the UC Davis veterinary hospital.