Vernau Lab in the News
Emergency Surgery Saves Abandoned Kitten
- by Rob Warren
- November 26, 2024
Tuna Sandwich, an approximately 6-week-old female kitten, was brought to the FieldHaven Feline Center by a Good Samaritan after being found abandoned near a Subway restaurant (hence the name). When found, Tuna Sandwich had a visible inguinal hernia (intestines protruding through an opening in the groin) and breathing issues. It was determined that she had a diaphragmatic hernia — a critical and life-threatening condition. Dr. Jennifer Yee, medical director of Fieldhaven, brought her to UC Davis, where she was treated by Dr. Karen Vernau.
New 3D-Printed Model Trains Caregivers How to Tube Feed Kittens
- by Matt Marcure, College of Engineering
- September 30, 2024
Tube feeding is a specialized skill required when caring for kittens under 4 weeks old, but caregivers often learn it on an ad hoc basis when a newborn is most in need. A professor of veterinary medicine and a team of development engineers aim to improve and increase access to the training of this technique with a 3D-printed kitten model they created at the University of California, Davis.
Burned Kitten Completes Month of Care to Make Full Recovery
by Rob Warren | November 20, 2023
A Case of the Month Story
Makenna was brought to a clinic by a Good Samaritan with severe burns. By the time she arrived at the UC Davis veterinary hospital, some of Makenna’s burned tissue has already started to scar, restricting the movement of her back legs and adding another level of complication to her care. →
Clinical Trials Saving Kittens
by Rob Warren | April 27, 2023
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Research
Chunk was a tiny 21-day-old kitten when he first arrived at the Front Street Shelter six months ago, weighing less than one pound. He was covered in ringworm, a fungal infection of the skin, and brought to the UC Davis veterinary hospital where he was enrolled in a CCAH-funded clinical trial studying various treatments for the disease. →
Study Shows Complexity and Treatability of Eye Disease in Kittens
by Rob Warren | March 17, 2023
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Research
Gratitude, a 7-month-old kitten, was brought to the UC Davis veterinary hospital from the Fieldhaven Feline Center with symblepharon in her left eye. This blinding condition occurs when the conjunctiva—the pink tissue surrounding the eye—fuses with other nearby surface structures of the eye or eyelid soon after birth, likely secondary to a feline herpesvirus infection on the ocular surface. →
Burned Kitten Completes Month of Care to Make Full Recovery
by Rob Warren | August 30, 2022
With its new Access To Care Program, the UC Davis veterinary hospital was able to save Rupert, a male domestic shorthair kitten, and help find him a forever home. →
Emergency Exploratory Surgery Helps Determine Cause of Disease and Saves Kitten
by Rob Warren | January 27, 2022
Miso, a 1-month-old kitten, and his two siblings were discovered by a Good Samaritan and brought to the UC Davis veterinary hospital’s Emergency Room on a Friday night after the local shelter was closed. They all appeared to be having trouble breathing, and the ER’s critical care specialists diagnosed Miso and his siblings with an upper respiratory tract infection, which is common in young kittens. →
Following Six Months of Recovery at UC Davis, Severely Burned Cat Gets Adopted
by Rob Warren | May 11, 2021
More than six months after being severely burned in California’s North Complex Fire, a cat treated at the UC Davis veterinary hospital has finally fully recovered and found his forever home. In the fall of 2020, thousands of animals were affected by the fire, and Jam, an approximately 2-year-old male cat, suffered some of the most horrific injuries of any of them. →
Collaborative Outreach Saves Kitten with Rare Disorder
by Rob Warren | January 28, 2021
When Lucy, a female tabby kitten, was not progressing as much as her littermate, her foster group, the Orphan Kitten Club in San Diego, was at a loss as to the problem. So, OKC’s founder, Hannah “Kitten Lady” Shaw reached out to Dr. Karen Vernau at the UC Davis veterinary hospital, who treated Lucy for hyperthyroidism. →
Kitten’s Collaborative Care Exemplifies UC Davis’ Campuswide Animal-Centered Spirit
by Rob Warren | September 10, 2020
Emma, a female domestic shorthair kitten, was orphaned at a young age and found by Good Samaritans who brought her to the Yolo SPCA, a longtime client of the UC Davis veterinary hospital. She was taken to the UC Davis veterinary hospital’s Emergency Room after having trouble keeping food down, where the Emergency and Critical Care Service collaborated with the Diagnostic Imaging Service to diagnose an ileocolic intussusception, a blockage in the intestine where one section of the intestine folds and collapses into another section.→
Karen Vernau Receives 2019 AVMA Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award
by Rob Warren | May 03, 2019
Dr. Karen Vernau has been named the recipient of the 2019 Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year Award by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The award is given annually by the AVMA in recognition of the vital role veterinarians play in helping promote, preserve and protect human-animal relationships. →