• DVM360_Conference_Charlotte,NC_banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Upcoming dvm360 Conferences
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
Veterinary Heroes
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

UC Davis veterinarians honored for saving K-9 officers life

November 30, 2018
dvm360, dvm360 January 2019, Volume 50, Issue 1

When German shepherd Haakon suffered a ruptured bladder, the UC Davis veterinary team performed a lifesaving surgery.

Dr. Ingrid Balsa, assistant professor of clinical, surgical and radiological sciences, is shown here with K-9 Haakon and his handler, Deputy Joshua Stillman.

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine reports that its veterinary team successfully saved the life of San Joaquin County K-9 Haakon this past March. 

Haakon's handler, Deputy Joshua Stillman, first noticed that the 7-year-old German shepherd was sluggish one night after work.

“We came up to UC Davis and found that he had a ruptured bladder wall, and was basically leaking urine into his body cavity,” Stillman says in a release from the university.

Haakon was immediately rushed into surgery, where the UC Davis veterinary team removed a large portion of his bladder that was necrotic.

At the same time, the surgical team performed a preventative gastropexy on Haakon, because of his breed's susceptibility to bloat and Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus.

Advertisement

“German shepherds and some other large-breed dogs are prone to developing a condition where their stomach fills with fluid and air and rotates on itself,” says Ingrid Balsa, MEd, DVM, DACVS, assistant professor of clinical, surgical and radiological sciences at UC Davis. “So having a gastropexy can prevent that twisting of the stomach."

According to the release, Haakon has had one prior brush with death. In 2014, he was stabbed while trying to apprehend a suspect.

“The suspect had a knife and he had cut [Haakon's] neck, and we pulled him out and took him to a vet hospital in Stockton and they saved him,” Stillman says.

At a special awards ceremony, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office presented the UC Davis veterinary team with a plaque and a donation check for their lifesaving work on Haakon.

The release states that Haakon has fully recovered and is back at work. As he nears retirement, Stillman hopes Haakon can join the whole Stillman family full time.

download issueDownload Issue: dvm360 January 2019

Related Content:

SurgeryBreaking NewsAnimal Welfaredvm360 January 2019
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets joins forces with AVMF
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets joins forces with AVMF
Making waves in sea turtle conservation
Making waves in sea turtle conservation
Pedigree launches initiative for those to foster dogs in Metaverse
Pedigree launches initiative for those to foster dogs in Metaverse

Advertisement

Latest News

Comparing treatments for restoring the skin barrier in atopic dogs

Increasing efficiency and productivity in uncertain times

AAVMC awards almost $100,000 in diversity scholarships

News wrap-up: This week’s headlines, plus Maryland Zoo welcomes baby addra gazelle

View More Latest News
Advertisement