Dr. Laura Cuddy

Dr. Laura Cuddy,  a small animal surgery resident at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, was recently honored by a national professional association for her achievements in the clinical, educational and scholarly arenas.

In April, the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians, an organization of veterinary clinicians engaged in teaching and research at the professional, graduate or postgraduate level, presented Cuddy with its Resident Award, which is given annually to two residents selected from all the veterinary residents in North America.

Cuddy completed her veterinary degree from University College Dublin in 2008. She then completed a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery at UF in 2009. She received a Master of Science degree at UF in 2011 and is completing a concurrent residency in small animal surgery.

Her thesis research investigated the biomechanics of the canine elbow joint and the effects of ulnar osteotomy. Her research has produced two first-author publications in the journal Veterinary Surgery. Cuddy has eight additional publications that have been submitted, accepted or are in print, all derived from clinical research performed during her residency.

Among Cuddy’s previous honors are Most Outstanding Podium Presentation in the Mark A. Bloomberg Resident Research Competition at the annual Veterinary Orthopedics Society conference in 2011; the Veterinary Arthrology Advancement Association’s Resident Award in 2011; and the First Place Research Presentation at the Resident’s Forum at the American College of Veterinary Surgeons’ annual Veterinary Symposium in 2011. She also received the UF veterinary college’s Excellence in Master’s Studies Award in 2012 and the college’s Excellence in Clinical Science Research Award in 2013.

“We are very proud to say Laura is the fourth UF small animal surgery resident to receive this award in the past decade,” said Daniel Lewis, D.V.M., professor of small animal surgery and the Jerry and Lola Collins Eminent Scholar in Canine Sports Medicine and Comparative Orthopedics.

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For more information about the Small Animal Surgery Service, click here. To make an appointment, call 352-392-2235.

By Marilee Griffin

Dr. James W. Lloyd

James W. Lloyd, D.V.M., Ph.D., has been named dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida.

“I am confident that our internationally recognized veterinary college, hospitals and clinics will flourish under Dr. Lloyd’s leadership,” said David S. Guzick, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president for health affairs at UF and UF&Shands Health System president. “He brings a wealth of expertise to our team. I look forward to working with him in continuing our tradition of excellence as the state’s only college of veterinary medicine.”

Lloyd was chosen after a nationwide search led by co-chairs Teresa A. Dolan, D.D.S., M.P.H., a professor and dean of UF’s College of Dentistry, and John P. Hayes, Ph.D., a professor and dean for research at the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

“Dr. Lloyd will make an outstanding addition to the leadership team at the University of Florida,” said Hayes. “I am particularly excited by his vision to position the College of Veterinary Medicine at the forefront of efforts to link health sciences, agricultural sciences and veterinary medicine to address some of the most important issues facing our society. He brings a tremendous set of skills to the table, and we are very excited that he will be joining us at the University of Florida.”

Lloyd will officially begin his new job in July, when he will become the college’s sixth permanent dean.

“I’m thrilled with the opportunity to lead the College of Veterinary Medicine at UF,” said Lloyd. “It’s an outstanding institution with a core of exceptional faculty, staff and students. Together with the leadership team, I look forward to working with both internal and external stakeholders to build on the college’s existing strengths in research, teaching and service and to expand the college’s recognition as a respected leader in academic veterinary medicine.”

The unique opportunity to collaborate with the Health Science Center and UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is exciting, Lloyd said. He’s also looking forward to active engagement with alumni and practitioners in the Florida Veterinary Medical Association, and to working closely with Florida’s diverse animal-owning public — including pet owners, horse owners and the livestock industries.

“We look forward to working with Dean Lloyd to grow the size, scope and diversity of these programs and bring ever greater visibility to the College,” said Jack Payne, Ph.D., senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources at IFAS. “IFAS is very proud of its partnership with the College of Veterinary Medicine in our joint research and Extension efforts, such as the Extension efforts in livestock, aquatic animal health, environmental toxicology, the Food Animal Reproduction and Medicine Service and the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank.”

Lloyd most recently served as the associate dean for budget, planning and institutional research at Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He maintained joint appointments as a professor in the departments of large animal clinical sciences and agricultural economics at MSU, and was an adjunct professor at MSU’s Eli Broad College of Business.

He earned a doctorate in veterinary medicine from MSU in 1981 and a Ph.D. in agricultural economics from MSU in 1989.

Lloyd has published more than 165 journal articles, technical reports, proceedings and book chapters. He has successfully secured grant funding for veterinary education and animal health projects, as well as for his research interests, which include non-technical behaviors that contribute to veterinarians’ success, markets for veterinary medical services and financial dimensions of veterinary medical education.

In addition, Lloyd has delivered more than 330 presentations and workshops nationally and internationally, including sessions on leadership development, teaching hospital management, curriculum, academic admissions and various scientific topics at 22 of the 28 U.S. colleges/schools of veterinary medicine.

During this time, he also taught extensively in both pre-clinical and clinical courses, with an emphasis on epidemiology, food safety, herd health management, production medicine, veterinary medical career development and veterinary practice management.

Lloyd is an active member of professional veterinary organizations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Association of Bovine Practitioners and VetPartners. He served on the executive committee of the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association for four years and was its president in 2010.

“Dr. Lloyd’s experience as an agricultural economist, veterinary practitioner, educator and associate dean responsible for budget, planning and institutional research have prepared him well for the leadership position as dean,” said Dolan. “I have no doubt that he will work to develop an outstanding leadership team and advance the College of Veterinary Medicine to one of the top programs in the country.”

Patches, center, with her three puppies. (Photo courtesy of Flowerwood Dachshunds)

Dachshund breeder Dale Flowers has weathered many a journey with her dogs, shepherding them through pregnancies, even letting them sleep in her bed at night just weeks before their due date. But the medical odyssey she recently went through with Patches, named for her unique dappled marking, was unlike any other.

Thanks to recent treatment at UF’s Pet Emergency Treatment Services in Ocala and follow-up at the Small Animal Hospital in Gainesville, a very-pregnant Patches survived a near-fatal bout with pancreatitis. And not only did she survive; she gave birth within days of her discharge to three puppies, two of which survived and are healthy.

“Patches and the pups are doing fine,” Flowers said, adding that the puppies will turn 7.5 weeks old on May 2. She had reservations on both for adoption.

“I am very pleased with Patches’ progress and thank UF again for saving her and her babies,” Flowers said.

But the happy ending to Patches’ saga could have easily gone the other way. UF veterinarians came very close to spaying Patches due to the severity of her illness, which would have meant sacrificing the babies to save her life, with uncertain impact on Patches. Veterinarians wrestled with the best way to proceed, involving specialists from three different services, said Dr. Leo Londono, a resident in emergency and critical care.

Londono first saw Patches when she was admitted at the PETS after-hours emergency clinic and continued to work with the dog after her transfer to Gainesville for specialty treatment.

“We don’t see a lot of cases involving pregnant females that get sick, and we’re not always sure of the best way to proceed,” Londono said. “If the dog is painful, you can’t give too many pain medications, as this could affect the puppies. We weren’t sure if going to surgery was the right decision either, as anesthesia could have made her pancreatitis worse.”

Ultimately, veterinarians’ decision to administer aggressive therapy and give Patches more time to respond to it, resulted in Patches’ and her puppies’ survival. In addition, the relationship between the two UF veterinary clinics involved in her care allowed for a seamless transfer to Gainesville and the full house of experts available at the main Small Animal Hospital.

“This case really illustrates well how smoothly the two clinics work together,” said Dr. Carsten Bandt, chief of the hospital’s Emergency and Critical Care Service.”We were able to drive Patches to Gainesville and provide continuous care for her, as we do for the most critically ill patients who initially come to us through PETS.”

Patches ordeal started on Jan. 30, when Flowers found her prized 5-year-old dog on the ground and obviously in pain. Patches was hyperventilating and would not eat, Flowers said. When her condition didn’t improve after a few days of treatment, Flowers’ local veterinarian, Dr. Ashley Boyd, referred the dog to UF.

“Dr. Boyd said she might die if she were not admitted,” said Flowers, who has had Patches since she was an 8-week-old puppy. She described Patches as being very affectionate — a cuddler who loves to sleep in the crook of her arm and snuggle. She said Patches’ most recent litter was her fourth, and that her puppies had always been sought after in the past.

Veterinary specialists from UF’s emergency and critical care, small animal surgery and theriogenology services were involved in Patches case, illustrating UF’s multidisciplinary approach to problem solving and case management, Londono said.

“We learned a lot from Patches case,” he said. “The owner was very concerned about Patches, so if we had to sacrifice the puppies to save her life, we would have, but at the same time we didn’t want to rush into a decision when we didn’t have to. But sitting and watching and waiting wasn’t going to be enough either, so we decided to be more aggressive in our therapy and in the end that was the right thing to do.”

Flowers said the ordeal was an emotional roller coaster and one she hoped to never have to go through again.

“UF’s care of Patches was very good,” she said. “Everyone from the front desk to teams in the ICU knew Patches and had nice things to say about her. I received daily reports, sometimes twice daily, from Dr. Londono and I greatly appreciated that.”

Dr. Alessio Vigani with Jackie during a recheck appointment on Oct. 30, 2012.

By Sarah Carey

A dog bitten by a rattlesnake is now home with her owners and doing well after becoming the first patient at the University of Florida Small Animal Hospital to receive treatment in a new hyperbaric oxygen chamber, one of only a small number in the country being used in veterinary medicine.

The 1-year-old Siberian husky/Standard poodle mixed breed dog, named Jackie, was given a clean bill of health during a recheck appointment on Oct. 30, 11 days after her initial arrival at UF.

Her owners, Joe and Jan Smith of Clermont, Fla., found their beloved pet lying on a bloody floor near a water bowl filled with bloody red fluid on Oct. 18. Jackie had played outside earlier with other family dogs inside the family’s small, fenced yard but seemed fine when she came indoors.

After finding her collapsed a short time later, the Smiths rushed Jackie to the Leesburg Veterinary Emergency Clinic, where veterinarians told them Jackie had been bitten by a rattlesnake.

Jackie with her owner, Jan Smith, soon after they arrived for a recheck appointment at UF’s Small Animal Hospital on Oct. 30, 2012.

“They told us she had less than a 40 percent chance at survival,” Jan Smith said. “We wanted to do everything we could for her. She deserved a chance and we told them to go ahead with the antivenom therapy.”

Veterinarians treated Jackie overnight with two vials of antivenom, then recommended that the Smiths take Jackie to UF for continued treatment the next morning.

“When Jackie arrived, she was in shock and experiencing dangerously low blood pressure and accelerated heart rate,” said Dr. Alessio Vigani, a resident in emergency and critical care medicine at UF. “We provided fluid therapy and administered two vials of antivenom immediately after she arrived.”

Three more vials were given over the next 24 hours as Jackie, who had been bitten multiple times near her muzzle, struggled to survive. Within 12 hours, the tissue around Jackie’s bite wounds started turning black and had a copious bloody discharge. At that point, UF veterinarians decided that she would be a candidate for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

“We thought Jackie might benefit from the treatment, as snakebite wounds are associated with tissue death,” said Dr. Justin Shmalberg, a clinical assistant professor of integrative medicine at UF. “Such damage generally requires extensive surgery and additional hospitalization, which adds a large amount to the bill and to the animal’s time here.”

The treatment is provided inside of a tube-shaped container known as a hyperbaric chamber, through which animals receive highly pressurized, 100 percent oxygen delivered to tissue that wouldn’t receive it otherwise. Shmalberg and UF veterinary technician Wendy Davies recently received extensive training in the safety protocols associated with the use of the hyperbaric chamber, which was installed at UF in mid-October.

Jackie is shown inside the UF Small Animal Hospital’s new hyperbaric chamber on Oct. 22, during the last of three treatments she received while a patient.

Over the next three days, Jackie received three treatments, each lasting about an hour. Although they were optimistic the treatments would help Jackie, UF veterinarians were nonetheless surprised by what they saw.

“After the first two treatments, there was an impressive improvement of the swelling, discharge and discoloration of the area,” Vigani said. “It was totally unexpected. The area that 24 hours before, we had no doubt would have required surgery, after the second treatment was almost completely healed.”

Although hyperbaric oxygen therapy is available and used worldwide in human medicine, with many scientific publications reporting beneficial effects for human diseases and in animal models, its use in veterinary medicine is relatively new, occurring primarily during the past decade.

Hyperbaric chamber technology is now being used by a small number of veterinary practices and an even smaller number of academic institutions to treat conditions that include non-healing wounds, particularly external wounds where there are concerns about blood supply. Crush and burn injuries and trauma injuries, such as might be caused by animals being hit by cars, being in dog fights or being bit by a snake.

Internal injuries with extensive tissue damage, such as pancreatitis, spinal cord and brain injury, are also likely to respond favorably to the treatment, veterinarians say.

Dr. Justin Shmalberg helps Jackie out of the hyperbaric chamber on Oct. 22.

Animals that receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy typically feel no discomfort, other than perhaps feeling some anxiety at being in a confined space, Shmalberg said.

“To a dog, it’s like diving down into water, with increased pressure around the body,” he said. “Anyone who has free-dived deeply knows that you need to be able to clear your ears. After that, most animals tend to fall asleep.”

He said veterinarians are still learning how often to treat animals, but that in general hyperbaric oxygen treatment tends to be performed once or twice a day, with about four hours between treatments to allow time for the animal to recover from the increased pressure in the environment.

“We are always looking for new and emerging ways to treat different conditions, such as non-healing wounds,” Shmalberg said. “While we are excited to have this new tool available, we also feel a responsibility to advance our scientific knowledge of how the technique is best used in animals.”

Such information will help veterinary practices refine the circumstances in which hyperbaric oxygen therapy will help to alleviate a patient’s symptoms, he added.

As for Jackie, her owners are ecstatic that the dog they call “a treasure to our family” is still with them.

“We are completely overwhelmed with joy that Dr. Vigani and the staff at the UF Small Animal Hospital were able to save Jackie’s life,” Jan Smith said. “Not only did they save her life, but they saved her from having surgery on her skin from the immense swelling. As I am typing this, Jackie has her paws on my chair and is licking my face and I’m smiling through my tears.”

UF’s first total knee replacement surgery in dog successful

Dr. Justin Shmalberg, chief of the integrative medicine service, examines Mica, a 9-year-old Labrador retriever, during a check-up visit to UF’s Small Animal Hospital on Oct. 12. Mica received rehabilitation therapy following total knee replacement surgery in February. (Photo by Maria Farias)

Nearly eight months after undergoing total knee replacement surgery at the University of Florida Small Animal Hospital, a 9-year-old yellow Labrador retriever named Mica is racing through fields four days a week, sniffing out ducks in blinds and swimming while she trains for her master hunting title. It was the first time the procedure has been performed at UF.

“She loves being back to work,” said Mica’s owner, Kathleen Hornsby, of Archer, Fla. Mica has also competed in conformation, holds a companion dog obedience title and was trained for tracking. “A younger dog not as thoroughly schooled as Mica might have had a harder time remembering everything, but a lot of the work these dogs do is instinctive. She just went right back to it, even the blind retrieves.”

UF’s veterinary surgeons performed the procedure Feb. 22 with the help of Matthew Allen, D.V.M., an Ohio State University veterinary surgeon with expertise in canine knee replacements. On Oct. 10, Mica received her latest clean bill of health during a check-up at UF.

“Total knee replacement is a new treatment option for dogs with severe osteoarthritis,” said Stan Kim, D.V.M., an assistant professor of small animal surgery at UF. “Due to the equipment and surgical expertise required, the procedure can only be performed at a small number of institutions in North America. We now have the ability at UF to restore excellent function to dog’s knees that are affected by a variety of disorders.”

The two-hour procedure involves completely replacing the surface of the stifle, or knee joint, with an implant that mimics the normal anatomy of the knee. Kim and Antonio Pozzi, D.V.M., an assistant professor of small animal surgery, performed the procedure with Allen.

Kathleen Hornsby is shown with Mica and Dr. Stan Kim in the Small Animal Surgery treatment area of the UF Small Animal Hospital during a recheck appointment on Oct. 12. (Photo by Maria Farias)

“These implants took years to develop and are largely based on human total knee replacement systems,” Kim said.

In Mica’s case, her problems actually began when she was a 3-month-old puppy, racing around in the yard with her mother.

“Her mom raced over her, right on top of her left knee,” Hornsby said. “She screamed and hollered and limped for awhile and had surgery, but the veterinarians said back then that her knee would never be 100 percent normal, and she’d probably have arthritis in it.”

Mica’s owners treated her arthritis with medication, and the dog never limped when working, Hornsby said, adding, “When retrieving was on her mind, she didn’t even think about it.”

But in the past year-and-a-half, the limping grew worse. When Hornsby brought Mica to UF, surgeons said both her anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments were severely damaged, and the cartilage in her knee was completely worn away. This meant that the procedures UF veterinary surgeons typically use for an isolated anterior cruciate ligament injury would not work.

“They told us the only alternative was a total knee replacement,” Hornsby said.

UF veterinarians had never performed the surgery before, so they brought in Allen to assist and train them how to do the procedure.

Although humans have benefited from knee replacement technology for years, it has only been used in dogs with knee problems since 2007. Approximately 30 dogs per year have received the procedure since then, The New York Times reported in January 2011.

Total knee replacement is expensive, costing around $5,000, but Kim said UF is currently offering about a $1,000 discount — the cost of the implants, which are being provided free of charge — to owners of all dogs qualified to receive the procedure.

Mica is back at work and pursuing her master hunter title. (Photo courtesy of Kathleen Hornsby)

In the months following Mica’s surgery, she didn’t require retraining in her hunting abilities, just extensive physical therapy to build up her strength. Underwater treadmill therapy, stretching and bending twice a day and mile-long walks on a lead were part of the dog’s healing process.

UF veterinarians wouldn’t allow Mica to go off-lead for months after the procedure, saying the twisting and turning the dog might do if unsupervised could put unwanted stress on the knee prosthesis. But Hornsby said Mica ran her first post-surgery hunt test in August, and another one a month later with no leg problems.

Mica’s progress has exceeded veterinarians’ expectations, Kim said. Now, UF veterinarians will continue to monitor her annually to make sure she is doing well. During Mica’s check-ups, veterinarians use a weight-bearing machine known as a force plate to objectively measure how well she is using her leg.

“The most recent evaluation showed that her affected hind leg is gradually approaching the level of her normal hind leg,” Kim said.

The UF Small Animal Hospital is currently seeking dogs for a clinical study on total knee replacement. Dogs with severe osteoarthritis of the knee may be eligible.

Anyone seeking further information about the study, visit the website here or contact  Kim or Pozzi at 352-392-2235.

The UF veterinary college is seeking a new dean after Dean Glen Hoffsis’ announcement that he plans to retire on July 1, 2013.

Top administrators from the University of Florida’s Academic Health Center and the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences have formed a search committee to recruit the next dean of the UF College of Veterinary Medicine.

David S. Guzick, M.D., Ph.D., UF’s senior vice president for health affairs and president of the UF&Shands Health System, and Jack Payne, Ph.D., senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources at IFAS, met with the committee July 23 to outline their criteria for the next veterinary college dean, who will replace Glen Hoffsis, D.V.M., following his retirement on July 1, 2013.

Committee members were charged with finding a candidate who has a strong vision for the college during these challenging economic times; who can find a balance among all missions of the college; and who is capable of interacting effectively with the many constituencies associated with the college and with UF as a whole.

“Dean Hoffsis has done an excellent job serving the college and the university during his six years at UF,” said Teresa A. Dolan, D.D.S., dean of UF’s College of Dentistry and committee co-chair. “When he retires, he will leave the college in a position of strength and poised for growth, making the deanship an attractive opportunity for a strong academic leader in veterinary medicine.”

Guzick and Payne both requested the committee submit a final unranked list of two to four candidates. The committee will meet next on Sept. 14 and will review initial applications at that time.

Also serving as committee co-chair is John P. Hayes, Ph.D., a professor and dean of research at IFAS. Hayes said the committee would recruit and review a diverse pool of qualified applicants and that he looked forward to the process of selecting the next veterinary college dean.

“This is an outstanding opportunity for a strong leader to build on the tremendous foundation in the college. The college has a strong faculty, great facilities and strong linkages with the academic community within the university, and the professional community and stakeholders across the state,” Hayes said.

Other committee members include John R. Bass, D.V.M., president of the Florida Veterinary Medical Association; Jason Blackburn, Ph.D., an assistant professor in UF’s department of geography, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; Benjamin Carter, a senior UF veterinary student; Julia Conway, D.V.M., a clinical assistant professor of anatomical pathology in the veterinary college’s department of infectious diseases and pathology and alumni council chair; Paul Cooke, Ph.D., a professor and chair of the veterinary college’s department of physiological sciences; Amara Estrada, D.V.M., an associate professor of cardiology in the veterinary college’s department of small animal clinical sciences; Tom Frazer, Ph.D., interim director of the School of Natural Resources and Environment; Carlos Risco, D.V.M., a professor of food animal reproduction and medicine in the veterinary college’s department of large animal clinical sciences; Cindy Sanders, Alachua County Extension director and livestock agent; Tara Sabo-Attwood, Ph.D., an associate professor in the department of environmental global health at the College of Public Health and Health Professions; and Dana Zimmel, D.V.M., a clinical associate professor and chief of staff of the UF Veterinary Hospitals.

For more information about the committee, visit http://deansearch.vetmed.ufl.edu. Candidates for the position may send resumes/curriculum vitae via email to deansearch@vetmed.ufl.edu.

Members of the Schmitt family with their dog, Cali, after Cali’s discharge from the UF Small Animal Hospital on July 20, 2012. Cali suffered from massive envenomation from an Eastern diamondback rattlesnake and spent two weeks in our ICU receiving emergency care to save her life. From left to right are Schmitt sons Daniel, Jacob, Michael and (petting Cali) Zach; Dr. Gareth Buckley, Dr. Alessio Vigani, Dr. Michael Schaer and two UF veterinary students, Allison Vansickle and Alison Sass. (Photo by Sarah Carey)

By Sarah Carey

Twenty-four vials of antivenin, 14 days in the UF Small Animal Hospital’s intensive care unit, countless hugs, kisses and Facebook shares later, Cali, a 3-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever mix, is home with her family in Tavares, living the life of Riley.

A YouTube video and Facebook page the family created to solicit donations to help pay Cali’s medical bills went viral, resulting in more than $19,000 being raised to cover her care, and in the process turning Cali into a celebrity among dog lovers from as far away as China and the United Kingdom.

“I expect you guys to treat her like Queen Elizabeth,” Dr. Michael Schaer, an emergency and critical care specialist, told Connie Schmitt’s sons Michael,15; twins Daniel and Jacob,13; and Zach,8, when they came with their mother to visit Cali on July 17, her last week in the hospital. It was one of several visits the family made to see Cali during her recovery from a bite likely inflicted by an Eastern diamondback rattlesnake.

Schaer explained to the Schmitts that once Cali left the hospital, it would take her awhile to regain her strength and to return to life as a normal dog. However, the Schmitts will tell you the gentle brown dog they rescued two years ago has never been a normal dog at all.

Cali entered the Schmitts’ lives when she showed up in their yard, looking sad and lethargic. A family friend and neighbor, a veterinarian, came over and treated Cali minimally, then subsequently at her clinic for infections in both eyes and ears, as well as for fleas and worms. The family posted a notice on Petfinder to see if anyone would claim Cali, who was thought to be about 1 year old. No one did.

“Her condition clearly indicated that she had been neglected for awhile, but she was housebroken and very obedient,” Schmitt said. “It took her about a month to heal to the point where she would even run with the boys outside.”

Two years passed, and Cali’s life evolved to one of chasing lizards, geckos and squirrels on the family’s one-acre lot. She had an unusually gentle personality, her family said, given the neglect she had experienced in her first year of life.

“We weren’t pet people, and although the kids had wanted a dog for a long time, Mike and I didn’t,” Schmitt said. “We used the fact that Mike is allergic to say no. But Cali changed all that. We fell in love with her, and even Mike was not reacting to her like he had to other dogs. She seemed so appreciative to us for taking her in and nursing her back to health and immediately took to us as we did to her.”

Schmitt’s son, Michael, once saw Cali tear off part of a dog treat and give it to another dog.

“One time I saw her take a biscuit over to a little baby in a stroller and drop it at her feet,” he said.

But on July 5 around 6 p.m., family members found Cali collapsed in their yard, foaming at the mouth and not moving. They then saw blood on Cali’s neck and immediately suspected snake bite. The Schmitts immediately took Cali to their local emergency veterinary clinic in Leesburg. Despite two vials of antivenin, however, Cali did not improve, so the next morning the family brought Cali to UF for continued treatment.

From July 6, when Cali arrived, to her discharge on July 20, she experienced a series of medical crises that included three episodes of re-envenomation; heart arrhythmias; an allergic reaction to the antivenin; and serum sickness, not to mention infection with high levels of E-coli bacteria. She also had three surgical procedures to remove dead tissue around her bite wound.

UF’s emergency and critical care team kept the family updated at every turn. In the first five days, whenever another two-vial treatment of antivenin was needed, the family would hope it was the last one. But then Cali would regress again.

“At that point, the stress of the surmounting bill was overwhelming, but we kept thinking that we had gone so far and we couldn’t let her die now,” Schmitt said. “So, with blind faith, we continued to agree to whatever she needed, knowing that we just couldn’t give up on her and that we would find a way to come up with the money to pay for her care.”

The family got busy thinking of ways to contribute to Cali’s bill. The family’s sons decided to donate everything they made in their summer jobs of mowing lawns and weeding to Cali’s care, and Schmitt picked up extra shifts at Disney World, where she works as a seasonal cast member.

Jacob Schmitt, 13, and his brother, Zach Schmitt, in background, pet Cali on the day of her discharge. (Photo by Maria Farias)

“By Monday (July 9), Dr. Schaer spoke to us and said Cali’s bill was quickly approaching $7,000 and that she continued to need antivenin,” Schmitt said. “He wanted to prepare us for the fact that at the end of the day, we might not have a live dog. We asked him if there would be a point where he would know that more antivenin was pointless, and it would be best to put her down. He said he wanted to try two more vials, and that we might have to have that conversation later that afternoon.”

At that point, the family was desperate and their YouTube video was born.

“The boys all got together and started pulling all the pictures they’ve taken of Cali since we got her,” Schmitt said. “We know that times are tough, and we thought that by asking people for $1 donations and asking for them to share our post, if we could spread the word far enough, we could raise enough funds to help offset the balance that we owed. We were nowhere near prepared for what happened as a result of the video.”

As the video and word of Cali’s plight spread, the family navigated through Cali’s medical rollercoaster with the support of what soon became hundreds of virtual friends and fans, some known to the family and many more, complete strangers. Their Chip-in online account for donations kept growing and growing, as more became aware of Cali’s situation and contributed to help her.

“I’ve seen a lot of snake bite victims, and some pretty bad cases, but this was the worst because of all the unexpected complications that were the result of the amount of venom Cali received and her reaction to it,” Schaer said. “Usually it takes a couple of vials of antivenin and a couple of days to turn an animal around, but in Cali’s case it was 24 vials of antivenin and two full weeks of constant care. That’s unheard of.”

UF veterinarians knew they had turned a corner in Cali’s care when, following a surgical procedure July 16 to remove additional dead tissue from the bite area, she showed no sign of re-envenomation. At that point, 22 vials of antivenin had been administered to Cali during her stay, and she had begun showing signs of an allergic reaction.

The Schmitt family with Cali. From left to right in front are Zach Schmitt, 8; Michael Schmitt, 15; and twins Jacob and Daniel Schmitt, 13. (Photo by Sarah Carey)

The medical team knew they could not give any more antivenin due to the risk of Cali going into shock. Had Cali shown further signs of re-envenomation, there would have been no way to reverse the effects of venom in her system. Cali almost certainly would have died.

But three hours postoperatively, Schaer was grinning ear to ear.

“Judging from the way she looks now, compared to how she appeared soon after the previous surgery, when the last re-envenomation occurred, I am almost ready to pronounce her out of the woods,” Schaer said at the time.

The next day, UF veterinarians told the Schmitts that Cali just continued to improve and that they were feeling much better about her overall prognosis. At that time, one final surgery remained to close the wound, but Cali came through the procedure with flying colors.

On July 20 her family came to Gainesville to take their beloved Cali home. Her family has continued to post updates about her progress on the Facebook page they set up for Cali, www.facebook.com/pleasehelpcali.

Schmitt says Cali has received many visitors and is being pampered at home every day. She is eating well, drinking a lot and getting lots of rest. Meanwhile, donations continue to pour into the Chip-in online account the family established when they first turned to social media for help.

Schmitt said any overage would be given back to UF to support help other animals. She said she and her family were “humbled and honored” to have been able to witness “the great things that happen at the UF Small Animal Hospital.”

“From the girls at the front desk to the technicians, the doctors and even the administrative staff, each and every person we have had contact with has been amazing, Schmitt said. “The love, caring and compassion in every person there is evident in the way they treat their patients and their families.”

Dr. Dan Lewis, a professor of small animal surgery at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, recently received the 2012 recipient of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s Hill’s Mobility Award.

The WSAVA’s Hills Mobility award recognizes the outstanding work of a clinical researcher in the field of canine and feline orthopedic medicine and surgery. Through improvements in the mobility and quality of life of pets, recipients are deemed to have contributed significantly to the well-being of pets lives and to the human-animal bond worldwide.

Lewis was presented with the award during the WSAVA’s annual meeting, held in Birmingham, England April 12-15.

Lewis, a board certified veterinary surgeon, has been a member of the UF veterinary faculty since 1993. His special interests include traumatology, fracture management and reconstructive surgery with a focus on the utilization of circular and hybrid external skeletal fixation for fracture stabilization, deformity correction and limb salvage procedures.

He received his D.V.M. degree from the University of California-Davis in 1983. He completed an internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at Louisiana State University in 1984 and a residency in Small Animal Surgery at the University of Florida in 1987. Lewis spent a year as the Surgical Registrar at Sydney University before returning to Louisiana State University in 1988, where he worked as an assistant professor prior to returning to UF to serve on the faculty.

Working dogs, such as K-9 officers, war dogs serving during military conflict, or rescue dogs who help with search and rescue efforts after natural disasters, often find themselves in life-threatening situations. But something seemingly more benign is often responsible for taking the lives of these animals — heat-related illness.

In working dogs, overheating can lead to dehydration, exhaustion, impaired ability to work or even death. But there are no evidence-based guidelines for preventing such heat-related issues. Now University of Florida researchers have conducted preliminary studies that may help fill that void and guide the prevention of heat-related illness in working dogs.

“These are real concerns, especially in the South in the summer as well as for working dogs deployed to the Middle East,” said lead researcher Sheilah Robertson, Ph.D., formerly a professor of veterinary anesthesiology at the UF College of Veterinary Medicine, now an assistant director of animal welfare at the American Veterinary Medical Association. “We don’t know what a ‘work-rest’ schedule should be under different environmental conditions.”

Based on their studies, the researchers recommend that, as much as possible, dogs work for short periods in morning and evening hours when the temperature is lower, and are kept in shady, well-ventilated areas. They also recommend that dogs wear protective Kevlar vests in dangerous situations, because despite concerns, there isn’t evidence that the vests contribute to overheating. In addition, specially designed cooling vests can help dogs cool down faster after strenuous work.

The findings were presented earlier this year during the 28th International Canine Sports Medicine Symposium in Orlando.

Working K-9s have often made headlines over the past decade because of high-profile assignments such as deployment in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, their use in rescue efforts after Hurricane Katrina, and even in hunting down terrorist mastermind Osama Bin Laden last year in Pakistan.

Acquiring and maintaining working animals is expensive. Each fully trained dog represents at least a $30,000 investment and countless hours of training. The true value of working dogs, however, can’t be measured in dollars, Robertson said.

Although most seasoned handlers try to minimize the risks to their dogs in hot and humid conditions, recommendations are based on best guesses or those used for humans. But big differences in physiology mean there is a limit to the usefulness of such efforts. For example, whereas humans use sweating to cool the body, dogs rely more on panting.

“What would also help us, as trainers, would be guidelines and explanations of the symptoms that we should be on guard for, so that we can recognize heat stress before it is serious,” said Phil Hoelcher, an internationally acclaimed Shutzhund trainer who has worked with many police departments and K-9 handlers around the U.S. “Our experience in the field is that once a dog’s temperature starts to spike, it is very hard to reverse it without going to our emergency methods of cold water, ice, fans and so on. We know that if it’s possible for even the most experienced trainer to miss the signs, it is not surprising that pet owners and less experienced trainers don’t even realize it is happening until it is too late.”

In the UF study, seven dogs went through intense 10-minute sessions that involved running at high speed, finding a hidden person and apprehending a “suspect” by the arm. Dogs performed the exercise with no vest, with a protective Kevlar vest and with a cooling vest that uses patented rechargeable packs to help maintain a comfortable body temperature. The dogs’ blood glucose, acidity levels and other values were measured, along with pulse and respiratory rates and rectal and core body temperatures before and immediately after activity, and throughout recovery periods. The study, funded through a $19,000 Morris Animal Foundation grant, was carried out during summer and winter months.

Robertson and co-investigator Kirsten Cooke, D.V.M., an associate professor of small animal medicine at the UF veterinary college, found that it took dogs longer to return to baseline temperature in the summer than in the winter — many cases 50 to 60 minutes longer. And in the summer, rectal temperatures could be 2.5 degrees Celsius higher than those at the body’s core. Dogs often needed more than an hour to cool down after intense summer exercise, and cooling vests helped some of them cool down faster.

There was no evidence that dogs were hotter when they wore Kevlar vests than when they went without, either in summer or winter.

“We recommend seeking more data on the use of cooling vests, and correlating rectal and core body temperatures to give a better understanding of how hot the dogs really are,” Robertson said. “In addition, we would like to see more studies of different cooling methods such as fans, air conditioned recovery areas or standing in water, and more research into the effect of repeated work cycles on the dogs over time.”