UC Davis opens kidney dialysis service

Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. - An animal center in southern California launched its first kidneydialysis service for dogs and cats on May 18.

The services will be provided by the University of California,Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in a new facility at the Helen WoodwardAnimal Center in Rancho Santa Fe. The service is being offered to temporary andlong-term renal failure patients.

Prior to this startup, the only other place in Californiaoffering kidney dialysis was the main UC Davis campus. The new service wasestablished by the UC Veterinary Medical Center - San Diego, a jointventure of the Davis and San Diego campuses.

A hemodialysis machine serves as an artificial kidney to removewaste products from the blood that the kidney normally filters and excretes.The procedures aids animals suffering from antifreeze poisoning, kidneyinfection or other disease complications.

Veterinarian Julie Fischer and veterinary technician Paula Thomascomplete the San Diego-based dialysis team.

For more information, call (858) 759-7235.