Surgery

Veterinary Specialty Hospital - UC Davis Veterinary Medical Center

Renal Transplant Program

Kidney transplants are a potential treatment option for cats that are in chronic renal failure. Ideal candidates are otherwise healthy, stable cats that no longer respond to conventional therapy.

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Typically there is no age restriction for transplantation as long as the cat is in good condition and all criteria are met; however, exceptions may apply. 85% of cats that leave the hospital will survive at least six months with almost half still alive 3 years later. The life expectancy after transplantation is 3-6 years with reports of some patients living over 10 years.

We are the only renal transplant program in the country that has an “in-house” dialysis center. This allows us the flexibility to pre-treat patients that would benefit from dialysis prior to surgery, helping us decrease the incidence of complications. Dialysis can also be life-saving in the event that the patient experiences delayed renal function or acute rejection.

For more information on this life-saving program, please click on this link or contact the rental transplant coordinator at (858) 875-7500 or through This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Sean Aiken, DVM, MS, DACVS: A Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Dr. Sean Aiken served as staff surgeon at the Animal Medical Center (AMC) in New York City, an internationally distinguished veterinary teaching hospital, from 1995-2005. As an enthusiastic advocate in the advancement of veterinary medicine for the benefit of patients and their families, he was voted Teacher of the Year. He also acted as Associate Director of the Bobst Hospital of the Animal Medical Center for three years. While on staff at AMC, Dr. Aiken served as a Visiting Investigator at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, collaborating on several investigations with the orthopedic service. He is an author on more than 15 published scientific articles and book chapters.

Dr. Sean Aiken, a native Californian, is a graduate of the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine (1988). He completed his internship and small animal surgical residency at Purdue University in 1992, becoming board certified by the ACVS in 1995. An invited national and international lecturer, Dr. Aiken’s areas of special interest include surgical oncology and reconstruction, arthroscopy, joint replacement, minimally invasive fracture repair and TPLO surgeries. Dr. Aiken has served as a Wildlife Conservation Associate for the Wildlife Conservation Society of the Bronx Zoo. He is currently a reviewer for several veterinary journals.
Mauricio Dujowich, DVM, DACVS: A Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Dr. Mauricio Dujowich grew up in San Diego and attended veterinary school at the University of California, Davis. After graduating in 2004 he completed a rotating internship with us, here at the VSH. He then accepted a one year position as a surgical intern at Alameda East Veterinary Hospital in Denver, CO. Following his second internship Dr. Dujowich began his surgical residency at Iowa State University. During his residency, Dr. Dujowich pioneered a new technique for prevention of gastric dilatation volvulus in dogs by use of minimally invasive surgical techniques. Dr. Dujowich has been extensively trained in orthopedic, soft tissue, and neurological surgery. His particular interests include minimally invasive surgery, oncologic surgery, thoracic surgery, fracture repair, and cruciate disease. He is trained in both the Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) and Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA). Dr. Dujowich has authored papers in surgical techniques of gastric dilatation volvulus, thoracic wall reconstructive surgery, and more recently a book chapter in mandibular and maxillary fractures.

While pursuing his career goals, Dr. Dujowich’s strong interests in improving veterinary education led to the founding of VetPrep.com, the veterinary field’s leading online veterinary board examination preparation resource for veterinary students. Dr. Dujowich is proud of helping over 12,000 veterinarians (and counting) pass their licensing examination. In addition, Dr. Dujowich has published peer-reviewed articles in several species including horses and California condors. Dr. Dujowich’s broad interests also resulted in his serving as surgeon for the Iowa State University Wildlife Care Center as well as a visiting surgeon for the Blank Park Zoo in Iowa.

Dr. Dujowich’s passion for veterinary medicine has led to multiple awards and recognitions such as the California Veterinary Medical Association’s award for Practice Excellence, Favorite Clinician at Iowa State University, and the VetPrep Lifetime Achievement Award. An avid outdoorsman, during his free time you will likely find him surfing, skiing, hiking, running, or biking.
Joshua Jackson, DVM, DACVS: Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgery, Dr. Josh Jackson has extensive clinical interests in the field of veterinary surgery. His special interests include total hip replacement, arthroscopic surgery, and cruciate ligament tears in dogs (Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy or TPLO).

Dr. Jackson served as a clinical instructor in orthopedics while at the University of California, Davis and gained experience in all aspects of veterinary orthopedics. His interests in soft tissue surgery include thoracic and abdominal procedures, such as oncologic/portal-systemic shunts and microvascular surgery. While at UC Davis, Dr. Jackson worked on several research projects with the comparative tissue transplantation laboratory. He also performed renal transplantation on clinical patients at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Led by Dr. Jackson, companion animal transplantation facility has been launched at Veterinary Specialty Hospital. Dr. Jackson has authored scientific articles on thoracoscopy, liver shunt surgery and stifle surgery. Recently, the doctor co-authored a textbook chapter on osteochondrosis.

Dr. Jackson is a graduate of Colorado State University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery here at the Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Rancho Santa Fe. Following his internship, Dr. Jackson completed his residency in small animal surgery at the University of California, Davis.
Fred Pike, DVM, DACVS: A Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Dr. Fred Pike has undergone broad training leading to clinical interests in both orthopedic and soft tissue surgery. His special interests include trauma surgery and surgery of critically-ill patients. His soft tissue interests include reconstructive surgery and surgical management of diseases of the extrahepatic biliary system. Dr. Pike is trained in both the Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO) and the Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA) for the surgical management of cruciate disease. He has an avid interest in arthroscopy, total hip replacement and diseases of the immature skeleton. He is a member of the Veterinary Orthopedic Society (VOS) and the Society of Veterinary Soft Tissue Surgery (SVSTS).

Dr. Pike is a graduate of the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Canada (1996). Following completion of his DVM degree, Dr. Pike was an associate in a small animal practice in Portland, Oregon. Following two years of general practice, Dr. Pike completed internships in medicine and surgery at the Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group, Ventura, California (1999) and anesthesia and critical care at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts (2000). Dr. Pike completed his residency in small animal surgery at the combined Tufts University/Angell Memorial Animal Hospital program in Boston, Massachusetts (2003) and became board-certified in 2004.

Surgery

Veterinary Specialty Hospital - UC Davis Veterinary Medical Center

Renal Transplant Program

Renal Transplant Program

Specialties