University of California, Davis

When two adult female black bears were burned during a fire in California, UC Davis veterinarians came up with an innovative treatment for the burned bear paws. Deana Clifford, an assistant clinical professor at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, and Jamie Peyton, chief of the Integrative Medicine Service at UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, were the first veterinarians in the nation to use tilapia fish skins to heal burn wounds on wild animals. The treatment has potential for future use on animal and human burns.